Britain and the American Cinema

Book excerpt: This book looks at aspects of the relationship between British and American cinema covering the period from the First World War until the 1960s. It deals with the ways in which the two industries have sought to intervene in the affairs of the other, and examines how British subject matter drawn from history, literature, drama, biography has had a place in the American film since the earliest days. The history of the British cinema - its institutions and its films - has been closely intertwined with the history of the American cinema since films were first made and viewed in the late 19th century. In many ways it has been a one-sided relationship with Hollywood exerting a powerful influence on the British film industry, shap