Paul Frith | University of East Anglia (original) (raw)
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Books by Paul Frith
Publications by Paul Frith
Sixties British Cinema Revisited, 2020
Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 2018
Hammer Film Productions’ move to colour in the 1950s has often been discussed in terms of their a... more Hammer Film Productions’ move to colour in the 1950s has often been discussed in terms of their application of blood and gore becoming the primary concern for the British Board of Film Censors who sought to remove a number of shots deemed to be more objectionable when seen in colour rather than black-and-white. In order to circumvent these restrictions, it has been suggested that Hammer went against the BBFC’s wishes by submitting work prints of their colour films in black-and-white in the hope that the examiner would be unable to detect the objectionable material. However, records from the period suggest that the BBFC were not entirely against this process, and that using black-and-white stock during post-production had more to do with cost-cutting than an attempt to out-do the censor. Primarily through an analysis of BBFC reports from this period, this article will therefore address the complexities surrounding the censorship of Hammer’s early colour films, paying specific attention to what this practice of submitting black-and-white prints reveals about the decisions taken by the Board when viewing horror in both monochrome and colour.
Horror Studies, 2018
Existing research on British censorship during the 1940s has often favoured the notion that a so-... more Existing research on British censorship during the 1940s has often favoured the notion that a so-called ‘H’ ban effectively upheld the import, production, and exhibition of the horror film in Britain during the later-half of the Second World War. However, through an analysis of contemporary critical reception and censorship discourses, it becomes apparent how this ‘ban’ was nowhere near as clearly defined as is often argued. While the ‘H’ ban may have succeeded in barring a small number of low-brow fantasy horror films from cinema screens the genre prevailed in various guises, with the films of producer Val Lewton bringing about a shift away from fantasy towards representations of the everyday. Furthermore, the role of the script supervisor at the British Board of Film Censors clearly demonstrates an alternative to censorship through an involvement with the studios prior to production in order to avoid such restrictions. This article therefore presents an analysis of such negotiations at the BBFC during this period, with Lewton’s production of The Body Snatcher (Wise, 1945) representing an example of how horror remained a fixture on British screens, through both self-censorship and a move away from the type of film typically associated with the ‘H’ classification.
Journal of British Cinema and Television, Dec 2017
Existing research on British cinema during the 1940s has often assumed an opposition between real... more Existing research on British cinema during the 1940s has often assumed an opposition between realism and fantasy or, as it is also known, 'realism and tinsel'. However, through an analysis of contemporary critical reception and censorship discourses, it becomes apparent how this division was nowhere near as clearly defined as is often argued. Debates regarding realism in the post-war climate, demonstrate how realism was often associated with fantasy and vice versa. While the ‘quality’ realist film of the 1940s demonstrates a concern with verisimilitude and the reproduction of the surface appearances of reality, when confronting the obscene or the taboo hidden below this surface realism was deemed to be far more closely associated with ‘horrific’ fantasy. Following a number of decision made by the British Board of Film Censors which were heavily criticised by the local authorities, watch committees, and the press, the Board became increasingly wary of these ‘horrific’ confrontations with the everyday. The release of The Snake Pit in the UK sparked a series of debates within the critical press, with one side questioning the suitability of a film dealing with the particularly sensitive subject matter of mental illness for the purpose of shocking and horrifying audiences, and the other side championing the maturity shown by Hollywood when dealing with an important social issue. This article therefore looks beyond common perceptions of 1940s British cinema in order to demonstrate a shift in the role played by realism and horror in the post-war period.
Video Essays by Paul Frith
Frames Cinema Journal 17, 2020
Conference Presentations by Paul Frith
3rd Annual Colour in Film Conference, BFI and Birkbeck University, London, 19-21 March, 2018
Demons of the Mind Symposium, Dana Centre, Science Museum, London 4-5 September, 2018
BAFTTS Conference, University of Kent, 12-13 April, 2018
British Cinema in the 1960s: Histories and Legacies Conference, BFI, London, 6 September , 2017
Irish Postgraduate Conference, NUI Galway, 12 April, 2012
Current Research in Speculative Fiction Conference, University of Liverpool, 18 June, 2012
Events by Paul Frith
Cinema City, Norwich,14 October, 2019
Organiser, screening with introduction by Keith Johnston, UEA.
Talks by Paul Frith
Norwich Film Festival, Assembly House, Norwich, 12 November, 2019
Sixties British Cinema Revisited, 2020
Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 2018
Hammer Film Productions’ move to colour in the 1950s has often been discussed in terms of their a... more Hammer Film Productions’ move to colour in the 1950s has often been discussed in terms of their application of blood and gore becoming the primary concern for the British Board of Film Censors who sought to remove a number of shots deemed to be more objectionable when seen in colour rather than black-and-white. In order to circumvent these restrictions, it has been suggested that Hammer went against the BBFC’s wishes by submitting work prints of their colour films in black-and-white in the hope that the examiner would be unable to detect the objectionable material. However, records from the period suggest that the BBFC were not entirely against this process, and that using black-and-white stock during post-production had more to do with cost-cutting than an attempt to out-do the censor. Primarily through an analysis of BBFC reports from this period, this article will therefore address the complexities surrounding the censorship of Hammer’s early colour films, paying specific attention to what this practice of submitting black-and-white prints reveals about the decisions taken by the Board when viewing horror in both monochrome and colour.
Horror Studies, 2018
Existing research on British censorship during the 1940s has often favoured the notion that a so-... more Existing research on British censorship during the 1940s has often favoured the notion that a so-called ‘H’ ban effectively upheld the import, production, and exhibition of the horror film in Britain during the later-half of the Second World War. However, through an analysis of contemporary critical reception and censorship discourses, it becomes apparent how this ‘ban’ was nowhere near as clearly defined as is often argued. While the ‘H’ ban may have succeeded in barring a small number of low-brow fantasy horror films from cinema screens the genre prevailed in various guises, with the films of producer Val Lewton bringing about a shift away from fantasy towards representations of the everyday. Furthermore, the role of the script supervisor at the British Board of Film Censors clearly demonstrates an alternative to censorship through an involvement with the studios prior to production in order to avoid such restrictions. This article therefore presents an analysis of such negotiations at the BBFC during this period, with Lewton’s production of The Body Snatcher (Wise, 1945) representing an example of how horror remained a fixture on British screens, through both self-censorship and a move away from the type of film typically associated with the ‘H’ classification.
Journal of British Cinema and Television, Dec 2017
Existing research on British cinema during the 1940s has often assumed an opposition between real... more Existing research on British cinema during the 1940s has often assumed an opposition between realism and fantasy or, as it is also known, 'realism and tinsel'. However, through an analysis of contemporary critical reception and censorship discourses, it becomes apparent how this division was nowhere near as clearly defined as is often argued. Debates regarding realism in the post-war climate, demonstrate how realism was often associated with fantasy and vice versa. While the ‘quality’ realist film of the 1940s demonstrates a concern with verisimilitude and the reproduction of the surface appearances of reality, when confronting the obscene or the taboo hidden below this surface realism was deemed to be far more closely associated with ‘horrific’ fantasy. Following a number of decision made by the British Board of Film Censors which were heavily criticised by the local authorities, watch committees, and the press, the Board became increasingly wary of these ‘horrific’ confrontations with the everyday. The release of The Snake Pit in the UK sparked a series of debates within the critical press, with one side questioning the suitability of a film dealing with the particularly sensitive subject matter of mental illness for the purpose of shocking and horrifying audiences, and the other side championing the maturity shown by Hollywood when dealing with an important social issue. This article therefore looks beyond common perceptions of 1940s British cinema in order to demonstrate a shift in the role played by realism and horror in the post-war period.
Frames Cinema Journal 17, 2020
3rd Annual Colour in Film Conference, BFI and Birkbeck University, London, 19-21 March, 2018
Demons of the Mind Symposium, Dana Centre, Science Museum, London 4-5 September, 2018
BAFTTS Conference, University of Kent, 12-13 April, 2018
British Cinema in the 1960s: Histories and Legacies Conference, BFI, London, 6 September , 2017
Irish Postgraduate Conference, NUI Galway, 12 April, 2012
Current Research in Speculative Fiction Conference, University of Liverpool, 18 June, 2012
Cinema City, Norwich,14 October, 2019
Organiser, screening with introduction by Keith Johnston, UEA.
Norwich Film Festival, Assembly House, Norwich, 12 November, 2019
Hallowed Histories, The Forum, Norwich, 29 October , 2018
Picturehouse Cinema, Cambridge, 21 June, 2018
Screening with introduction
Cinema City, Norwich, 2 March, 2018
Organiser, screening with talk and Q&A
The Forum, Norwich, 27 November, 2017
Screening and Q&A