4B - Popular Culture and Entertainment, 1918-1945 Flashcards
What was the most popular form of entertainment in the 1920s?
Cinema
Why was cinema under pressure from the 1920s?
Competition from US industry: 1914 - ¼ of all films shown in GB were British - 1925 - This fell to 5%
How did the gov react to US cinema competition in the 1920s?
1927 Cinematograph Films Act - 7.5% of films shown in GB had to be British –> 1935 - This rose to 20%
What films emerged from 1928?
1928 - Talkies produced
How were cinemas viewed in 1918 and how did this change through the 1920s and 30s?
Viewed as seedy and dirty places to go. Throughout 1920s they became more respectable. 1920s-1930s, picture palaces were built and attracted MC audiences.
What happened to cinema ticket sales during slumps and recessions?
Ticket sales grew in PW slump of 1920s. Grew in GD. By 1930s, 18-19 million cinema tickets were sold every week. Offered unemployed men and women escapism
What did a 1931 London study show about cinema watching?
Unemployed people went to the cinema 2.6 times a week. Usually went to daytime showings due to cheaper tickets.
What % of the unemployed in Glasgow saw a film at the cinema more than once a week during the depression and how did this differ to South Wales?
80% - South Wales valleys - highest area of poverty in 1930s, improvised cinemas created in miners institutes
How much tax revenue did cinema generate in 1937-1939 and how did this compare to football?
Cinema provided more than 50% of all tax revenues on entertainment. 1937 - tax on cinema tickets yielded £5.6 million vs tax on football tickets £470,000
What did films reflect during the 1920s?
Escapism and entertainment. E.g Romances, thrillers, crime and history. Some reflected social issues - e.g The Pleasure Garden by Alfred Hitchcock - 1925, silent movie, reflected changes taking place for young women in 1920s
What is an example of a film showing divorce and a loveless marriage in the 1920s?
1928 - The Firstborn showed an unhappy wife and unfaithful husband. Wife longed for child so adopted an unmarried hairdresser’s baby to save her from the social stigma.
What does the Great Game reflect from 1930?
Centrality of football in WC people’s lives
Why was cinema important during the war years?
Important for morale during war years. Short lived attempt to close cinemas during bombing but popular demand kept them open - took people’s mind off problems
How many films were produced during the war years?
500+ films produced. Reflected patriotism = popular - Noel Coward’s In Which We Serve and Henry V by Laurence Olivier coincided with invasion of Northern Europe.
How was cinema used by the gov during the war years?
Cinema also useful in promoting ideas such as how not to waste food via short films.
