MR. J. ARTHUR RANK

Chronicle (Levin), 2 April 1946, Page 4

MR. J. ARTHUR RANK

■O FILM MAGNATE A SUNDAY SCHOOL TEA'CHER The British fiim millionaire, J. Arwmr Rank, wn'ose name figuxed . recenuy in a parcnership witn Mr, R. J. Kerridge, of New Zealand, oecupi,es his sundays teaphing in the Methodist Sunday School at Reighate, in Surrey. So much lmporcance does he attach to his Sunday school class, that when business takes him away he makes certain that someboay takes charge of it. At Christmas time he treats the village childrefi to a variety entertainment from Londpn, and they think of him as a "bit strict,'but a liice chap." Joseph Arthur Rank, grandson of a humole flour miller, is a millionaire forty times over. With savings from the mill his father, Joe Rank, bought up steam-powered mins, invented new methods of rolling" and kept buying until he had controliof one-fifth of England's milling. At the age of 89 he diea a little over a year ago, and left endowments of £5,00u,000 to the Methodist Church, Much of Joe Rank's fortune was inherited by Joseph Arthur.' Rank. Now 56, he is q strict teetotaller. He is over six feet tall and weighs 15 stonb. In 1917, as an officer returned from the war, he married Lord Marshall of Chipsfead's daughter Laura and they have two daughters, Sheilagh and Ursula. Part J. Arthur Rank from the

romantic aura of his millions and one has a simple story of a deeply pious man. Religion prompted him co enter the film business, and in 1935 he began investing a mite of his millions to produce small biblical films for the ' church and Sunday school, and then highly moral children's films. From this his interest in British films grew side by side with dismay at their quality, and he bought up film studios and theatre chains in which to ' show their pictures. Now J. Arthur Rank dominates threequarters of Britain's film industry. Aithough his original purpose of bringing religion to the people oeems to have oeen lost in his larger enthusiasm for improving British films and spreading their popularity over the world, Mr. Rank still takes an interest in his chain of Saturday morning cinema clubs for children, where pnly good films are screened for the children. On the screens of his cinemas appear shorts in appealing form, reminding children of Sunday school the following day. This is part of a campaign he has started as chairman of the British section of the World Sunday School Union to boost attendances at Sunday schools. J. Arthur Rank vows that he will never produce a film which will upset any religious conviction or do any social harm. To* that end he is said to personally check over every script in his vast organisation.