Cecil Hepworth and the Rise of the British Film Industry 1899-1911 [Hardcover]

This book presents a thorough industrial, economic, and aesthetic history of the early years of the British film industry through a case study of one of the most celebrated pioneers of the period, Cecil Hepworth. As film production shifted from being a cottage industry to a complicated, large-scale national industry, Hepworth and his studio were at the heart of developments. Simon Brown presents a picture of daily life in Hepworths studio through these changes, along with analysis of the content, production, and marketing of his films. He also charts the larger development of the British film industry, with an emphasis on the changing nature of exhibition and distribution.

List of Illustrations and Tables
Acknowledgments
Note

Introduction
1. Film Production at the HMC
2. Hepworth, Film Sales and the Rise of the Renter
3. The HMC, the Rental Sector and Market Strategies
4. The HMC and Patterns of Exhibition
Conclusion: The Producers’ Response to the Crisis

Appendix One:
Filmography of Hepworth and Co and the HMC, 1899-1911

Appendix Two:
HMC Titles Listed in ‘Around the Shows’ Released 1 October 1908-31 August 1909

Appendix Three:
List of London-Based Rental Firms (1905-1911)
Foreign Film Sales Representatives (1907-1911)

Notes
Bibliography
Index

“Lucid and well-informed, the argument posed is a stimulating one. I, for one, look forward to reading it.”

“Well-written and original, it opens up the subject in a thoroughly new way. This will be an important book.”

“Painstaking scholarship. . . . A book that significantly revises our understanding of one national production context.”

"Rich with historical context, BrownlCÔ