Phyllis Macfarlane, Chair of the AMSR’s Content Committee, recently had the opportunity to interview John Bittlestone about his life and experiences in cinema research, particularly in London in the 1960s.
The interview took place in three phases, each of which can be viewed on our video gallery page, either by scrolling down the page to find them, or by selecting category ‘4: Cinema Going London 1963 (3 clips)’ from the category menu. Each clip lasts approximately 10 minutes.
Clip 1 is entitled ‘The Issue of Cinema Advertising post WW2′
Clip 2 is simply and enigmatically titled ‘Why the Boulting Brothers?’ – describing how the Boulting Brothers used research to combat the cinema studio regime of immediate post war years.
Clip 3, ‘The Story of Peter’, takes a closer look at one particular interview from that era, as it speaks volumes about the way things were done in those days.
Do try to find time to view these clips, in which John offers a unique and personal insight into the state of cinema research, and indeed into cinema itself, as Britain recovered from the effects of the Second World War.
Date posted: 12th August 2021