other studio systems great britain's “golden age”
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OTHER STUDIOSYSTEMS
GREAT BRITAIN'S “GOLDEN AGE”
EARLY BRITISH CINEMA
Early silent era similar to that of the US Same kinds of technical & narrative
experimentation Film very popular with the public
With rise of US studios, British film industry had difficulty competing; couldn't afford high production values
EARLY SOUND CINEMA
US films still dominated British screens
Common language gave US films advantage
Hollywood had much larger market British actors & directors defected to
Hollywood Had theater backgrounds, sought after
in Hollywood HITCHCOCK began in British silent films,
came to US late 1930s
Blackmail (Alfred Hitchcock, 1929)
EARLY SOUND CINEMA
Quota Act of 1927 & “quota quickies” Designed to limit importation of US
films, stimulate British film Required companies to distribute &
finance British films Produced cheap films, never shown or
shown during “off hours” to fill quota requirements
EARLY SOUND CINEMA
British cinema of early & mid-1930s dismal
Alexander Korda Native of Hungary, limited success in Europe
& Hollywood before coming to Great Britain In 1933 directed low-budget The Private Life
of Henry VIII Starred Charles Laughton Huge success in US
The Private Life of Henry
VIII (Alexander Korda, 1933)
EARLY SOUND CINEMA
Led to films based on literary works or historical events Attempts cash in on market in US Effects & spectacle of British films
inferior to those of US, Americans disliked British accents & slow pace
EARLY SOUND CINEMA
QUOTA ACT OF 1938 Required studios to increase money
spent on native productions Eliminated “quota quickie”, increased
quality of average British film Restored pride among British
filmmakers
DOCUMENTARY FILMS
Most significant contribution until 1950-60s Many filmmakers left narrative film for
documentary in 1930s Mostly funded by government
Early films (late 1920s, early 1930s) Designed to teach English about British Empire Celebrated common man & ordinary labor Socially committed, didn't enforce capitalism JOHN GRIERSON
Drifters (1929) Industrial Britain (1932)
John Grierson (1898-1972)
DOCUMENTARY FILMS & WW II Government documentary film unit
Staffed with filmmakers in employ of government
Quiet, dignified, emphasized solidarity & perseverance
HUMPHREY JENNINGS Most important of these filmmakers Listen to Britain (1941)
Music & images of common people give sense of nobility & dignity
Low‑key, poetic instead of argumentative
Fires Were Started (I Was a Fireman; Humphrey Jennings,
1942)
THE RETURN OF BRITISH FILMMAKING Quota Act of 1938
Filmmakers returned, bringing new ideas & “Hollywood professionalism”
Technicians returned, bringing ideas from documentary
Respect for “realism” & skills at realistic filmmaking
Interest in social issues: domestic problems & Fascism
These factors & WW II led to films that dealt with real problems in a fairly realistic way
Many quite good, despite restrictions
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