Historical Dictionary of British Cinema
By (author) Alan Burton, Steve Chibnall
Publication date:
11 July 2013Length of book:
584 pagesPublisher
Scarecrow PressDimensions:
236x162mm6x9"
ISBN-13: 9780810867949
British cinema has been around from the very birth of motion pictures, from black-and-white to color, from talkies to sound, and now 3D, it has been making a major contribution to world cinema. Many of its actors and directors have stayed at home but others ventured abroad, like Charlie Chaplin and Alfred Hitchcock. Today it is still going strong, the only real competition to Hollywood, turning out films which appeal not only to Brits, just think of Bridget Jones, while busily adding to franchises like James Bond and Harry Potter.
So this Historical Dictionary of British Cinema has a lot of ground to cover. This it does with over 300 dictionary entries informing us about significant actors, producers and directors, outstanding films and serials, organizations and studios, different films genres from comedy to horror, and memorable films, among other things. Two appendixes provide lists of award-winners. Meanwhile, the chronology covers over a century of history. These parts provide the details, countless details, while the introduction offers the big story. And the extensive bibliography points toward other sources of information.
So this Historical Dictionary of British Cinema has a lot of ground to cover. This it does with over 300 dictionary entries informing us about significant actors, producers and directors, outstanding films and serials, organizations and studios, different films genres from comedy to horror, and memorable films, among other things. Two appendixes provide lists of award-winners. Meanwhile, the chronology covers over a century of history. These parts provide the details, countless details, while the introduction offers the big story. And the extensive bibliography points toward other sources of information.
Part of the 'Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts' series, this work by Burton (Klagenfurt Univ., Austria) and Chibnall (De Montfort Univ., UK) features brief essays, ranging from half a page to upwards of five pages, covering the lively and innovative record of British film art, production, and industry. The volume opens with a useful chronology of British cinema, beginning in 1888 and running through January 2012. The bulk of the book's contents comprise the extensively cross-referenced essays that cover directors, writers, producers, actors, films, series, characters, genres, studios, and other organizations involved in British film. The 300-plus entries are prefaced by a list of acronyms and abbreviations. Appendixes include chronological lists of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Annual Awards, beginning in 1948; and the Evening Standard British Film Awards, starting in 1974. The book closes with a lengthy bibliography subdivided into thematic areas. The short essays are easy to read, but are nevertheless filled with historical facts and academic insight. Burton and Chibnall are established authorities on British film, with extensive records of academic publishing on film history. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through researchers.