Category Archives: 1940s

Nights at the Alexandra

Source: William Trevor, Nights at the Alexandra (London: Hutchinson, 1987) Text: People loved the Alexandra. They loved the things I loved myself – the scarlet seats, the lights that made the curtains change colour, the usherettes in uniform. People stood … Continue reading →

by Luke McKernan Posted on August 18, 2018
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Red, Black, Blond and Olive

Source: Edmund Wilson, Red, Black, Blond and Olive: Studies in Four Civilizations – Zuñi, Haiti, Soviet Russia, Israel (London: W.H. Allen, 1956), pp. 72-73 Text: What draws people down to this vacuum? How do they amuse themselves here? These vacationists … Continue reading →

by Luke McKernan Posted on April 14, 2018
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Sociology of Film

Source: J.P. Mayer, Sociology of Film: Studies and Documents (London: Faber and Faber, 1946), pp. 181-183 Text: Being a regular reader of Picturegoer I have decided to enter your contest not in the hope of winning a prize but in … Continue reading →

by Luke McKernan Posted on August 24, 2017
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Cocks and Bulls in Caracas

Source: Olga Briceño, Cocks and Bulls in Caracas; how we live in Venezuela (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1945), pp. 126-130 Text: Everyone is curious to know how we amuse ourselves in South America. What, they wonder, do those strange people … Continue reading →

by Luke McKernan Posted on June 14, 2017
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British Cinemas and Their Audiences

Source: J.P. Mayer, British Cinemas and their Audiences: Sociological Studies (London: Dennis Dobson, 1948), p. 238 Text: AGE: 64 SEX: M. NATIONALITY: BRITISH FATHER’S OCCUPATION: BRICKLAYER MOTHER’S OCCUPATION: HELPMATE TO FATHER I am going to mention the titles of four … Continue reading →

by Luke McKernan Posted on April 25, 2017
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Magic Moments

Source: John Sutherland, Magic Moments: Life-Changing Encounters with Books, Films, Music … (London: Profile Books, 2008), pp. 1-2, 5, 8 Text: I could see stories before I could read them. And the first narrative I recall seeing is the film … Continue reading →

by Luke McKernan Posted on March 23, 2017
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British Cinemas and Their Audiences

Source: J.P. Mayer, British Cinemas and their Audiences: Sociological Studies (London: Dennis Dobson, 1948), pp. 198-201 Text: AGE: 20 SEX: F. OCCUPATION: SHORTHAND-TYPIST NATIONALITY: BRITISH FATHER’S OCCUPATION: POLICE CONSTABLE MOTHER’S OCCUPATION: HOUSEWIFE I have not the time to be a … Continue reading →

by Luke McKernan Posted on November 10, 2016
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Sociology of Film

Source: J.P. Mayer, Sociology of Film: Studies and Documents (London: Faber and Faber, 1946), pp. 233-234 Text: This letter is in answer to your appeal for help from members of the cinema audiences. I am a female, aged 17 yrs. … Continue reading →

by Luke McKernan Posted on April 28, 2016
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