Entertaining Britain

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Description

While famous for its pioneering news reports, Pathé also produced immensely popular 'cine magazines', which entertained cinemagoers for decades. Initially made to boost the nation's morale after the First World War, entertaining strands such as Pathé Pictorial and Eve's Film Review were designed to appeal to women who were interested in fashion and celebrities-and offered hints for those running the home. In the 1930s, the arrival of synchronized sound increased the popularity of cine magazines, and the company launched Pathétone Weekly, a strand featuring "novel, amusing and strange" dimensions of national life. During World War II, it provided rationing and safety advice; in the '50s consumer era, it presented an idealized version of domesticity for housewives to aspire to. This film examines how Pathé documented major changes in British society during 50 years of production.