a controlling interest in Greater Union, and used the theatre chain primarily to exhibit British films, including those from the Rank Organisation, whilst discouraging local feature production. Hence Cinesound never regained its place as a major local film producer, and Australian film production was almost non-existent for the next two decades. In 1940 the Australian Government decided to channel news footage to the public through the existing newsreel companies, Cinesound and Movietone. In the same year Cinesound abandoned feature production for the duration of the war. By this stage it was estimated Cinesound films had earned £400,000 at the box office. In 1942 Cinesound provided the operational base for the film unit of the US Signal Corps to prepare newsreels for viewing to American troops in the South West Pacific theatre of the war. In 1946 arrangements were made with the commercial film distribution companies to distribute selected Commonwealth Film Unit productions in Australian cinemas on a commercial basis. Similar arrangements existed for the release of general sponsored documentaries produced by Movietone and Cinesound. Other Australian producers were almost totally deprived of access to commercial cinema screens. Despite the success of Ken G Hall's last feature, Smithy (1946), which was backed by Columbia Pictures as a means of repatriating frozen currency held in Australia due to wartime restrictions, Greater Union Theatres decided not to resume post-war production through Cinesound. Feature Films On Our Selection (1932) The Squatter's Daughter (1933) The Silence of Dean Maitland (1934) Strike Me Lucky (1934) Grandad Rudd (1935) Thoroughbred (1936) Orphan of the Wilderness (1936) It Isn't Done (1937) Tall Timbers (1937) Lovers and Luggers (1937) The Broken Melody (1938) Let George Do It (1938) Dad and Dave Come to Town (1938) Gone to the Dogs (1939) Come Up Smiling (1939) Mr. Chedworth Steps Out (1939) Dad Rudd, MP (1940) Short Films Thar She Blows! (1931) That's Cricket (1931) Cinesound Review (weekly newsreel) (1931–1975) Cinesound Varieties (1934) 100,000 Cobbers (1942) South West Pacific (1943) Unmade Films Various films were announced for production by Cinesound that were not made, including: a talking version of For the Term of His Natural Life, which was previously filmed by Australasian Films in 1927 Con of the South Seas based on a novel by Beatrice Grimshaw, which had been previously filmed by Australasian Films as The Adorable Outcast (1928) a remake of The Pioneers (1926) which had been made by Australasian