Description
Book SynopsisGeoffrey Macnab writes regularly on film for
The Independent. He is also a senior correspondent at
Screen International. His books include
Dennis Davidson: A Life in Cinema (2020),
Stairways to Heaven: Rebuilding the British Film Industry (I.B. Tauris, 2018),
Ingmar Bergman: The Life and Films of the Last Great European Director (I.B. Tauris 2009),
Delivering Dreams: A Century of British Film Distribution (I.B. Tauris 2015), The Making of Taxi Driver, Searching for Stars: Stardom and Screen Acting in British Cinema (I.B. Tauris 2000),
Screen Epiphanies (BFI Publishing 2009) and J
. Arthur Rank and the British Film Industry(1993). He lives in London, UK.
Trade ReviewThis collection succeeds admirably in providing profiles of many individuals who are ‘generally overlooked in conventional histories of British cinema’, thereby making a very useful contribution to that history, illuminating some of its obscurities but also its complexity and variety. * Journal of British Cinema and Television *
I grew up devouring books about the business and the people who work in it. They opened my eyes to so many moving parts of the industry and I have always found the career journeys of filmmakers and studio pioneers, VFX wizards, props masters, distributors and publicists as extraordinary as the films they have brought to the big screen
. The British Film Industry in 25 Careers is a must-read for anyone planning to work in this industry, revealing the risk-taking decisions, business and creative instincts, entrepreneurial spirit, and passion for film of so many of my heroes and peers. The UK film industry has much to offer the next generation coming into the business and as documentary specialist distributor Andy Whittaker aptly quotes Mancunian broadcaster and music pioneer Tony Wilson in the book, 'We are on this planet for 50 to 100 years - so just do things. Don't let barriers get in your way'. * Ben Roberts, BFI Chief Executive *
Geoffrey Macnab’s book is enlightening about many figures we don’t know about who are working in or have worked in cinema. I found the chapter about Betty Box particularly enriching, a trailblazing woman who got equal pay with men from the Rank Organisation in 1954. Read and be amazed! * Jeremy Thomas, film producer, founder and chairman of Recorded Picture Company *
Table of ContentsForeword by Andy Leyshon, Chief Executive, Film Distributors Association Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Michael Balcon 2. Richard Attenborough 3. David Puttnam 4. Betty Box 5. John Maxwell 6. Muriel Box 7. Efe Cakarel 8. Mickey Pugh 9. Isaac Julien 10. Adrienne Fancey 11. Poppa Day 12. Alma Reville 13. Val Guest 14. Liz Wrenn 15. Karel Reisz 16. Constance Smith 17. Anthony MInghella 18. Hanif Kureishi 19. Julian Fellowes 20. Eve Gabereau 21. Andy Whittaker 22. Maxine Leonard 23. Amma Asante 24. Julian Richards 25. Tim Webber Conclusion Index
