Realism and Tinsel: Cinema and Society in Britain 1939-48With themes ranging from passion and romance to murder and psychological disturbance, popular British film in the 1940s found little favour with the critics, but provided thrills and entertainment for millions of people during a time of austerity and danger. Realism and Tinsel looks beyond the established histories of Ealing Comedies and realist classics to excavate a rich but neglected tradition of melodrama, gangster films, morbid thrillers, and costume pictures. Discussing cinema in the context of the major social, economic, and political changes that were taking place, Robert Murphy examines the period's most popular films, including Madonna of the Seven Moons, The Way Ahead, and The Wicked Lady. The picture that emerges challenges the reassuring, cosy view of Britain presented in realist cinema, and throws new light on the British film industry of the time, and on our idea of the war era itself. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
American anda andthe Ann Todd Arthur Arthur Askey Askey atthe audiences Balcon Bernard Miles Black boxoffice success Brief Encounter Britain British cinema British film industry British National butthe bythe Cavalcanti characters comedies commercial costume pictures critics David DemiParadise despite directed director documentary Ealing Ealing’s England English film’s filmmakers Formby fromthe Gainsborough melodramas George George Formby German Gilliat Girl Giudice Googie Withers Grey hadbeen hero heroine Hollywood Huggett inthe itwas Jean Kent Jeffrey Richards John Kinematograph Weekly Korda Labour Launder London lowbudget Margaret Lockwood married melodrama Mervyn Johns Michael middleclass million murder novel ofthe onthe Ostrer people’s Phyllis Calvert play popular postwar Powell and Pressburger’s production Randle Rank Rank’s realism released Richard Attenborough romance script Seventh Veil sortof spiv Stewart Granger story studio Sydney Box Technicolor thefilm thewar thirties thrillers tobe tothe underworld upperclass wartime Whisky Galore witha withthe woman women workingclass young