French film production declined during World War I, as many resources
were drained away to support the fighting. Moreover, American films increasingly
entered France. In the years immediately following the war's
end, only 20 to 30 percent of films screened there were French, with Hollywood
supplying most of the rest.
French producers faced an uphill struggle in rrying to regain their
prewar strength. Throughout the late silent era, industry experts believed
that French production was in a crisis. In 1929, for instance, France
made 68 features, while Germany produced 220 and the United States
562. Even in 1926, the worst pre-Depression year for European production,
Germany had managed 202 films to France's 55, while Hojjywood
outstripped both with about 725. In 1928, one of the best years for the
Europeans, France made 94 films, compared to 221 for Germany and
641 for the United States. As such figures suggest, France's "crisis" fluctuated
in its severity, but the struggle to boost production gained little
ground in the postwar decade.
Competition from Imports
What created the problems confronting French film production between
1918 and 1928? For one thing, imported films continued to pour into
France in the 1920s. American films were the most numerous, especially
early in the decade. Even though America's share declined steadily
throughout the mid- to late 1920s, other countries, primarily Germany
and Great Britain, gained ground faster than did France.