The films shown would depend on the  cinema and what film circuit it was under. New films were released in what was called first runs or first release , these would generally go out to the larger circuit of cinemas first,usually  in town centres before being released to surburban cinemas in what would be called the second run or second release, this could sometimes be weeks or months later.

Films were also re – released, often years after their initial showing in cinemas, but as film programmes changed so frequently and often more than one film would be shown within the weekly program, a chance to see a film again was popular with cinema goers.

The smaller cinema circuits and independent cinemas often struggled to get first or even second run films but as cinema going was such a popular pastime  a screening of a re-release  would be well attended.

Here we have an original copy of a Cinema programme from  Bootle Odeon  June 1963. in the programme there were two re-releases from 1954 , ‘Ulysees’ and ‘Atilla the Hun’, both films were described as ‘Sword and Sandals’ films, but were still popular with audiences almost nine years after original first release.

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The newsreels would show the stars at premieres and openings of special events living a life of luxury or in their elaborately furnished homes, wearing and showing the latest fashions and hairstyles. This was a world away from the cinema goers in austerity Britain who would watch often in admiration and aspiration.

The lives of the film stars were a big draw to audiences who wanted to live and look like their matinee idols living the film star dream, but in reality this was a far cry for many of the working class cinema goers at the time.

The use of heavy makeup, costumes and lighting helped enhance the look of the female film star and gave an unrealistic image of what the women looked like, just as today with air brushing and digital enhancement techniques.

below image of film star Doris Day

The clothes and styles of the stars would have a big influence, even the bodily shapes of stars would be hankered for by the cinema goers. Film star style often led fashion tastes and trends. Females would try to copy the stars styles such as Doris Day, Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe.

below image of Jane Russel poster for the film ‘The Outlaw’

Whilst the males would hope to copy their favourite stars through the clothes they wore such as James Dean in the white T shirt and Jeans and by getting hair styles such as ‘The Tony Curtis’

below image of tony curtis whose hair style was admired and copied

below image of cult film star James Dean

Roles could be quite stereotypical and often would help to reinforce attitudes such as gender and class differences in society at the time.

Film magazines such as Photoplay and Newsreels such as Pathe and British Movie Tone would have features showing the behind the scenes glamorous lives of the stars. Some of these images were often as fictitious as some of the films which they starred in.

Film cards and photographs of the stars became valuable prized possessions which were collected and exchanged by the cinema goers and would be a talking point in society.

Watch Jean’s memories below of collecting Photoplay:

Hear Bill talking about the stars and fashions shown in the film magazines:

Mary Pickford “America’s Sweetheart” besides being one of the biggest silent screen stars also helped to form United Artists Studio in 1919, with her husband Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin and director D.W. Griffith.

below an image of Mary Pickford

In Hollywood in the 1930’s there was only one woman amongst the major film Directors – this was Dorothy Arzner. She worked with some of the biggest stars of the time Clara Bow, Frederick March, Katherine Hepburn, Sylvia Sydney and William Powell to name but a few.

below an image of film director Dorothy Arzner

Another female director was Ida Lupino who was also an actress, she was born in England and went to Hollywood in 1934 and appeared in a number of noticeable films before finally ending up behind in the camera in the 1950’s.

below image of Ida Lupino

Actresses have always appeared in the annual top ten box office stars
Female stars of the 1930’s
In the 1930’s amongst others were Marie Dressler, Janet Gaynor, Joan Crawford, Shirley Temple, Claudette Colbert, and Myrna Loy

below image of joan Crawford

Female stars of the 1940’s
In the 1940’s amongst others were Bette Davies, Judy Garland, Greer Garson, Betty Grable, Ingrid Bergman

below image of Bette Davis

Female stars of the 1950’s
In the 1950’s amongst others were Doris Day, Esther Williams, Susan Hayward, Marilyn Monroe, and Grace Kelly.

below image of Doris Day from the film Calamity Jane

Female stars of the 1960’s
In the 1960’s amongst others Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds, Sandra Dee, Shirley Maclaine, Julie Andrews.

below image of Elizabeth Taylor from the film Cleopatra from 1963

There were a number of actresses of course who appeared in the top ten lists across a number of decades.

Married women found their escapism by going to the daily matinees. They would spend their allowance watching the latest pictures and follow the fashions and hair styles of the glamorous actresses and their role models on the big silver screen.

The influence that film stars had on society at the time was quite remarkable, with limited media influence unlike today. The cinema was the main source of finding out about new views and fashions and what was deemed as in style and beautiful, the men yearned for the stars and the women tried to copy and emulate what they had seen on the screen.

Fashions such as flared dresses with heavy underskirts became fashionable thanks to the film stars who wore them, film magazines would have articles about how to dress and achieve their style, tips on hair and make up and celebrity endorsement of products began.

Many children would leave the cinema slapping their thighs and pretending to be cowboys like their favorite action hero’s. They would also use their coats as a capes, pretending to fly like batman, reliving what they had just watched on the screen.

The songs and musicals would be enacted around the streets when the young people left the cinema.

A lot of films shown in the cinema during the 30’s to the 60’s were made in America. This was known as the Golden Age of Hollywood, American films dominated world cinema, the studios had the money and developed talent to build up a powerful and influential industry.

American fashions, attitudes and behavior influenced many cinema goers. Styles of the stars were copied wherever possible, from the clothes the stars wore, to their copy-cat hairstyles and even replicating the way they smoked.