Age of the Dream Palace

Jeffrey Richards is Professor of Cultural History, University of Lancaster. His fine books on Cinema include 'The Unknown 1930s' and, with Anthony Aldgate, 'Britain Can Take It: British Cinema in the Second World War'. Tauris. He is General Editor of Tauris' 'Cinema and Society series'.

• AcknowledgmentsNew IntroductionPart 1 The Context1 Going to the Pictures2 The Dream Merchants3 'The Devil's Camera'4 'Our Movie-made Children'Part 2 The Constraints5 The Aims and Principles of Censorship6 Censorship in Operation: Domestic Policy7 Censorship in Operation: Foreign Policy8 Censorship in Operation: Imperial PolicyPart 3 The Stars9 Stars10 Gracie Fields: Consensus Personified11 George Formby: The Road from Wigan Pier12 Jessie Matthews: The Dancing Divinity13 The Romantic Adventurer: Robert Donat and Leslie HowardPart 4 The Films14 Putting Britain on the Screen15 Visions of the Past - Messages for the Present16 Images of Peace and War17 Class and Consensus: Lower Down18 Class and Consensus: Higher UpConclusionsNotesSourcesGeneral IndexIndex of Film Titles

'Jeffrey Richards is admirably equipped to look at the forces shaping the British film industry in the 1930s and to interpret sympathetically a body of films traditionally mocked for their class-bound attitudes... he is full of original insights and illuminating comparisons.' - Philip French, 'Observer'; 'For those with an interest in British Cinema such an enthusiastic and knowledgeable book is a godsend.' - Robert Murphy, 'Sight and Sound'