2. Early History
• British produced films began being made in the late 19th century
• The production of the British film industry reached an all-time high in
1936, however the ‘golden age’ is thought to of occurred in the 1940’s
• During the ‘Golden age’ period directors such as Michael Powell, Carol
Reed and David Lean made some of their best works.
• The first films were made on a sensitised paper roll which measured a little
over 2 inches wide, by a man named M. Le Prince
3. Emergent British cinema
history 1800 - 1900
The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film was made in
Hyde park by William Friese Greene in 1889, this is the first known
instance of a projected moving image
Robert W. Paul and Birt Acres. They made the first British film
‘Incident at Clovelly Cottage’ in February 1895
4. Early British cinema 1900
– 1920
• A man named George Albert Smith invented the first colour system in
1908, this device was named ‘Kinemacolor’
• However there was already competition from men such as Gaumont and
Pathe, both these men had opened film companies by 1909 and this
meant that now films were coming into England from Europe
• Similarly America was also advancing at similar pace, two men named
Jupp and Turner were even starting to make American films in Briton
• However any film production from either country was put to a stop in
1914 due to WW1
5. The 1920s and 30s in
British film
• It took a while for the British film industry to pick up again after WW1
• 1927 Parliament brought in an important piece of legislation the
Cinematographers Trade Bill, designed to ensure there was a
guaranteed home market for British made films
• 5% of the total number of movies shown in theatres had to be from
Britain this figure rose to 20% by 1936
• Blackmail by Alfred Hitchcock made in 1929 is regarded as the first
British sound production
6. British film around WWII
During the war years a partnership between Michael Powell and Emeric
Pressburger arose, they created successful films such as:
• The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
• A Canterbury Tale
These films were based around people who had been affected by the
recent war of which Briton was involved in.
Post war cinema:
British cinema saw some level of success during world war II. However
during post-war years the industry saw a whole new level of production.
7. The 1960s and 70s
• Film makers from overseas started becoming interested in the
British film industry during these period’s
• The recession in the 1970s meant that American production
companies in many cases withdrew their funding towards British
films
However there were some major influences to British film (comedy in
particular) such as:
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
• Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)
Other successful films produced in the 1970s in Briton:
• Clockwork Orange
• Straw Dogs
8. 1980s in British film
• The early 1980s is the time of the worst recession ever in British
film industry history
• Only 31 Films were made in 1980 in Briton
• The number dropped a year later, in 1981 only 14 films were made
in Briton
However the reputation of British film was brought up by British
production companies such as Goldcrest, Channel 4, Handmade films
and Merchant Ivory film productions.
In 1984 the government got rid of the Eady tax concession which
made it easy for foreign film companies to write off a large amount of
their production costs by filming in the UK. Due to the end of the
concession many film companies closed.
9. British film today
A lot of people today in modern times believe that the golden age for
British film is now.
A reporter named Andrew Pulver says ‘We are enjoying a renaissance in
domestic cinema.’
Some of the most successful British film trilogies to stand in modern times
are as follows:
• The Harry Potter
• The Lord of the Rings
• James bond
