Any examination in detail of the British contribution to the motion picture reveals a disappointing diminution in its importance since the remarkable pioneering period which lasted from the last decade of the nineteenth century till around 1906. Certainly in spite of constantly recurring crises throughout its long history, British film output has never fallen as low as that of France during the occupation, but on a qualitative level it has trailed behind. The number of world-renowned figures produced by Britain is few, and most are actors and actresses fortunate enough in voice or physique to claim attention on either side of the Atlantic.
