A History of British Film

Television

The competition from television that had insidiously been creeping up on the movie industry really took hold in the mid 60’s. The Majority of people owned T.V.’s and preferred to watch their entertainment from the comfort of home. Cinemas were turned into ballrooms and Bingo halls or simply torn down. The younger generation of moviemakers was turned to for inspiration and new actors who would appeal to the new, young audiences of the 60’s.

Film censorship discarded some of its old prohibitions, now freer speech was allowed as well as previously taboo subjects like homosexuality, illegitimacy and abortion. The new movies challenged British society and it’s conventions with Room at the Top; Saturday Night, Sunday Morning; Look Back In Anger; A Taste Of Honey and The Killing Of Sister George.

The boundaries were pushed further by Alfie; Up The Junction and Women in Love. New, young actors were needed; Albert Finney, Rita Tushingham, Alan Bates, Tom Courtney, Richard Harris, Julie Christy, Peter Sellers, Terrence Stamp, David Hemmings, Donald Pleasance and Paul Scofield.

Brian Forbes and Richard Attenborough began to make names for themselves as up and coming directors. In the 1970’s, spurred on by his success with Women In Love, Ken Russell challenged the censors wildly with The Music Lovers and The Devils only just managing to get a certificate. Not all movies were of this genre David Lean made Bridge over the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia amongst others there was Oliver!; The Pumpkin Eaters; Charge Of The Light Brigade; Isadora and the beginnings of the James Bond series of movies.

Another factor giving life to The ailing industry was the arrival of refugees from American McCarthyism, notably Carl Foreman and Joseph Losey. Other American filmmakers followed suite, preferring to work in the UK, Sam Speigle, John Houston, John Strick and Stanley Kubrick who was responsible for Clockwork Orange; Dr Strangelove and 2001: A Space Odyssey. In fact, during this time American finances virtually took over the industry, until, suddenly in 1970 the recession in the US lead to an easing off of funding, and it was left to stand on it’s own feet.