Early20th Century Colonial Research Of Film Exhibition Industry In Shanghai

In the early20th century, film, which began from western Europe, had painted an indelible mark on the city life and modern fashion in Shanghai. Film Exhibition Industry showed its boom. But behind the boom, it was colonial landscape that built up by the "colonials". The article choose The Grand Theatre as the main research object, which was one of the best first-round theaters at that golden age, to glimpse one side of the film exhibition industry in the early20th century Shanghai. It was the colonialism performance that put the industry onto the stage of history, accounted for the most glorious page in the history of Chinese film.The article divides into five chapters. The chapter Ⅰ is the introduction, to discuss the research background, research significance and theory review both in China and international. Problems like:what is the significance of film exhibition industry research? What is the comparability and reference between early times and now? And to define the conception of the "colonial" under the authoritative research.Chapter Ⅱ to IV are main body of the thesis. Chapter Ⅱ starts from the theater development in early Shanghai and government management. Primarily discuss the government management of the theater industry was not perfect, resulting in the increased foreign powers of the theater industry, examining the western management mode in the Grand Theatre. Identity had been the main management core. Chapter Ⅲ mainly describe theater landscape. Theaters in Shanghai emerged as the Western-style modern architectural landscape, especially in the Grand Theatre, for its building exterior, interior decoration and advanced equipment in detail data analysis and research, and discuss the statues of "Nude" with the colonial mentality that cater to Western culture and to convey the exotic words. Chapter IV focuses on the operation mechanism of the cinema industry. Exhibition system and business strategy taken by The Grand Theatre, under the round-system, points out that it was determined by its strong capital behind the operation of the exhibition industry, which was the core of exhibition mechanism in early Shanghai.Chapter V is the conclusion. In conclusion, the author summed up discussions above. The conclusion is:In the early20th century in Shanghai, the colonialism in film exhibition industry mainly worked on theater’s western-style management, theater’s landscape and exhibition mechanism. This was not natural formed as economy developed, but cater to make big share of resources situation of the colonial economy. To have a mirror view of today, the caters should have been adopted as an accurate grasp of consumer psychology and market positioning, which could lead to a better adaption to the times.