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The History of Cinema: 1940

Australia - Italy

Australia

John Grierson visits to advise on the establishment of an organisation equivalent to the National Film Board of Canada, but his report is not acted upon until 1945. [ADD]

The federal government establishes the Department of Information Film Division to record the country’s activities in WWII. [ADD]

– Government war cameraman Damien Parker goes to Palestine. [ADD]

Belgium

The Nazis take control of the country, essentially bringing the Belgian film industry to a temporary close.   All product must conform to Nazi ideology and is strictly censored by the Propaganda-Abteilung Belgien. [ADD]

– The Association des Directeurs de Théâtres Cinématographiques de Belgique (ADTCB - Association of Belgian Cinema Theatre Owners) is dissolved and replaced by l'Association des Directeurs de Cinémas de Belgique (The Association of Owners of Belgian Cinemas). [ADD]

– La Chambre Syndicale Belge de la Cinématographie (The Confederation of Belgian Cinematography) becomes La Chambre Syndicale Belge des Distributeurs de Films (The Confederation of Belgian Film Distributors), and incorporates a production department which is presided over by Jan Vanderheyden, who will later be convicted of collaborating with the Nazis. [ADD]

Canada

The first Canada Carries On newsreel is produced by Stuart Legg. [ADD]

Czechoslovakia

The release of Frantisek Cap’s Babicka (Grandmother) is banned in many towns after giving rise to anti-Nazi demonstrations. [ADD]

Denmark

Svend Methling’s Sommerglæder is released. [ADD]

Following the Nazi invasion on 9^th April, it is made illegal to screen British films in Danish cinemas. [ADD]

Egypt

– Faten Hamama, the “Shirley Temple of Egyptian Cinema,” makes her screen debut in Mohammed Karim’s Yom said. [ADD]

Germany

Veit Harlan’s infamous Jew Suss is released.   Fashioning an anti-Jewish film from a pro-Jewish novel by Lion Feuchtwanger, Harlan’s tale depicts its title character, Suss Oppenheimer (Ferdinand Marian) as a scheming rapist. [ADD]

Josef Goebbels assumes personal control of all filmed news produced by UFA, Tobis and Deulig. [ADD]

Agfa produce a number of short documentary films using an experimental trichrome colour process. [ADD]

Holland

– Following the occupation by Germany all industry workers are required to enlist in the Filmgilde der Nederlandsche Kultuurkamer (Film Guild of the Dutch Chamber of Culture), in order to keep their jobs. [ADD]

– Filmstad and Cinetone film studios are taken over by Ufa [ADD]

India

Himansu Rai, pioneer of Indian cinema, dies shortly after suffering a nervous breakdown. [ADD]

The Film Advisory Board is founded, with Desmond Young at its head. [ADD]

– Mehboob Khan’s Aurat is released.   It will later be remade as Mother India. [ADD]

Italy

Filming is disrupted at the Cinecitta studio in Rome by a major fire. [ADD]

Other Key Films of 1940

Austria

Operette [ADD]

Chile

Verdejo gasta un millón (Eugenio de Luigoro) [ADD]

Verdejo gobierna en Villaflor [ADD]

Egypt

Determination (Selim) [ADD]

Germany

Die ewige Jude (Fritz Hippler) [ADD]

Wunschkonzert (Eduard von Borsody) [ADD]

Hungary

Dankó Pista (László Kalmár) [ADD]

Tóparti látomás (Vision by the Lakeside) (László Kalmár) [ADD]

The History of Cinema: 1940