"Why can't you scientists leave things alone?" Science questioned in British films of the post-war period (1945-1970)

Public Understanding of Science

Volumn 10, Issue 4, 2001, Pages 365-382

  Jones, Robert ^a  

^a NONE   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARTICLE; AUDIOVISUAL EQUIPMENT; HISTORY; HISTORY OF MEDICINE; PUBLIC OPINION; SCIENCE; UNITED KINGDOM;

GREAT BRITAIN; HISTORY OF MEDICINE, 20TH CENT.; MOTION PICTURES; PUBLIC OPINION; SCIENCE;

EID: 0035490347     PISSN: 09636625     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1088/0963-6625/10/4/302     Document Type: Article

References (86)

1. R. Hoggart, The Uses of Literacy (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1992) 192.
2. Ibid, 194.
3. R. D. Haynes, From Faust to Strangelove (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994) 18.
4. For science fiction films, see R. Lambourne, M. Shallis, and M. Shortland, Close Encounters: Science and Science Fiction (Bristol: Adam Hilger, 1990), and I. Q. Hunter, ed., British Science Fiction Cinema (London: Routledge, 1999). For horror films, see A. Tudor, Monsters and Mad Scientists: A Cultural History of the Horror Movie (Oxford: Blackwell, 1989); For a recent example, see "The stereotypes that make scientists mad," The Times (10 October 1997).
5. For science fiction films, see R. Lambourne, M. Shallis, and M. Shortland, Close Encounters: Science and Science Fiction (Bristol: Adam Hilger, 1990), and I. Q. Hunter, ed., British Science Fiction Cinema (London: Routledge, 1999). For horror films, see A. Tudor, Monsters and Mad Scientists: A Cultural History of the Horror Movie (Oxford: Blackwell, 1989); For a recent example, see "The stereotypes that make scientists mad," The Times (10 October 1997).
6. For science fiction films, see R. Lambourne, M. Shallis, and M. Shortland, Close Encounters: Science and Science Fiction (Bristol: Adam Hilger, 1990), and I. Q. Hunter, ed., British Science Fiction Cinema (London: Routledge, 1999). For horror films, see A. Tudor, Monsters and Mad Scientists: A Cultural History of the Horror Movie (Oxford: Blackwell, 1989); For a recent example, see "The stereotypes that make scientists mad," The Times (10 October 1997).
7. For science fiction films, see R. Lambourne, M. Shallis, and M. Shortland, Close Encounters: Science and Science Fiction (Bristol: Adam Hilger, 1990), and I. Q. Hunter, ed., British Science Fiction Cinema (London: Routledge, 1999). For horror films, see A. Tudor, Monsters and Mad Scientists: A Cultural History of the Horror Movie (Oxford: Blackwell, 1989); For a recent example, see "The stereotypes that make scientists mad," The Times (10 October 1997).
8. J. Turney, Frankenstein's Footsteps (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998).
9. John Belton, American Cinema/American Society (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994) xxi.
10. R. A. Jones, "The boffin: a stereotype of scientists in postwar British films (1945-1970)," Public Understanding of Science, 6 (1997): 31-48; R. A. Jones, "The scientists as artist: A study of The man in the White Suit and some related British film comedies of the postwar period (1945-1970)," Public Understanding of Science, 7 (1998): 135-147.
11. R. A. Jones, "The boffin: a stereotype of scientists in postwar British films (1945-1970)," Public Understanding of Science, 6 (1997): 31-48; R. A. Jones, "The scientists as artist: A study of The man in the White Suit and some related British film comedies of the postwar period (1945-1970)," Public Understanding of Science, 7 (1998): 135-147.
12. L. W. Dubeck, S.E. Moshier, and J. E. Boss, Fantastic Voyages: Learning through Science Fiction Films (Woodbury, N.Y: AIP Press, 1994) 18.
13. Michael Ciment, Conversations with Losey (London: Methuen, 1985) 196.
14. H. Douglas, Burke and Hare: the True Story (London: Hale Press, 1973) 17.
15. N. Kneale, personal communication.
16. Unfortunately there are no existing recordings of the first two television serials. Quatermass and the Pit has been released on a BBC video. BBCV 4136.
17. Jones, "The scientist as artist;" C. Barr, Ealing Studios, 2nd edition (London: Studio Vista, 1993) 139.
18. An interesting view is given by the introduction to L. Marks, Peeping Tom (London: Faber and Faber, 1998).
19. Suspect was unusual for its time as it was produced as a B feature. This is discussed in "Suspect: In search of the 'superior support'" in The Family Way: The Boulting Brothers and British Film Culture eds. A. Burton, T. O'Sullivan, and P. Wells (Trowbridge: Flicks Books, 2000), 200-214.
20. R. A. Jones. "The Boffin," 34-38
21. J. Griffiths, Three Tomorrows: American. British and Soviet Science Fiction (London: Macmillan, 1980) 171; R. Lambourne, et al., Close Encounters.
22. J. Griffiths, Three Tomorrows: American. British and Soviet Science Fiction (London: Macmillan, 1980) 171; R. Lambourne, et al., Close Encounters.
23. A. Aldgate, "The appliance of science: The Mind Benders (1963)" in Liberal Directions: Basil Dearden and Postwar British Film Culture, eds. A. Burton, T. O'Sulliavn and P. Wells (Trowbridge: Flicks Books, 1997) 213-222.
24. For a discussion of the political background to this film, see Stephen Guy "'Someone pushes a button and it's goodbye Sally:' Seven Days to Noon and the threat of the atomic bomb" in The Family Way, 143-154
25. For example, P. Brians, Nuclear Holocausts: Atomic War in Fiction 1895-1984 (Kent State University Press, 1987) and S. Weart, Nuclear Fear: a History of Images (Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1988).
26. For example, P. Brians, Nuclear Holocausts: Atomic War in Fiction 1895-1984 (Kent State University Press, 1987) and S. Weart, Nuclear Fear: a History of Images (Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1988).
27. C. Booker, The Neophiliacs, Pimlico edition (London: Pimlico Press, 1992) 129, 195.
28. W. Sargant, The Battle for the Mind (London: Heinemann, 1957).
29. W. Sargant, The Unquiet Mind (London: Heinemann, 1967) 174.
30. For a recent discussion, see S. L. Carruthers, "The Manchurian Candidate (1962) and the cold war brain washing scare," Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 18 (1998): 75-94.
31. M. LaFollette, Making Science Our Own (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1990) chapter 4.
32. R. A. Jones "The Boffin."
33. See, for example, A. Marwick, British Society since 1945, 2nd edition. (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1990).
34. A. Marwick, "Room at the top, Saturday night and Sunday morning and the 'cultural revolution' in Britain," J. Contemporary History, 19 (1984): 127-152, also J. Richards, Film and British National Identity (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1997) chapter 6.
35. A. Marwick, "Room at the top, Saturday night and Sunday morning and the 'cultural revolution' in Britain," J. Contemporary History, 19 (1984): 127-152, also J. Richards, Film and British National Identity (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1997) chapter 6.
36. J. Thumim. "The popular: cash and culture in the postwar British cinema industry,"Screen, 32 (1991): 245-271.
37. See, for example, J. Sedgwick, "Film 'hits' and 'misses' in mid-1930s Britain," Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 18 (1998): 333-351.
38. J. Thumim, "The popular," and P. Swern, The Guinness Book of Box Office Hits (Enfield: Guinness, 1995).
39. All newspaper quotations in this paper are taken from the BFI microfiche for the corresponding film, unless otherwise stated.
40. L. Mosley, Daily Express, 22 November 1961
41. The Sunday Times, 26 November 1961.
42. Tribune, 8 December 1961.
43. Sunday Telegraph, 26 May 1963.
44. The Observer, 19 May 1963.
45. Daily Telegraph, 31 May 1963.
46. Daily Worker, 25 May 1963.
47. Daily Express, 17 September 1950; Evening News, 14 September 1950.
48. Daily Express, 17 September 1950; Evening News, 14 September 1950.
49. Time, 25 December 1950.
50. B. Cathcart, Test of Greatness (London: John Murray, 1994) figure 29.
51. News Chronicle, 5 February 1960.
52. The Star, 4 February 1960.
53. New Statesman, 27 August 1955; Reynold's News, 27 August 1955.
54. New Statesman, 27 August 1955; Reynold's News, 27 August 1955.
55. Daily Telegraph, 27 August 1955.
56. Daily Worker, 11 August 1951.
57. Gavin Lambert, Monthly Film Bulletin, September 1951.
58. R. A. Jones, "The scientists as artist."
59. M. Landy, British Genres: Cinema and Society 1930-1960 (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1991) 426-430; I. Christie, Arrows of Desire, the Films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (London: Waterstone, 1985) 102-105.
60. M. Landy, British Genres: Cinema and Society 1930-1960 (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1991) 426-430; I. Christie, Arrows of Desire, the Films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (London: Waterstone, 1985) 102-105.
61. E. Betts, The People, 19 November 1960.
62. Daily Telegraph, 12 November 1960.
63. Financial Times, 14 November 1960.
64. Derek Hill, Tribune, 2 December 1960.
65. Dilys Powell, Sunday Times, 24 April 1960.
66. Isobel Quigley, The Spectator, 29 April 1960.
67. News of the World, 19 June 1960.
68. Daily Mail, 17 June 1960.
69. J. Harman, Evening News, 16 June 1960.
70. The Times, 16 June 1960; C. A. Lejeune, Observer, 19 June 1960.
71. The Times, 16 June 1960; C. A. Lejeune, Observer, 19 June 1960.
72. Daily Mail, 2 March 1963.
73. Daily Herald, 2 March 1963.
74. Sunday Times, 3 March 1963.
75. Observer, 3 March 1963.
76. Daily Mirror, 15 September 1950.
77. News Chronicle, 13 September 1950.
78. Daily Worker, 28 September 1950.
79. Daily Telegraph, 18 September 1950.
80. Felix Barker, Evening News, 24 April 1964.
81. Alberto Elena, "Exemplary lives: biographies of scientists on the screen," Public Understanding of Science, 2 (1993), 205-233; An example of this genre from the British film industry is The First of the Few (1942), directed by Leslie Howard, which chronicles the life R. J. Mitchell, the designer of the Spitfire.
82. Alberto Elena, "Exemplary lives: biographies of scientists on the screen," Public Understanding of Science, 2 (1993), 205-233; An example of this genre from the British film industry is The First of the Few (1942), directed by Leslie Howard, which chronicles the life R. J. Mitchell, the designer of the Spitfire.
83. An interesting analysis of the politics of the Boulting Brothers is given in The Family Way.
84. Jones, "The Boffin."
85. Jon Turney, To Know Science Is To Love It?, Public Understanding of Science Practice (London: COPUS, n.d.) 3
86. Halliwell's Film and Video Guide (1997 edition), ed. J. Walker (London: HarperCollins, 1996). The dates given are release dates, which may differ from dates of production given elsewhere.