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U.S.'s Influence on British Cinema Culture Between 1930 and 1980

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U.S.'s Influence on British Cinema Culture Between 1930 and 1980

Britain and America have always had a very close relationship that could have stemmed from a number of different things. The English discovered America, they both speak the same language and the fact that America helped Britain in the first World War may have played an important part in why the two countries are so close. Due to this close bond or the 'special relationship' between the countries, over time we have influenced each other endlessly but perhaps none more so than the influence that America has had over British cinema between the 1930's and 1980's.

Since the late 1800's and early 1900's, Britain has made a great deal…show more content…
More British film companies emerged after this act was passed to ensure that they could meet the requirements. Two companies in particular, British International Picture and Gaumont Picture Company emerged shortly afterwards to help provide the required number of British films. As these British films had to be produced by a British film company, some of them were of low quality because they did not have funding from America. British films therefore gained a reputation for being of low quality and generally poor.

However this changed leading up to and during the second World War when people increasingly went to the cinema to keep spirits high whilst everywhere else there was devastation. The war became the golden age in British cinema despite cinemas being closed at first but reopening as a means of escape from life at the time. The types of film that were shown ranged from comedies to thrillers such as Alfred Hitchcock's The Thirty Nine Steps. It was during this time that the government realised how much money could be made in the film industry and began to put more money towards making and producing films. There were also a great deal of American films at this time but this was to change after the war. Britain put a tax on all American films to
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