Popular Filmgoing in 1930s Britain: A Choice of PleasuresIn the 1930s there were close to a billion annual admissions to the cinema in Britain and it was by far the most popular paid-for leisure activity. This book is an exploration of that popularity. John Sedgwick has developed the POPSTAT index, a methodology based on exhibition records which allows identification of the most popular films and the leading stars of the period, and provides a series of tables which will servce as standard points of reference for all scholars and specialists working in the field of 1930s cinema. The book establishes similarities and differences between national and regional tastes through detailed case study analysis of cinemagoing in Bolton and Brighton, and offers an analysis of genre development. It also reveals that although Hollywood continued to dominate the British market, films emanating from British studios proved markedly popular with domestic audiences. |
Contents
A Matter of Taste | 23 |
The Context | 39 |
Measuring Popularity | 55 |
Copyright | |
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39 Steps American market amongst annual Top 100 argued Astaire Balcon billing Bolton Bolton audiences box-office performance box-office revenue British Cinema British films British market British production British studios cent Chapter Chu Chin Chow cinemagoing cinemas co-starred comedy distribution distributors domestic economic exhibition exhibitors Eyles feature film budgets film industry film popularity film production film-makers filmgoer films released Footlight Parade Gable Gaumont-British Gay Divorcee genre Goldwyn Gracie Fields Hollywood Jessie Matthews Journal of Film Kid Millions Kine Weekly Korda ledger listed London Films major mean POPSTAT MGM MGM USA musical national sample number of films operetta Paramount Paramount USA period pleasure POPSTAT POPSTAT scores popular films potential Powell Queen Christina Quota Quota Quickies ranking star released in Britain Richards Rowson sample set Scarlet Pimpernel screen small number songs STARSTAT Table Top 100 films UA USA Warners weeks whilst