This Day The Anglo-American Film Spat (1947)
Dec 18, 2025
On December 17, 1947, a film trade war erupts between the US and UK, highlighting the cultural clash post-WWII. The hosts explore Britain's efforts to protect its faltering film industry from American dominance while assessing the economic pressures of the time. Hollywood’s influence as a diplomatic tool is examined, particularly through boycotts and agreements. The conversation also touches on the resurgence of British cinema and its challenges against an ever-powerful Hollywood, including modern parallels in today’s film globalization.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Postwar Tariffs Spark Cultural Conflict
- After WWII the UK moved to tax American film imports to keep dollars and rebuild its economy.
- That protectionism sparked a year-long Anglo-American film trade spat with broad cultural consequences.
Hollywood's Prewar Market Monopoly
- U.S. films dominated foreign markets between the wars, capturing 95% of the UK market by 1925.
- That dominance left Britain struggling to rebuild a competitive domestic film industry after WWII.
Economic Pressure Behind Film Tariffs
- Britain faced massive postwar debt and imported goods it could not produce, draining scarce dollars.
- Taxing imports like films became a political means to keep money and revive domestic industry.