There's no business like show business

The entertainment arts; especially the theatre, motion pictures, television etc. which are collectively considered as an industry, is known and called as the show business. Though many other art forms such as puppetry, magic, street performances, and even the strip act can qualify to be included as part of the nomenclature; show business has become synonymous with the motion picture industry.

Of all creations that were invented as a means of entertainment or a remedy for boredom; none equals the movies. Notwithstanding the fact that sometimes the cure is worse than the cause for it, motion pictures reign supreme as an instrument of entertainment. Despite what anyone might say; films, movies or motion picture, whatever one may call it, remains the king of entertainment. Why?

It is because it is the only universal language that could be understood by all - even those who are not vested with the knowledge and complexities of the medium. Movies; whether made for entertainment, education (documentaries) or even the ones that are made to make one sleep through sheer boredom; all tell a story. The human being is a born story teller and listener. His love of stories is such that even before the evolution of language, he attempted to tell and has been telling stories. The motion picture of today is unrivalled in its ability to tell stories. The sole exception, perhaps, may be the politicians of our country whose story telling prowess exceeds that of the movies.

A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects. The process of filmmaking has developed into an art form and industry. Films are cultural artifacts created by specific cultures, which reflect those cultures, and, in turn, affect them. Film is considered to be an important art form, a source of popular entertainment and a powerful method for educating or indoctrinating citizens. The visual elements of cinema give motion pictures a universal power of communication.

The production segment of the film industry in Sri Lanka was still born in the year 1925. Another aborted effort was made in 1936. Both efforts at producing a feature film locally remain as statistics in the record books of history. However, in 1947, an entrepreneur called Nayagam took a group of local stage performers to Madras of the old, currently called Chennai in India, and produced the first true feature film in the Sinhala language. Whenever a reference is made to the film industry in Sri Lanka, it generally means the Sinhala language films. Though several bold efforts were made to produce films in the Tamil and English language, these constitute a negligible percentage of the thousand one hundred odd feature films made to date in Sri Lanka. Thus, the Sinhala language films and Sri Lankan film industry are synonymous.

It is recognized that the great day of the birth of the film art took place at the Grand Cafe in Paris on 28th December 1896. For the first time in history, a film was exhibited by the Lumiere brothers. The first films were confirmed to a few seconds. Feature type films, over ten minutes, was produced in 1903.

First film

In Sri Lanka, A.W. Andree screened the first film for the benefit of Boer prisoners of war at Diyatalawa Camp. Coric Bioscope Company established by A. W. Andree in 1903 was the first such company in Sri Lanka, at that time called Ceylon. The company showed films in Colombo till the death of A.W Andree in 1910. Around this time, another film exhibitor, Wagner, also exhibited films in a tent in Lotus Road, Colombo. Theatre screening of films was established on a business scale in 1913 after the Indian Madan Theatre Company entered the scene. The first theatre this company owned was Public Hall in Ibbanwala in Colombo. This later became the Empire Cinema, currently the site at which Empire City is developed on Braybrooke Place, Colombo - 2. The Madan Theatre Company also established the 'Palace' in Colombo and 'Clifford Pavilion' in Nuwara Eliya to show films. European silent films were shown in these theatres. Film exhibitor T.A.J. Noorbhoy who started 'London Bioscope' in Colombo Fort, later established the New Olympia cinema. Wagner was the supplier of films to him.

In the year 1928, Chittamplam A. Gardiner, a reputed businessman of the time, leased the New Olympia theatre. This paved the way for an independent film exhibitor, Ceylon Theatres Limited, to emerge against the monopoly of Madan group.

Later, Ceylon Theatres Limited grew to be a major enterprise that produced and exhibited films on a very large scale and functioned as the leading national film exhibitor until 1972 - the year the National Film Corporation (NFC) was established through a Parliamentary Act Number 47 of 1971.

Ceylon Theatres Limited built the Regal Cinema in 1930 and the company grew so fast that by 1932 it owned the Capitol and New Olympia theatres as well. Madan owned the Majestic Cinema and Empire Cinema but was losing its hold on film exhibition.

Film exhibitor

By the year 1939, Ceylon Theatres Limited had acquired all Madan Theatres in Sri Lanka and also bought over the Tower Hall in Maradana.

Ceylon Entertainment Limited emerged as a film exhibitor in 1946 and Cinemas Limited, another film exhibitor was established in 1947. An independent producer, Mr. Nayagam, produced the first Sinhala language film in 1947. Due to non availability of production facilities at that time in Sri Lanka, this film was made entirely in South India utilising Indian technicians and Sri Lankan artistes.

However, by late fifties, both Ceylon Theatres and Cinemas had set up studio facilities in Sri Lanka. Ceylon Theatres, Cinemas and Ceylon Entertainment dominated the Sri Lanka film market upto the early seventies because they had the studio facilities and the theatre circuits under their control. This made it possible for them to command the entire industry in many ways. This tendency towards monopoly by a small group was harmful to the independent film maker. Thus, in 1966, due to agitation by the independent film producers, the then government appointed a Film Commission - the first of its kind in the country. However, it took another six years before the State Film Corporation (now the National Film Corporation) was established - thus replacing a monopoly by a group of individuals by the monopoly of the government where all aspects of the industry was governed by government rules and regulations.

For a decade, the industry flourished and that period could justly be called the golden era of the national film industry. But soon enough, corruption, complacency, lack of accountability - all familiar traits of government in business - ensured that the industry was in turmoil once again.

The chaos, confusion and disorder continues to this date; and a business that was unlike no other; an industry that excels over all else, has become the victim of neglect, negligence and indifference. If there is 'no business' like show business in its glamour, mass appeal and thrills; in Sri Lanka today, the show business is best described as 'no business'.

Well readers, see you this day next week. Until then, keep thinking, keep laughing. Life is mostly about these two activities.

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