The Finest Years

The British cinema during the 1940s was enjoying an unlikely renaissance. During the Second World War and its aftermath, filmmakers were finding a new freedom to reflect the national mood, producing works of unparalleled ambition and boldness. Films like “Henry V”, “Brief Encounter”, “The Red Shoes” and “The Third Man” have become enduring classics of British and world cinema.Now in paperback and with a new Preface, “The Finest Years” chronicles these seminal years for British cinema through the characters and aspirations of some of its leading personalities. Drawing on extensive interviews and original research, it brings to life the atmosphere, ambience and connections of a unique film-making community. It offers a critical but sympathetic, fresh view of well-known individuals such as Carol Reed, David Lean and Michael Balcon. It also introduces readers to some lesser known, equally significant figures, including the flamboyant Italian impresario Filippo Del Giudice, and Robert Hamer, the maverick director of the Ealing comedy masterpiece Kind Hearts and Coronets.
Charles Drazin demonstrates with affection and erudition how all of these and many more fine talents made the 1940s British cinema’s renaissance years.