The Age of the Dream Palace

Cinema and Society in 1930s Britain

Jeffrey Richards

• Publisher: I.B. Tauris
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN: 9781848851221
• eBook ISBN: 9780857710178
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: 20th Century History
• Index: History

The period between the two world wars is often named 'the golden age of the cinema' in Britain. This definitive and entertaining book on the cinema and cinema-goers of the era is herewith reissued with a new Introduction. Jeffrey Richards, described by Philip French as 'a shrewd critic, a compulsive moviegoer, and a professional historian', tells the absorbing story of the cinema during the decade that produced Alfred Hitchcock's thrillers, the musicals of Jessie Matthews and Alexander Korda's epics. He examines the role of going to the pictures in people's lives during a tough period when, in the sumptuous buildings that housed local cinemas, people regularly spent a few pence to purchase ready-made dreams watching Gracie Fields, Robert Donat and the other stars of the day. He scrutinizes the film industry, censorship, cinema's influence, the nature of the star system and its images, as well as the films themselves, including the visions of Britain, British history and society that they created and represented.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Illustrations
• Abbreviations
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction to the New Edition
• Introduction
• Part 1. The Context
• Part 2. The Constraints
• Part 3. The Stars
• Part 4. The Films
• Conclusions
• Notes
• Sources
• General Index
• Index of Film Titles