Social Developments: Evidence of Rising Affluence Flashcards
Who controlled the theaters and who were their desired demographic?
Hugh Beaumont controlled it, making films for middle aged middle class women
What is significant about the way that the theater audience was before the deference boom?
The previous audience would likely not think about any things present in the new theater fondly
Who was Shelagh Delaney?
19 year old who made the film “A Taste of Honey” challenging Society
What was “A Taste of Honey” about?
An unmarried young woman who had become pregnant by a black sailor and been abandoned, now looked after by a young gay man
What are the main topics covered in “A Taste of Honey”?
Interracial Relationships
Struggles of being a single mother
Homosexuality
Who was John Osborne?
Another young playwright similar to Shelagh Delaney
What did John Osborne’s films cover the idea of?
The idea that Britain was not as progressive as It said it was
What was one impact of John Osborne’s work?
Sir Lawrence Olivier asked Osborne, unknown at the time, to write a film that Lawrence Olivier could be in
What was significant about the film request John Osborne got?
It was from a person who was a very well known actor, and even had the title of “Sir”, so quite high ranking socially
Which John Osborne film had Sir Lawrence Olivier in it? When did it come out?
The Entertainer, 1957
What was “The Entertainer” trying to show?
That The Establishment was out of touch
What international influence was there on British culture?
American influence
What demographic did the mini try and appeal to?
Working class citizens
How did working class citizens feel about the shape of the mini?
They did not like the shape of the car
What faults did Mini’s originally have? How successful was it commercially?
The car would always leak when driven. Initially a commercial flop
What helped the Mini to gain popularity?
Princess Margaret was given a Mini as a gift
What was significant about the gift of the mini to the princess? Why?
It showed a blurring of class lines as the car was meant for poorer people initially
Which other people were soon seen in Mini’s?
The Beatles
What did the Mini come to symbolise?
Efficiency of space and youthfulness
How much did a Mini cost? Did they make a profit?
£350. They made a massive loss
Which 2 other new items emphasised consumerism?
TVs, Cars
What was the problem with the greater consumerism in this era?
More imports from Germany and Japan to satisfy British consumer needs
How many cars were there in 1951 compared to 1955?
2.5 million cars in 1951
3.3 million cars in 1955
How many TV’s did people have in 1951 and 1955?
340,000 in 1951. 1.3 million in 1955
How many working class families did not own a car by 1960?
80%
How many working class families did not own a fridge?
90%
What is significant about how many working class families did not get new appliances?
It showed lots of people moved up in class, but the people who stayed the same did not gain as much affluence
How popular was Butlins in the 1950’s?
60,000 visitors a week
How much did productivity go up compared to wages in 1960?
Wages went up 8%
Productivity went up 3%
What were the groups of young playwrights challenging society called?
Angry young men and Women
Who wrote “Up the Junction”? What was it about?
Nell Dunn. About working class life near Clapham Junction
What was significant about the writer of Up the Junction? What did it show?
Nell Dunn was an upper class woman. It showed that even higher classes acknowledged affluence as not eliminating class divisions
When was The Establishment Club Opened? where?
Opened in Soho in 1961
What did The Establishment Club do?
It satirised and mocked the actions of high ranking people in society
What was a limitation of The Establishment Club?
It was shut down in 1964
