Stephen Shafer
Shafer's study challenges the conventional historical assumption that British feature films during the Thirties were mostly oriented to the middle-class. Instead, he makes the critical distinction between films intended for West End and international circulation and those intended primarily for domestic, working-class audiences. Far from being alientated by a 'middle-class institution', working men and women flocked to see pictures featuring such music-hall luminaries as Gracie Fields and George Formby.
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Examines a neglected aspect of British cinema in detail
Acknowledgments, 1 INTRODUCTION, 2 MYTHS AND UNSUPPORTED ASSUMPTIONS, 3 DEPICTING THE WORKING CLASSES IN BRITISH FILM IN THE THIRTIES, 4 MISTAKEN IDENTITIES, 5 MISTAKEN IDENTITIES, 6 INTER-CLASS ROMANCE, 7 THEMES IN BRITISH FILMS, 8 THE EMPHASIS ON COOPERATION AND SELF-SACRIFICE, 9 PATRIOTISM AND CENSORSHIP, 10 CONCLUSIONS, Notes, References, Index
Challenges the conventional assumption that British feature films of the Thirties were oriented mostly towards the middle-class and demonstrates that far from being alienated, working class men and women flocked to the cinema.
