Popular culture and working–class taste in Britain, 1930–39: A round of cheap diversions? (Studies in Popular Culture)

This is a landmark study which examines the film and reading tastes of working-class consumers in 1930s Britain. Drawing on a wealth of original research, Robert James argues that working-class consumers used popular film and fiction to answer a range of cultural and social needs in this tumultuous decade. -- . This book examines the relationship between class and culture in 1930s Britain. Focusing on the reading and cinema-going tastes of the working classes, Robert James' landmark study combines rigorous historical analysis with a close textual reading of visual and written sources to appraise the role of popular leisure in this fascinating decade. Drawing on a wealth of original research, this lively and accessible book adds immeasurably to our knowledge of working-class leisure pursuits in this contentious period. It is a key intervention in the field, providing both an imaginative approach to the subject and an abundance of new material to analyse, thus making it an undergraduate and postgraduate 'must-have'. It will be a particularly welcome addition for anyone interested in the fields of cultural and social history, as well as film, cultural and literary studies 'The people's amusement': the growth in cinema-going and reading habits 'Fouling civilisation?: official attitudes towards popular film and literature Trade attitudes towards audience taste 'What made you put that rubbish on?': national trends in film popularity 'The appearance as an added incentive': national trends in literature popularity 'A very profitable enterprise': South Wales Miners' Institutes 'Gunmen, rustlers and a damsel in distress': working-class tastes in Derby 'The home of the brave"? working -class tastes in Portsmouth Popular film and literature: textual analyses Conclusion: 'giving the public what it wants'.