ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with foreign language films shown in Britain during 1930s. All the talkies shown in Britain in the first year of the sound film were in English. As other countries began sound production, films in other languages were being trade shown. The simultaneous production of several versions in different languages, known at the time as multilingual production, began in 1929. Planned together from the start, the versions were made by overlapping units following the same scenario and using the same sets. British cinemas showed not only the English versions of British multilinguals, but also many English language versions of Continental films. BIP was by far the largest producer of multilinguals in Britain. Prison Without Bars and Hell’s Cargo, each starring the same leading lady in both versions, were available in London in both French and English at the same time.
