Cinema in the UK
Cinema in the United Kingdom has historically been influenced by a number of factors, such as competition from the United States, general recessions or depressions, and the impact of World Wars. The industry in the UK has produced a number of house-hold names throughout its lifetime, and today is responsible for a huge selection of famous directors, producers, writers, actors, and other related people.
Cinema began in the United Kingdom in the late nineteenth century, and slowly grew to include production houses and theatres. The 1927 Cinematograph Films Act aimed to encourage further growth in the face of competition from the States, but it was not until after the end of World War II that the industry really began to experience success. During Britain’s involvement in World War II, cinemas in the UK broadcast a number of patriotic British films and updates from the frontline.
The 1960s saw a real boom for the industry in the United Kingdom, and people such as Michael Caine, Peter O’Toole and Sean Connery became household names. The James Bond films experienced incredible success worldwide. The 1970s also saw international success for British cinema with the Monty Python movies.
In more recent years, British film has become increasingly popular with American audiences, perhaps in part due to movies such as Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Brassed Off and The Full Monty. Guy Ritchie’s movies have also been well received internationally, with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch doing particularly well at the box office.
