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Supporting the British 'B' Movie

October 08, 2004

This week sees The Times BFI British Film Festival get underway, and all eyes will be on the achievements of the UK film industry. But that's unlikely to include any attention to the low-budget supporting features, or 'B' movies that helped kick-start the careers of film legends like Sir John Mills and Sir Michael Caine. According to one researcher, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB), it's time these films got the credit they deserve.

Dr Stephen Chibnall of De Montfort University received an AHRB Research Leave award to help him complete a book which aims to restore the reputation of these neglected films both for experts and the general film-going public.

Dr Chibnall is working with Professor Brian McFarlane of Monash University in Australia, in an international collaboration. Their project is the first to investigate systematically the history of the British 'B' film, which became so integral to the cinema industry that in the 1930s it was the primary format for British films. In spite of an increased interest in the history of British cinema during the last decade, the many hundreds of supporting features made in Britain between 1928 and 1965 have yet to be properly studied.

"The 'B' film explored specifically British cultural concerns in a market dominated by Hollywood", explains Dr Chibnall. "It offered opportunities for the UK's independent production companies as well as British technicians and actors to find their way into the limelight. In British cinema historiography the legacy of 'B' features has been largely ignored. In the States, however, the 'B' movie has long been recognised as a significant part of the American film industry, contributing to both its economic and artistic growth during the studio years and leaving a lasting legacy to the narratives of contemporary 'blockbusters'".

Dr Chibnall will be presenting his findings early next year.



Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRC)

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