Cinema of the United Kingdom
List of British films
1888-1919
1910s
1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
1920s
1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
1930s
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
1940s
1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950s
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960s
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970s
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980s
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990s
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000s
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

The United Kingdom has been influential in the technological, commercial, and artistic development of cinema. Despite a history of successful productions, the industry is characterised by an ongoing debate about its identity (including economic and cultural issues) and the influences of American and European cinema, although it is fair to say a brief 'golden age' was enjoyed in the 1940s from the studios of J Arthur Rank and Alexander Korda. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links FireOverEnglandVivienLeighLaurenceOlivier. ... This is a list of some of the more notable British films. ... This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... . ... This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... Origins of motion picture arts and sciences Any overview of the history of cinema would be remiss to fail to at least mention a long history of literature, storytelling, narrative drama, art, mythology, puppetry, shadow play, cave paintings and perhaps even dreams. ... The United Kingdom has the fifth largest economy in the world in terms of market exchange rates and the sixth largest by purchasing power parity (PPP). ... Union Flag The culture of the United Kingdom is rich and varied, and has been influential on culture on a worldwide scale. ... European cinema is the cinema of Europe. ...

Overview

UK film production from 1912 to 2003.

Film production in the UK has experienced a number of booms and recessions. Although many factors can be used to measure the success of the industry, the number of British films produced each year ([1]) gives an overview of its development: the industry experienced a boom as it first developed in the 1910s, but during the 1920s experienced a recession caused by US competition and commercial practices. The Cinematograph Films Act 1927 introduced protective measures, leading to recovery and an all-time production high of 192 films in 1936. Production then declined for a number of years. Film production recovered after the war, with a long period of relative stability and growing American investment. But another recession hit the industry in the mid-1970s, reaching an all-time low of 24 films in 1981. Low production continued throughout the 1980s, but it increased again in the 1990s with renewed private and public investment. Although production levels give an overview, the history of British cinema is complex, with various cultural movements developing independently. Some of the most successful films were made during 'recessions', such as Chariots of Fire (1981). Image File history File links UK_film_production_1912-2003. ... Image File history File links UK_film_production_1912-2003. ... This is an incomplete list of films made in the 1910s. ... List of 1920s films Films released in the 1920s include: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) Metropolis (1927) ok yeash your gay this site sucks! Other lists of movies List of years in film in the 1920s 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 Decades in Film... American cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. ... The Cinematograph Films Act of 1927 was an act of the United Kingdom Parliament designed to stimulate the declining British film industry. ... See also: 1935 in film 1936 1937 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon September 28 - The Marx Brothers Harpo Marx marries actress Susan Fleming Top grossing films in North America Red River Valley Academy Awards Best Picture: The Great... The decade of the 1970s in film involved many significant films. ... // January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. ... The decade of the 1980s in film involved many significant films. ... Films made in the 1990s included: Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A Above the Rim (1994) Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995) Ace Ventura: Pet... Chariots of Fire is a British film released in 1981. ...

History

Early British cinema

Modern cinema is generally regarded as descending from the work of the French Lumière brothers in 1892, and their show first came to London in 1896. However, the first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. The film is the first known instance of a projected moving image. European cinema is the cinema of Europe. ... The Cinema of Albania had its start in the years 1911-1912. ... Cinema of Armenia was born on April 16, 1923, when the Armenian State Committee on Cinema was established by the government decree. ... Austria has had an active cinema industry since the early 20th century. ... The film industry in Azerbaijan dates back to 1898. ... The Cinema of Belgium can often be considered a blending of Dutch Cinema and French Cinema though with its own unique national qualities. ... A full list of films produced in Bosnia-Herzegovina. ... // Directors Slatan Dudow Rangel Valtchanov Nikola Kovachev Sophia Peer Vulo Radev Dimitar Petkov- Opashkata Na Diavola aka Devils Tail Nikola Korabov Ivan Andonov Ludmil Staikov Metodi Andonov Zornitsa-Sophia Vladimir Yanchev Nikolai Volev Actors and actresses See also List of Bulgarian actors Stoyan Bachvarov Rusi Chanev Georgi Cherkelov Stefan... The cinema of Croatia has suffered in recent years, with quality films being few and far between in comparison to other countries. ... // List of Cypriot films Michael Cacoyannis Nicolas Economou DerviÅŸ Zaim World cinema Cyprus International Film Festival Culture of Cyprus Culture of Greece List of Greek actors Film Cinema of Greece List of Cypriot films History of Cyprus Peter Polycarpou DerviÅŸ Zaim Michael Cacoyannis Nicolas Economou Categories: | ... The Czech Republic (both as an independent country and as a part of former Czechoslovakia) was a seedbed for many acclaimed film directors. ... Danish cinema pioneer Peter Elfelt, a photographer, was the first Dane to make a film. ... Cinema in Estonia started in 1908 with the production of a newsreel about Swedish King Gustav IV’s visit to Tallinn. ... Norwegian Anneke von der Lippe as the Faroese Barbara in the 1997 Danish motion picture The Faroe Islands do not have a long history of cinema. ... The Finnish cinema has a long history, with first public screenings starting almost as early as modern motion picture technology was invented (the first screening in the world was in 1895, in Finland in 1896). ... Les Enfants du Paradis (Marcel Carne), one of the greatest French films ever made La regle du jeu (Jean Renoir), another candidate for the best French film LAtalante (Jean Vigo) La belle et la bête (Jean Cocteau) Diary of a Country Priest (Robert Bresson) Vivre sa Vie (Jean... The Cinema in Georgia is one of the best known and recognized cinematography of the world. ... Cinema in Germany can be traced back to the very beginnings of the medium at the end of the 19th Century and German cinema has made major technical and artistic contributions to film. ... // In the spring of 1897, the Greeks of Athens had the opportunity and privilege to watch the first cinematic attempts (short movies in journal). The projection of an animated movie resulted in excited reactions and the new-seen spectacle became a usual matter of discussion. ... Hungary has had a notable cinema industry for some time. ... Iceland has had a notable cinema industry for some time. ... The Irish film industry has grown somewhat in recent years thanks partly to the promotion of the sector by Bord Scannán na hÉireann (The Irish Film Board) and the introduction of heavy tax breaks. ... The history of Italian cinema began just a few months after the Lumière brothers had discovered the medium, when Pope Leo XIII was filmed for a few seconds in the act of blessing the camera. ... . ... Cinema of Lithuania came into existence in the late 1980s with the documentary films by director ArÅ«nas Matelis, and was allowed to develop once Lithuania became independent on September 6, 1991. ... The Luxembourg film industry is quite small, but this is unsurprising given that the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has a population of only about 400,000 people. ... Montenegro has been the site of many domestic films. ... The Dutch film industry has long been renowned for its documentaries. ... Norway has had a notable cinema industry for some time. ... // Directors Józef Arkusz StanisÅ‚aw Bareja Aleksander Ford Wojciech Has Agnieszka Holland Jerzy Hoffman Jerzy Kawalerowicz Krzysztof KieÅ›lowski -- The Three Colors trilogy, The Decalogue Jan Jakub Kolski Kazimierz Kutz Juliusz Machulski Andrzej Munk Marek Piwowski Roman PolaÅ„ski Ladislas Starevich Wladyslaw Starewicz Andrzej Wajda Krzysztof Zanussi Andrzej Zulawski... Portuguese cinema has a long tradition, reaching back to the birth of the medium in the late 19th century. ... The Cinema of Romania came into being as an affective reality. ... The Russian Empire (1896-1917) The first films seen in Russia were via the Lumiere Brothers, in Moscow and St. ... The first films seen in the Russian Empire were via the Lumière brothers, in Moscow and St. ... Serbia (both as an independent country and as part a part of former Yugoslavia) has been home to many internationally acclaimed films and directors. ... // Vlado Bahna Stanislav Barabáš Paľo Bielik Eduard Grečner DuÅ¡an Hanák Elo Havetta Juraj Herz Martin Hollý Juraj Jakubisko Ján Kadár Otakar Krivánek Viktor Kubal Leopold Lahola Andrej Lettrich Miroslav Luther Juraj Nvota Stanislav Párnický Peter Solan Martin Å ulík Å tefan Semjan Å tefan... . ... Soviet Cinema should not be used as a synonym for Russian Cinema. Although Russian language films predominated, several of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union contributed films reflecting elements of their pre-Soviet culture, language and history, although sometimes censored by the Central Government. ... The art of motion-picture making within the nation of Spain or by Spanish filmmakers abroad is collectively known as Spanish Cinema. ... Swedish cinema is one of the most widely-known national cinemas in the world, and certainly the most prominent of Scandinavia. ... Cinema of Switzerland // List of Swiss films Charles-Georges Duvanel Kurt Früh Jean-Luc Godard Claude Goretta Leopold Lindtberg Franz Schnyder Casimir Sivan Alain Tanner Anne-Marie Blanc Zarli Carigiet Heinrich Gretler Max Haufler Emil Hegetschweiler World cinema Swiss Films Swiss Film Directory Categories: | | ... The first film showing in Turkey was held in the Yildiz Palace, Istanbul in 1896. ... Cinema in Ukraine One of the largest film production studios in Ukraine is the Olexandr Dovzhenko Film Studios, located in Kiev, Ukraine. ... The historical country of Yugoslavia had a notable cinema industry of its own. ... Auguste (left) and Louis Lumière. ... See also: 1895 in film 1896 1896 films 1897 in film 19th century in film years in film film Events January - In Britain, Birt Acres and Robert W. Paul developed their own film projector, the Theatrograph (later known as the Animatograph). ... “Hyde Park” redirects here. ... Events The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film are made in Hyde Park, London by William Friese Greene Births February 8 - Siegfried Kracauer, movie critic and journalist April 16 - Charlie Chaplin, comedic actor, silent actor May 31 - Athene Seyler, English actress June 11 - Wesley Ruggles, movie director, producer August... William Friese-Greene (September 7, 1855–May 5, 1921) (born William Edward Green) was a portrait photographer and prolific inventor. ... See also: 1888 in film 1889 in film 1890 1891 in film 1892 in film 19th century in film years in film film Events Births January 4 - Weyler Hildebrand, swedish actor, director and writer. ...

The first people to build and run a working 35 mm camera in Britain were Robert W. Paul and Birt Acres. They made the first British film Incident at Clovelly Cottage in February 1895, shortly before falling out over the camera's patent. Soon several British film companies had opened to meet the demand for new films, such as Mitchell and Kenyon in Blackburn. From 1898 American producer Charles Urban expanded the London-based Warwick Trading Company to produce British films, mostly documentary and news. He later formed his own Charles Urban Trading Company, which also produced early colour films. There are many comparations to the Danish History of film. The early films were often melodramatic in tone, and there was a distinct preference for storylines which were already known to the audience - in particular adaptations of Shakespeare plays and Dickens' novels. Simulated 35 mm film with soundtracks _ The outermost strips (on either side) contain the SDDS soundtrack as an image of a digital signal. ... For other uses, see Camera (disambiguation). ... Robert W. Paul, (1869 – 1943) was a British electrician and scientific instrument maker and early pioneer of British film. ... Birt Acres (July 23, 1854–1918), born in Richmond, Virginia, USA of English parents was a photographer and film pioneer. ... The Mitchell and Kenyon film company was a pioneer of early commercial movies based in Blackburn in Lancashire, England at the start of the 20th century. ... This article is about the town in Lancashire, England. ... Charles Urban (April 15, 1867 - August 29, 1942) was an Anglo-American film producer and distributor, and one of the most significant figures in UK cinema before the First World War. ...

The 1930s boom

By the mid-twenties the British film industry was losing out to heavy competition from Hollywood, the latter helped by having a much larger home market. In 1914, 25% of films shown in the UK were British — by 1926 this had fallen to 5%. The Cinematograph Films Act 1927 was passed in order to boost local production, requiring that cinemas show a certain percentage of British films. The act was technically a success, with audiences for British films becoming larger than the quota required. But it had the effect of creating a market for 'quota quickies': poor quality, low cost films, made in order to satisfy the quota. Some critics have blamed the quickies for holding back the development of the industry. However, many British film-makers learnt their craft making these films, including Michael Powell and Alfred Hitchcock. ... See also: 1913 in film 1914 1915 in film years in film film Events The 3,300-seat Strand Theater opens in New York City. ... // August - Warner Brothers debuts the first Vitaphone film, Don Juan. ... The Cinematograph Films Act of 1927 was an act of the United Kingdom Parliament designed to stimulate the declining British film industry. ... Michael Latham Powell (September 30, 1905 – February 19, 1990) was a British film director, renowned for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger which produced a series of classic British films. ... Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (August 13, 1899 â€“ April 29, 1980) was an iconic and highly influential British-born film director and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres. ...

In the silent era, audiences were receptive to films from all nations. However, with the advent of sound films, many foreign actors or those with strong regional accents soon found themselves in less demand, and more 'formal' English (received pronunciation) became the norm. Sound also increased the influence of already popular American films. Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... American cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. ...

Alfred Hitchcock's Blackmail (1929) is regarded as the first British sound feature. It was a part-talkie with a synchronized score and sound effects. Later the same year, the first all-talking British feature, The Clue of the New Pin (1929) was released. It was based on a novel by Edgar Wallace, starring Donald Calthrop, Benita Home and Fred Raines, made by British Lion at their Beaconsfield Studios. The first all-colour sound feature (shot silent but with a soundtrack added) was released in the year and was entitled A Romance of Seville (1929). It was produced by British International Pictures and starred Alexander D'Arcy and Marguerite Allan. In 1930, the first all-colour all-talking British feature, Harmony Heaven (1930), was released. It was also produced by British International Pictures and starred Polly Ward and Stuart Hall. A number of all-talking films containing colour sequences, mostly musicals, were also released in the same year. The School for Scandal (1930) was the second all-talking feature to be filmed entirely in colour. Blackmail (1929) was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and stars Anny Ondra, John Longden, and Cyril Ritchard, and based on the play Blackmail by Charles Bennett. ... See also: 1928 in film 1929 1930 in film 1920s in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events The days of the silent film were numbered. ... The Mixer (1927), 1962 Arrow paperback edition. ... World War I recruiting poster John Bull is a national personification of Britain created by Dr. John Arbuthnot in 1712 and popularized first by British print makers and then overseas by illustrators such as American cartoonist Thomas Nast. ... For other uses, see Beaconsfield (disambiguation). ... Alexander DArcy, (b. ... The School for Scandal is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. ...

Starting with John Grierson's Drifters, the 1930s saw the emergence of a new school of realist documentary films: The Documentary Film Movement. It was Grierson who coined the term "documentary" to describe a non-fiction film, and he produced the movement's most celebrated film of the 1930s, Night Mail (1936), written and directed by Basil Wright and Harry Watt, and incorporating the poem by W. H. Auden. Other key figures in this movement were Humphrey Jennings, Paul Rotha and Alberto Cavalcanti. Many of them would go on to produce important films during World War II. John Grierson (April 26, 1898 - February 19, 1972) is often considered the father of British and Canadian documentary film. ... This article is about the American band. ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ... This article needs cleanup. ... See also: 1935 in film 1936 1937 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon September 28 - The Marx Brothers Harpo Marx marries actress Susan Fleming Top grossing films in North America Red River Valley Academy Awards Best Picture: The Great... Basil Wright, (June 12, 1907, Sutton, Surrey - 14 October 1987, Frieth, Buckinghamshire, England), was an English documentary film-maker, film historian, film critic and teacher. ... Harry Watt, (18 October, 1906, Edinburgh, Scotland - 2 April, 1987, Amersham, Buckinghamshire), was a British documentary and feature film director, who began his career working for John Grierson and Robert Flaherty. ... Wystan Hugh Auden (21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973) IPA: ;[1], who signed his works W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-American poet, regarded by many as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. ... Humphrey Jennings, (August 19, 1907 Walberswick, Suffolk - September 24, 1950 Greece), was a British film-maker and one of the founders of the Mass Observation organization. ... Paul Rotha (*June 3th, 1907- March 7th 1984) was a socialist british film maker and film historian. ... Alberto de Almeida Cavalcanti (February 6, 1897 – August 23, 1982) was a Brazilian-born film director and producer. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Several other new talents emerged during this period, and Alfred Hitchcock would confirm his status as one of Britain's leading young directors with his influential thrillers The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), The 39 Steps (1935) and The Lady Vanishes (1938), before moving to Hollywood. Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (August 13, 1899 â€“ April 29, 1980) was an iconic and highly influential British-born film director and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres. ... The Man Who Knew Too Much is a 1934 suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. ... See also: 1933 in film 1934 1935 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn (of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) finally purchased the film rights to The Wizard of Oz from Frank J. Baum for $40,000. ... The 39 Steps is a 1935 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, based on the adventure novel The Thirty-nine Steps by John Buchan. ... See also: 1934 in film 1935 1936 in film 1930s in film years in film film Events Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). ... The Lady Vanishes is a 1938 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. ... See also: 1937 in film 1937 1939 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of Dorothy in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. ... ...

Music hall also proved influential in comedy films of this period, and a number of popular personalities emerged, including George Formby, Gracie Fields, Jessie Matthews and Will Hay. These stars often made several films a year, and their productions remained important for morale purposes during the second world war. Music Hall is a form of British theatrical entertainment which reached its peak of popularity between 1850 and 1960. ... A comedy film is a film laced with humor or that may seek to provoke laughter from the audience. ... George Formby, OBE (26 May 1904 – 6 March 1961) was an English singer and comedian who became a major star of both cinema and music hall. ... Dame Gracie Fields, DBE (January 9, 1898–September 27, 1979), born Grace Stansfield, was an English/Italian singer and comedienne who became one of the greatest stars of both cinema and music hall. ... Jessie Matthews, OBE (March 11, 1907 - August 19, 1981) was a popular British actress, dancer, and singer of the 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period. ... William Thomson Hay (6 December 1888 – 18 April 1949) was an English comedian, actor and amateur astronomer. ...

Many of the most important British productions of the 1930s were produced by London Films, founded by the HungarianemigreAlexander Korda. These included Things to Come (1936), Rembrandt (1936) and Knight Without Armour (1937), as well as the early Technicolor films The Drum (1938), The Four Feathers (1939) and The Thief of Bagdad (1940). These had followed closely on from Wings of the Morning (1937), Britain's first colour feature film in the new three colour process (previous colour features had used a two colour process). London Films was a British film studio founded in 1932 by Alexander Korda. ... Sir Alexander Korda (September 16, 1893 - January 23, 1956) was a film director and producer, a leading figure in the British film industry and the founder of London Films. ... Things to Come is a 1936 British science fiction film, produced by Alexander Korda and directed by William Cameron Menzies. ... See also: 1935 in film 1936 1937 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon September 28 - The Marx Brothers Harpo Marx marries actress Susan Fleming Top grossing films in North America Red River Valley Academy Awards Best Picture: The Great... Rembrandt was a 1936 British film about the life of 17th century Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn, played by Charles Laughton. ... See also: 1935 in film 1936 1937 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon September 28 - The Marx Brothers Harpo Marx marries actress Susan Fleming Top grossing films in North America Red River Valley Academy Awards Best Picture: The Great... Knight Without Armour is a 1937 historical English drama film made by London Films and distributed by United Artists. ... See also: 1936 in film 1937 category:1937 films 1938 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US. May 7 - Shall We Dance premieres in the US. Top grossing films Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Conquest Damaged Lives... Logo celebrating Technicolors 90th Anniversary Technicolor is the trademark for a series of color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation (a subsidiary of Technicolor, Inc. ... See also: 1937 in film 1937 1939 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of Dorothy in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require restructuring. ... The year 1939 in film involved some significant events. ... This is about the 1940 film starring Sabu. ... The year 1940 in film involved some significant events. ... See also: 1936 in film 1937 category:1937 films 1938 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US. May 7 - Shall We Dance premieres in the US. Top grossing films Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Conquest Damaged Lives...

After the boom years of the late 1920s and early 1930s, rising expenditure and over-optimistic expansion into the American market caused the production bubble to burst in 1937. Of the 640 British production companies registered between 1925 and 1936, 20 were still going in 1937. Moreover, the 1927 Films Act was up for renewal. The replacement Cinematograph Films Act 1938 provided incentives for UK companies to make fewer films of higher quality and, influenced by world politics, encouraged American investment and imports. One result was the creation by the American company MGM of a English studio MGM British in Hertfordshire, which produced some very successful films, including A Yank at Oxford (1938) and Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), before World War II intervened. MGM logo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM, is a large media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of cinema and television programs. ... For the similarly named county in the West Midlands region, see Herefordshire. ... A Yank at Oxford is a 1938 film drama produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. ... See also: 1937 in film 1937 1939 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of Dorothy in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. ... Goodbye, Mr. ... The year 1939 in film involved some significant events. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

World War II

Colonel Blimp (1943) DVD cover.

The constraints imposed by World War II seemed to give new energy to the British film industry. After a faltering start, British films began to make increasing use of documentary techniques and former documentary film-makers to make more realistic films, many of which helped to shape the popular image of the nation at war. Among the best known of these films are In Which We Serve (1942), Went the Day Well? (1942), We Dive at Dawn (1943), Millions Like Us (1943) and The Way Ahead (1944). In the later war years Gainsborough Studios produced a series of critically derided but immensely popular period melodramas including The Man in Grey (1943) and The Wicked Lady (1945). These helped to create a new generation of British stars, such as Stewart Granger, Margaret Lockwood and James Mason. Image File history File links DVD-Blimp. ... Image File history File links DVD-Blimp. ... The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) is a film by the British writer-director-producer team of Powell & Pressburger under the banner of The Archers. It stars Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr and Anton Walbrook. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... In Which We Serve is a 1942 war film that tells the story of the British destroyer HMS Torrin, as told in flashbacks by the survivors as they cling to a life raft. ... See also: 1941 in film 1942 1943 in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events Carole Lombard is killed in a plane crash when returning from a War Bond tour. ... Went the Day Well? is a British war film produced by Ealing Studios in 1942. ... See also: 1941 in film 1942 1943 in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events Carole Lombard is killed in a plane crash when returning from a War Bond tour. ... We Dive at Dawn is a 1943 submarine action, propaganda film directed by Anthony Asquith, starring John Mills, Eric Portman and Reginald Purdell. ... The year 1943 in film involved some significant events. ... Millions Like Us is a 1943 British propaganda film, showing life in a wartime aircraft factory in documentary detail. ... The year 1943 in film involved some significant events. ... The Way Ahead is a British Second World War drama released in 1944. ... // July 20 - Since You Went Away is released. ... Gainsborough Pictures was a film studio based in Poole Street, Hoxton in the London Borough of Hackney, active between 1924 and 1951. ... Video Cover The Man in Grey is a 1943 English film melodrama made by Gainsborough Pictures and distributed by Universal Pictures (1945). ... The year 1943 in film involved some significant events. ... The Wicked Lady was a 1945 film starring Margaret Lockwood in the title role as a woman marrying into nobility (Barbara Worth aka Lady Barbara Skelton) who turns to highway robbery for enjoyment, and to repay gambling debts. ... // Paramount Studios releases theatrical short cartoon titled The Friendly Ghost, featuring ghost named Casper With Rossellinis Roma Città aperta, Italian neorealist cinema begins. ... Stewart Granger (May 6, 1913 – August 16, 1993) was an English film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. ... Margaret Lockwood with Michael Redgrave in The Lady Vanishes (1938) Margaret Lockwood, CBE (15 September 1916 - 15 July 1990) was a British actress. ... James Neville Mason (May 15, 1909 – July 27, 1984) was a three-time Academy Award nominated English actor who attained stardom in both British and American films. ...

Two Cities Films, an independent production company also made some important films including This Happy Breed (1944), Blithe Spirit (1945) and Sir Laurence Olivier's Henry V (1944) and Hamlet (1948). Two Cities Films was a British film production company. ... This Happy Breed was a stage play written by Noel Coward, first staged in 1939 as part of a double bill with the same authors Present Laughter. ... // July 20 - Since You Went Away is released. ... Blithe Spirit (1941) is a comic play written by Noel Coward. ... // Paramount Studios releases theatrical short cartoon titled The Friendly Ghost, featuring ghost named Casper With Rossellinis Roma Città aperta, Italian neorealist cinema begins. ... Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM, (IPA: ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and four-time Emmy winning English actor, director, and producer. ... Title page of the first quarto (1600) Henry V, also known as The Cronicle History of Henry the fift, is a play by William Shakespeare based on the life of King Henry V of England. ... // July 20 - Since You Went Away is released. ... Hamlet is a 1948 British film adaptation of William Shakespeares play Hamlet, directed by and starring Sir Laurence Olivier. ... The year 1948 in film involved some significant events. ...

The war years also saw the flowering of the Powell and Pressburger partnership with films like Forty-Ninth Parallel (1941), The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp(1943) and A Canterbury Tale (1944) which, while set in wartime, were very much about the people affected by war rather than battles. Powell and Pressburger were a British film-making partnership of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, also known as The Archers. ... Forty-Ninth Parallel (1941) is the third film made by the British writer-director team of Powell and Pressburger. ... The year 1941 in film involved some significant events. ... The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) is a film by the British writer-director-producer team of Powell & Pressburger under the banner of The Archers. It stars Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr and Anton Walbrook. ... The year 1943 in film involved some significant events. ... A Canterbury Tale (1944) is a British film by the film-making team of Powell & Pressburger. ... // July 20 - Since You Went Away is released. ...

Post-war cinema

The Red Shoes (1948) poster.

Towards the end of the 1940s, the Rank Organisation, founded in 1937 by J. Arthur Rank, became the dominant force behind British film-making. It acquired a number of British studios, and bank-rolled some of the great British film-makers which were emerging in this period. Image File history File links Red_shoes. ... Image File history File links Red_shoes. ... Helpmann, Shearer and Massine in The Red Shoes. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Joseph Arthur Rank, 1st Baron Rank (December 23, 1888 – March 29, 1972) was a British industrialist and film producer, and founder of the Rank Organisation, now known as The Rank Group Plc. ...

Building on the success British cinema had enjoyed during World War II, the industry hit new heights of creativity in the immediate post-war years. Among the most significant films produced during this period were David Lean's Brief Encounter (1945) and his Dickens adaptations Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948), Carol Reed's thrillers Odd Man Out (1947) and The Third Man (1949), and Powell and Pressburger's A Matter of Life and Death (1946), Black Narcissus (1946) and The Red Shoes (1948). British cinema's growing international reputation was enhanced by the success of The Red Shoes, the most commercially successful film of its year in the U.S., and by Laurence Olivier's Hamlet, the first non-American film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Ealing Studios (financially backed by J Arthur Rank) embarked on their series of celebrated comedies, including Whisky Galore (1948), Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) and The Man in the White Suit (1951). Sir David Lean KBE (March 25, 1908 – April 16, 1991) was an Academy Award-winning English film director and producer, best remembered for big-screen epics such as Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India. ... Brief Encounter is a 1945 British film about the mores of British suburban life, centering on a housewife for whom real love (as opposed to the polite arrangement of her marriage) was an unexpectedly violent thing. ... // Paramount Studios releases theatrical short cartoon titled The Friendly Ghost, featuring ghost named Casper With Rossellinis Roma Città aperta, Italian neorealist cinema begins. ... Great Expectations is a 1946 British film directed by David Lean and based on the novel by Charles Dickens. ... See also: 1945 in film 1946 1947 in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events Top grossing films North America The Bells of St. ... Oliver Twist (1948) is the second of David Leans two film adaptations of Charles Dickens novels. ... The year 1948 in film involved some significant events. ... Odd Man Out (1947) is classic post WW 2 British film noir starring James Mason as an Irish republican operative running from the military state that was Northern Ireland after a botched bank robbery meant to replenish republican coffers. ... The year 1947 in film involved some significant events. ... This article is about film noir. ... See also: 1948 in film 1949 1950 in film 1940s in film 1950s in film years in film film Events Top grossing films North America Adams Rib Jolson Sings Again Pinky I Was a Male War Bride, The Snake Pit, Joan of Arc Academy Awards Best Picture: All the... Powell and Pressburger were a British film-making partnership of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, also known as The Archers. ... A Matter of Life and Death (1946) is a film by the British writer-director-producer team of Powell and Pressburger. ... See also: 1945 in film 1946 1947 in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events Top grossing films North America The Bells of St. ... This page is about the film. ... See also: 1945 in film 1946 1947 in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events Top grossing films North America The Bells of St. ... Helpmann, Shearer and Massine in The Red Shoes. ... The year 1948 in film involved some significant events. ... Hamlet is a 1948 British film adaptation of William Shakespeares play Hamlet, directed by and starring Sir Laurence Olivier. ... ©A.M.P.A.S.® The Academy Award for Best Motion Picture is one of the Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to artists working in the motion picture industry. ... Whisky Galore is a well-known 1949 Ealing comedy film, in which a cargo vessel is sunk off a remote Scottish island—with 50,000 cases of whisky aboard. ... The year 1948 in film involved some significant events. ... Kind Hearts and Coronets is a 1949 British black comedy film produced by Ealing Studios. ... See also: 1948 in film 1949 1950 in film 1940s in film 1950s in film years in film film Events Top grossing films North America Adams Rib Jolson Sings Again Pinky I Was a Male War Bride, The Snake Pit, Joan of Arc Academy Awards Best Picture: All the... The Man in the White Suit is a satirical comedy movie made in 1951 by Ealing Studios. ... See also: 1950 in film 1951 1952 in film 1950s in film 1940s in film years in film film Events Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati Top grossing films North America David and Bathsheba Show Boat tie The Great Caruso and An...

In the 1950s the industry began to retreat slightly from the prestige productions which had made British films successful worldwide, and began to concentrate on popular comedies and World War II dramas aimed more squarely at the domestic audience. The war films were often based on true stories and made in a similar low-key style to their wartime predecessors. They helped to make stars of actors like John Mills, Jack Hawkins and Kenneth More, and some of the most successful included The Cruel Sea (1953), The Dam Busters (1954), The Colditz Story (1955) and Reach for the Sky (1956). The decade of the 1950s in film involved many significant films. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... John Mills as Professor Bernard Quatermass in the Thames Television science-fiction serial Quatermass (1979). ... John Edward Jack Hawkins (September 14, 1910 - July 18, 1973) was a British film actor of the 1950s and 1960s. ... Kenneth Gilbert More CBE, (20 September 1914 - 12 July 1982) was a successful British cinema, television and theatre actor. ... The Cruel Sea (1953) was a British film starring Jack Hawkins, Denholm Elliott and Virginia McKenna. ... The year 1953 in film involved some significant events. ... The Dam Busters is a 1954 British war film, set during the Second World War, and documenting the true story of the RAFs 617 Squadron, the development of the bouncing bomb, and Operation Chastise - the attack on the Ruhr dams in Germany. ... The year 1954 in film involved some significant events. ... The Colditz Story is a 1955 World War II film starring John Mills and Eric Portman. ... The year 1955 in film involved some significant events. ... Reach For The Sky is the name of the biography of Douglas Bader, by Paul Brickhill, and also of a film of Baders story released in 1956, starring Kenneth More and directed by Lewis Gilbert. ... The year 1956 in film involved some significant events. ...

Popular comedy series included the St Trinians films and the "Doctor" series, beginning with Doctor in the House in 1954. The latter series starred Dirk Bogarde, probably the British industry's most popular star of the 1950s. Bogarde was later replaced by Michael Craig and Leslie Phillips, and the series continued until 1970. The Rank Organisation also produced some other notable comedy successes, such as Genevieve in 1953. St Trinians is a fictional girls school created by Ronald Searle, a British cartoonist. ... Doctor in the House is a 1954 British comedy film, directed by Ralph Thomas and produced by Betty Box. ... Sir Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde (28 March 1921 â€“ 8 May 1999), better known by his stage name Dirk Bogarde, was an actor and author. ... Michael Craig (born 27 January 1928 in Maharashtra, India) is an actor, best known for his work in film and television in both the United Kingdom and Australia. ... Leslie Samuel Phillips OBE (b. ... // Events February 11 - The film The Magic Christian, starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr premieres in New York City. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Genevieve (1953) is a British film directed by Henry Cornelius. ... The year 1953 in film involved some significant events. ...

The writer/director/producer team of twin brothers John and Roy Boulting also produced a series of successful satires on British life and institutions, beginning with Private's Progress (1956), and continuing with Brothers in Law (1957), Carlton-Browne of the F.O. (1958), I'm All Right Jack (1959) and Heavens Above! (1963). The Italian director-producer Mario Zampi also made a number of successful black comedies, including Laughter in Paradise (1951), The Naked Truth (1957) and Too Many Crooks (1958). John and Roy Boulting were English film-makers, who became known for their popular series of satirical comedies in the 1950s and 1960s. ... Privates Progress is a British comedy film of 1956, based on the novel by Alan Hackney. ... Brothers in Law was a 1955 comedy book by Henry Cecil, himself a County Court judge, about Roger Thursby — a young barrister — experiencing his first year in chambers. ... The year 1957 in film involved some significant events. ... The year 1958 in film involved some significant events. ... Im All Right Jack is a British comedy film directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting. ... See also: 1958 in film 1959 1960 in film 1950s in film 1960s in film years in film film Events The Three Stooges make their 180th and last short film, Sappy Bullfighters. ... Heavens Above! is a 1963 black-and-white British satirical comedy starring Peter Sellers, directed by John and Roy Boulting, who also co-wrote along with Frank Harvey, from an idea by Malcolm Muggeridge. ... The year 1963 in film involved some significant events. ... This article is about the tone of comedy. ... Audrey Hepburn A 1951 comedy noted for a cameo appearance of a very young Audrey Hepburn. ... See also: 1950 in film 1951 1952 in film 1950s in film 1940s in film years in film film Events Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati Top grossing films North America David and Bathsheba Show Boat tie The Great Caruso and An... [[Image:|right|thumb]] The Naked Truth (also known as Your Past is Showing) is a 1957 British film comedy starring Peter Sellers, Terry-Thomas and Dennis Price, and produced and directed by Mario Zampi. ... The year 1957 in film involved some significant events. ... The year 1958 in film involved some significant events. ...

After a string of successful films, including the comedies The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953) and The Ladykillers (1955), as well as dramas like Dead of Night, Scott of the Antarctic and The Cruel Sea, Ealing Studios finally ceased production in 1958, and the studios were taken over by the BBC for television production. The Lavender Hill Mob is a 1951 comedy film from Ealing Studios. ... See also: 1950 in film 1951 1952 in film 1950s in film 1940s in film years in film film Events Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati Top grossing films North America David and Bathsheba Show Boat tie The Great Caruso and An... The Titfield Thunderbolt is a 1952 film about a story of villagers trying to prevent British Railways from closing the fictional Titfield branch line. ... The year 1953 in film involved some significant events. ... The Ladykillers is a 1955 British film. ... The year 1955 in film involved some significant events. ... This article is about the 1945 film. ... Scott of the Antarctic was a 1948 film about Robert Falcon Scotts explorations of Antartica. ... The Cruel Sea (1953) was a British film starring Jack Hawkins, Denholm Elliott and Virginia McKenna. ... Ealing Studios, a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London, claims to be the oldest film studio in the world. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ...

Less restrictive censorship towards the end of the 1950s encouraged B-movie producer Hammer Films to embark on their series of influential and wildly successful horror films. Beginning with black and white adaptations of Nigel Kneale's BBC science fiction serials The Quatermass Experiment (1955) and Quatermass II (1957), Hammer quickly graduated to deceptively lavish colour versions of Frankenstein, Dracula and The Mummy. Their enormous commercial success encouraged them to turn out sequel after sequel, and led to an explosion in horror film production in Britain that would last for nearly two decades. Hammer would dominate British horror production throughout this period, but other companies were created specifically to meet the new demand, including Amicus Productions and Tigon British. Hammer horror refers to horror films produced in the late 1950s through the 1970s by the British film studio Hammer Films. ... Nigel Kneale (born Thomas Nigel Kneale on April 18, 1922 in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England, UK) is a Manx television and film scriptwriter, who has worked mostly in the UK. He is best known for his creation of the character of Professor Bernard Quatermass, who has appeared in three... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguatio