tv, film and pop culture

Question 1

how did Hollywood effect british cinema?

Answer 1

• 1925 oly 5% of films shown were british
• cowboy and holloywood gangster movies most popular

Question 2

how did the british government try to combat the americanism of cinema?

Answer 2

Cinematograph Films Act 1927
* 7.5% of films had to be british
* later upped to 20% in 30s

Question 3

what is a tangible example of cinema becoming popular ?

Answer 3

pre-20s –> depicted as seedy and dirty, WC activity
20s –>cinemas became gentrified adn attracted more MC audiences

Question 4

how did cinema help the WC during the depression?

Answer 4

• offered escapism
• glasgow 80% unemplyed saw film once a week
• cheaper tickets during the day - unemployed can access

Question 5

how much did cinema contribute in tax revenues in the 30s?

Answer 5

over 1/2
1937

Question 6

interwar

examples of how films reflected life?

WC women, WC aspiration

Answer 6

• first born - WC unhappy wife adopts a hairdressers illigitimate baby to save her from shame (shame of sexual deviance)
• love on wheels - bus driver finds love and also gains a high paying advertising job (aspiration in age of consumerism)

Question 7

how was cinema used in ww2?

Answer 7

• improve moral - comedy where hitler gets slapped seen as most moral-rising moments by Mass Observation
• escapism - take minds off the war b
• push ideas of military support and not wasting food

Question 8

what showed cinemas continued popularity during ww2?

Answer 8

attempt to close cinemas due to bombings but popular demand kept them open
cinema continued to dominate popular entertainment - staple of british life

Question 9

what was the most significant film studio in the late 40s-50s?

what were they famous for?

Answer 9

ealing film studios

ealing comedies
explored changing quality of life in britian

Question 10

examples of ealing comedies?

Answer 10

hue and cry
* school boys thwart criminal gang
* filmed in london ruins
* villiams black market sellers

meet mr lucifer
* cursed tv set causes chaos
* released during the tv boom so ironically addresses the fears of tv dominance

Question 11

how were war films in the 50s-60s used to promote “britishness”?

Answer 11

• reminded population of strength of britian
• distracted from the decline in world status and economic decline
• britishness must come from war memories as japan and germany began to outcompete britian economically - defeated nations

Question 12

significance of bridge over the river kwai?

Answer 12

• tragic endign reflected british feelings
• war was noble but ultimatley fruitless

british officer builds a bridge for the japanese no knowing that the allies are going to destroy it
whne it is destoryed the officer dies and the japanese defeated

Question 13

what was the new wave of films in the 50s-60s?

examples

Answer 13

socail realism
* portrayed everyday experiences and passion of normal people

saturday night sunday morning - materialistic WC man dreams of better things
buys clothes and enjoys the pub
portrays the experience of newly affluent WC

Question 14

example of films demonstrating the economic snf social problems of the 70s?

Answer 14

a clockwork oranges
* rising crime and permissive society
* shocking and violent
* reflected the fears of hooliganism
* withdrawn from cinemas as found copycat violent crimes

Question 15

why did cinema decline in the 70s?

Answer 15

• tv became most popular as easier accessed
• alot of film workers moved to USA or TV
• soft porn films were most popular cinema productions
• james bond only film continued to be sucessful

Question 16

influence of jazz and swing?

Answer 16

• increase in dance halls
• duke ellington and count basie influenced dance bands
• BBC began to broadcast music - light programme 1945
• light programme replaced by Radio 2 in 1967

Question 17

influence of rock and roll?

Answer 17

• blue and rocknroll poularised by white muscians - elvis presely (became paletable)
• skiffle - british rock n roll
• skiffle replaced by iconic british rock - beatles rolling stones - mad ebritishh pop world famous

Question 18

what was beatlemania? why significant?

Answer 18

formed 1957 but first commercial sucess 1963
* sold millions
* example of pervasive youth culture of 60s
* representative of normal people - from liverpool, WC boys
* optimistic music - representative of the rising affluence of 60s

Question 19

mod rock - definition significance?

Answer 19

• cloe relationship with consumerism and fashion
• mainly WC fans eho spent money on the mod look
• increasing living standards played intergral part
• played int the mass consuerist culture of the 60s-70s

Question 20

glam rock - significance / definitions

Answer 20

• expresseing and challenging gender identity
• androgyeny and ambiguous or transgressive sexuality
• youth folowing
• bowie - ziggy stardust one of most influential pop artists

Question 21

reggae - significance?

Answer 21

• lste 60s - top 10 charting song
• appeal of black culture had crossed over from niche cultures and into the white mainstream

Question 22

punk - significance?

Answer 22

• origionated in new york
• appearance and aesthetics designed to be shocking
• media linked its appeal to declining living standards
• most popular with unemployed youth - anger and frustration
• very small subculture with most people liking disco so demonisation was mostly moral panic

Question 23

importance of radio 1918-1950?

Answer 23

• low cost of radio
• most broad access to entertainment
• after ww2 affluence became more popular - broadening music tastes

Question 24

what were the fears about radio? how was it fixed?

Answer 24

broadcasting power seen as dangerous as it could be used to promote revolution or generl strikes
* BBC created
* close realtionship to the government
* broadcasting often reflected the values of the government rather than quality and experience of life
* 1927 given a royal charter so basically became publically owned

Question 25

pirate radio - history and significance?

Answer 25

history
* 50s-60s illegal broadcasting on ships outside of british waters
* large affluent teen audience that the BBC wante to capitalise on instead

significance
* very significant
* dominated the radio entertainment scene
* led to the reorganisation of the light third and home programme into radio 2,3,4

Question 26

what were the origional names of radio 2,3,4?

Answer 26

light programme - music and entertainemnt
thrid programme - classical music drama and literature
home programme - news

Question 27

when was the first tv programme? significance?

Answer 27

1936 - not many viewers

Question 28

what was a symbol of tvs popularity in the 50s?

Answer 28

coronation of queen elizabeth 1953
8 million viewers
dominant media for entertainment
following this tv liceinces doubled

Question 29

who was hugh carlton greene?

Answer 29

director of the bbc in 1960
recognised that bbc was outdated
champions new programmes that challenged the establishment and class elitism

Question 30

what was the significance of dr who?

Answer 30

1963
innovative new programmes
dalekmania - dr who craze showing the popularity of new bbc programmes

Question 31

how did tv grow in popularity in the 70s?

criticisms

Answer 31

majority of households had a tv
popular variety shows had more sophisticated sets and budgets
only 3 channels so each show had a captive audience
many shows - falty towers - retained popularity

criticism - 70s tvg played it safe
audiences wanted escapism rather than realism