MGM-British Studios Meanwhile, Amalgamated Studios Ltd constructed a large studio on the north side of Elstree Way between 1935 and 1937. A January 1937 deal for eight films to be made for the American studio Columbia Pictures soon collapsed. The company was unable to meet the cost of building work, and sold the facility to the Rank Organisation, which was not interested in using the studios itself, but wanted to stop John Maxwell's rival British International Pictures (BIP) from being able to compete more effectively with its own new Pinewood Studios. During the war, the studios were leased from Rank by the
Maat (rank) conscripts who volunteered to serve for a minimum of six years. After approximately four years they could expect to become "Maat". Re-enlistment was common but in most specialities the career options would end with achieving the rank of "Obermaat"; only after 18 years in service was a promotion as supernumary "Vizefeldwebel" possible, and only if there was a billet open. The 1914/15 naval budget included 7857 billets for "Maate" and 5237 for "Obermaate". Maat (rank) Maat is a naval rank of the German Navy equivalent to the army/ air force rank of Unteroffizier. It is grouped as OR5 in NATO,