Haggith, Toby (1998) Castles in the air : British film and the reconstruction of the built environment, 1939-51. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis is an examination of British films which discuss and propose the
reconstruction of the built enviromnent. It concentrates on the period 1939-51 but also
looks at those films made during the inter-war period. It examines how and why the
films were produced, and how they present the issues of reconstruction. The particular
aims are to see what the films might tell us about the relationship between planners,
architects, politicians and the ordinary people - the people who would be the
beneficiaries of reconstruction. Secondly, to ascertain what impact the films had on
popular attitudes to town planning and building.
The main findings are that the films were considered a very important way of
communicating with the general public and that they were specifically designed to widen
the debate and the process of reconstruction beyond the professionals to ordinary
citizens. However, despite these noble and sincere aims the films had only limited effect
in achieving this. As a result of studying the production and distribution of the films one
has also a better understanding of the relationship between film-makers and the
government propaganda agencies to which they were contracted. The most important
conclusion from this aspect of the research is that they were highly constrained in the
kind of films on reconstruction they could make despite their efforts to produce radical
work. Finally the Central Office of Information films of the post-war period show that
the Labour Government was similarly committed to involving and informing the people
in the new world that they planned to build.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN1993 Motion Pictures
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Motion pictures -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century, Reconstruction (1939-1951) -- In motion pictures, Building -- In motion pictures
Official Date:	May 1998
Dates:	Date Event May 1998 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of History
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Mason, Tony, 1938- ; Tiratsoo, Nick, 1952-
Extent:	viii, 380 p.
Language:	eng

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