British Film Catalogue: Two Volume Set - The Fiction Film/The Non-Fiction Film [Hardcover]

Denis Gifford (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2001

Denis Gifford's British Film Catalogue has established itself, through two editions, as the standard work on its subject, providing the most comprehensive and accurate source of information about British fiction films. It attempts to include every traceable British entertainment film from the inception of the 'silent cinema' to the present day. In this new edition all entries have been revised, and coverage is extended through 1994. In addition, this third edition includes, for the first time, a new second volume devoted to the non-fiction film. The British film industry has excelled in non-fiction cinema, particularly documentary, and this wholly original volume provides full coverage of non-fiction films from the silent era to 1994. These two volumes of the British Film Catalogue are a unique, authoritative source of information for historians, archivists, librarians and film scholars.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This third edition of Gifford's catalog of British film expands on the voluminous material of the previous versions. In addition to documenting British feature films and shorts produced from 1986 to 1994, the late Gifford also revised and expanded existing entries and added more titles for 1888-1985. A cartoonist, screenwriter, and prolific writer on comic strips, old-time radio, and film history, Gifford includes a bibliography of the trade papers, fan magazines, catalogs, and directories he used as resources and acknowledges over 50 pioneer moviemakers he interviewed to glean more about the British film industry. In both volumes, the films are arranged chronologically by year and then by month of exhibition date. Entries provide such information as the length, the censor's rating, whether the film was silent or sound, the color system, production and distribution companies, the crew and cast with character names, the genre, a brief synopsis, awards, and cinematic innovations. Each volume contains its own title index, including alternative titles and serial episode titles. The impressive scope and excellent production value of these volumes far outweigh their limitations. One may quibble that the volumes would be better subtitled "Entertainment Film" and "Factual Film," since films about musicians and other performance artists are included under "Fiction Film." In addition, the "Non-Fiction Film" volume, predominantly newsreels and travelogs, does not have the research value of the "Fiction Film" volume. Finally, it is regrettable that animated films are not included here, but Gifford covered those in another book, British Animated Films, 1896-1985 (McFarland, 1987. o.p.). Recommended for large academic libraries. Vivian Reed, California State Univ., Long Beach
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

The most comprehensive catalog available for British films. Recommended for all film collections.
–Choice

The latest edition of this comprehensive and definitve catalog of British motion pictures continues the tradition of excellence established by its predecessors.... This edition is a monumental, essential compilation that should reside in every serious cinema collection.
–American Reference Books Annual

Recommended for large academic libraries.
–Library Journal

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1600 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 3 Rev Sub edition (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579581714
• ISBN-13: 978-1579581718
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 8.7 x 3.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,956,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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