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153-479: Brief Encounter is a 1945 British romantic drama film directed by David Lean from a screenplay by Noël Coward , based on his 1936 one-act play Still Life . The film stars Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard in lead roles, alongside Stanley Holloway , Joyce Carey , Cyril Raymond , Everley Gregg and Margaret Barton in supporting roles. Brief Encounter tells the story of two married strangers living in pre-World War II England, whose chance meeting at
306-702: A subsidy under the terms of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , and would have led to objections from American film producers. An indirect levy did not qualify as a subsidy, and so was a suitable way of providing additional funding for the UK film industry whilst avoiding criticism from abroad. In 1951, the National Film Theatre was initially opened in a temporary building at the Festival of Britain . It moved to its present location on
459-646: A Rank subsidiary, also made some important films, including the Noël Coward and David Lean collaborations This Happy Breed (1944) and Blithe Spirit (1945) as well as Laurence Olivier 's Henry V (1944). By this time, Gainsborough Studios were releasing their series of critically derided but immensely popular period melodramas, including The Man in Grey (1943) and The Wicked Lady (1945). New stars, such as Margaret Lockwood and James Mason , emerged in
612-483: A certain percentage of British films. The act was technically a success, with audiences for British films becoming larger than the quota required, but it had the effect of creating a market for poor quality, low cost films, made to satisfy the quota. The "quota quickies", as they became known, are often blamed by historians for holding back the development of the industry. However, some British film makers, such as Michael Powell , learnt their craft making such films. The act
765-540: A co-founder of British National Films Company and they helped create Pinewood Studios , which opened in 1936. Also in 1936, Rank took over General Film Distributors and in 1937, Rank founded The Rank Organisation . In 1938, General Film Distributors became affiliated with Odeon Cinemas. Rising expenditure and over-optimistic expectations of expansion into the American market caused a financial crisis in 1937, after an all-time high of 192 films were released in 1936. Of
918-536: A destination for visitors and a safe, integrated community for residents. A beacon of strength in Africa's most economically prosperous city". After being destroyed in 2008 to make way for a motor showroom by Imperial Holdings, the iconic Rand Steam Laundries are now being redeveloped as an exact replica, by the order of the Johannesburg Heritage Council. Apart from one filtration shed, there
1071-452: A junction on the London, Midland and Scottish Railway . Although it was a busy station, it was far enough away from major cities to avoid the blackout for film purposes, allowing shooting to take place in early 1945 before World War II had ended. At two points in the film, platform signs indicate local destinations such as Leeds , Bradford , Morecambe and Lancaster , even though Milford
1224-615: A market share of around 7% globally and 17% in the United Kingdom. UK box-office takings totalled £1.1 billion in 2012, with 172.5 million admissions. The British Film Institute has produced a poll ranking what they consider to be the 100 greatest British films of all time, the BFI Top 100 British films . The annual BAFTA Awards hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts are considered to be
1377-528: A national figure and a symbol of resistance to apartheid . On 16 June 1976, demonstrations broke out in Soweto over a government decree that black school-children be educated in Afrikaans instead of English, and after the police fired on the demonstrations, rioting against apartheid began in Soweto and spread into the greater Johannesburg area. About 575 people, the majority of whom were black, were killed in
1530-412: A new openness about working-class life or previously taboo issues. Johannesburg Johannesburg ( / dʒ oʊ ˈ h æ n ɪ s b ɜːr ɡ / joh- HAN -iss-burg , US also /- ˈ h ɑː n -/ - HAHN - , Afrikaans: [jʊəˈɦanəsbœrχ] ; Zulu and Xhosa : eGoli [ɛˈɡɔːli] ) (colloquially known as Jozi , Joburg , Jo'burg or " The City of Gold ")
1683-817: A number of popular personalities emerged, including George Formby , Gracie Fields , Jessie Matthews and Will Hay . These stars often made several films a year, and their productions remained important for morale purposes during World War II . Many of the British films with larger budgets during the 1930s were produced by London Films , founded by Hungarian emigre Alexander Korda . The success of The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), made at British and Dominions Elstree Studios , persuaded United Artists and The Prudential to invest in Korda's Denham Film Studios , which opened in May 1936, but both investors suffered losses as
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#17327800761101836-516: A period in which filmmakers such as Humphrey Jennings, David Lean, Powell and Pressburger, and Carol Reed came to the fore." Published in The Times on 5 September 1939, two days after Britain declared war on Germany, George Bernard Shaw ’s letter protested against a government order to close all places of entertainment, including cinemas. ‘What agent of Chancellor Hitler is it who has suggested that we should all cower in darkness and terror “for
1989-447: A police officer, and a drive in the country in a hired car. Some scenes were altered to be less ambiguous and more dramatic in the film adaptation. The scene in which the lovers are about to commit adultery is toned down; in the play, it is left to the audience to decide whether they actually consummate their relationship, while in the film, it is implied that they do not. In the film, Laura has only just arrived at Dr. Lynn's flat when
2142-459: A railway station leads to a brief yet intense emotional affair, disrupting their otherwise conventional lives. Brief Encounter premiered in London on 13 November 1945, followed by its wide release on 25 November. The film received widespread critical acclaim, with Johnson and Howard's performances earning high praise. However, despite critical acclaim, it emerged as a moderate commercial success at
2295-422: A range of feelings about infidelity that invited easy identification, whether it involved one's husband, lover, children, or country (p. 55). In this context, feminist critics have interpreted the film as an attempt to stabilize relationships and restore the pre-war social order. In his 1993 BFI book on the film, Richard Dyer notes that, with the rise of homosexual law reform, gay men also identified with
2448-598: A reference to Coward and includes a scene filmed at Milford railway station, echoing Brief Encounter . Similarly, Mum's Army , an episode of Dad's Army appears to be loosely inspired by the film. Brief Encounter also serves as a plot device in Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (2005), a comedy-drama film based on Elizabeth Taylor 's 1971 novel . In the story, the aging widow Mrs. Palfrey reminisces about Brief Encounter as her and her late husband’s favorite film, leading to
2601-466: A relationship outside of work hours. Brief Encounter is based on Noël Coward 's one-act play Still Life (1936), one of ten short plays in the cycle Tonight at 8.30 , designed for Gertrude Lawrence and Coward himself, to be performed in various combinations as triple bills. All scenes in Still Life are set in the refreshment room of a railway station, the fictional Milford Junction. As
2754-414: A residential area for blacks only—no whites allowed—who were not permitted to live in other "white-designated" areas of Johannesburg. Another region, Lenasia , is predominantly populated by English-speaking Indo-South Africans (people of Indian and South Asian descent). These areas were, in previous decades, designated as non-white areas, in accordance with apartheid policies of the time. Johannesburg
2907-629: A result. Korda's films before the war included Things to Come , Rembrandt (both 1936) and Knight Without Armour (1937), as well as the early Technicolour films The Drum (1938) and The Four Feathers (1939). These had followed closely on from Wings of the Morning (1937), the UK's first three-strip Technicolour feature film, made by the local offshoot of 20th Century Fox . Although some of Korda's films indulged in "unrelenting pro-Empire flag waving", those featuring Sabu turned him into "a huge international star"; "for many years" he had
3060-440: A significant connection between her young friend and writer Ludovic Meyer and his eventual girlfriend. In the 2012 Sight & Sound polls of the world’s greatest films, Brief Encounter received votes from 11 critics and three directors. Frances Gray acknowledges a common criticism of the play: why do the characters not consummate the affair? Gray argues that the characters' restraint is rooted in class consciousness . While
3213-454: A small but valuable gem to the Lean filmography, depicting a doomed couple's illicit connection with affecting sensitivity and a pair of powerful performances." On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 92 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "universal acclaim." In her book Noël Coward (1987), Frances Gray notes that Brief Encounter is, after Coward’s major comedies,
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#17327800761103366-861: A subsidiary of the French Gaumont Film Company , constructing Lime Grove Studios in West London in 1915 in the first building built in Britain solely for film production. Also in 1898, Hepworth Studios was founded in Lambeth , South London by Cecil Hepworth , the Bamforths began producing films in Yorkshire , and William Haggar began producing films in Wales . Directed by Walter R. Booth in 1901, Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost
3519-500: A township founded for black workers coming to work in the gold mines of Johannesburg, was intended to house 50,000 people, but soon was the home of ten times that number as thousands of unemployed rural blacks came to Johannesburg for employment and an income to send back to their villages. It was estimated that in 1989, the population of Soweto was equal to that of Johannesburg, if not greater. In March 1960, Johannesburg witnessed widespread demonstrations against apartheid in response to
3672-452: A wider spectrum of people in Britain than the country's earlier films had done. These individuals, principally Karel Reisz , Lindsay Anderson and Tony Richardson , were also involved in the short lived Oxford film journal Sequence and the " Free Cinema " documentary film movement. The 1956 statement of Free Cinema, the name was coined by Anderson, asserted: "No film can be too personal. The image speaks. Sounds amplifies and comments. Size
3825-424: Is a kind man, he lacks Laura's ear for music and seems more interested in filling out the crossword than conversing with his wife. Laura silently reflects on her recent experiences, which she retells in the form of a confession to her husband. Like many women of her social standing at the time, Laura visits a nearby town every week to shop and watch a matinée film. During one such outing to Milford , while waiting in
3978-620: Is a popular recreational park. Johannesburg and environs also offer various options to visitors wishing to view wildlife , in addition to the Johannesburg Zoo , one of the largest in South Africa. The Lion Park nature reserve, next to Lesedi Cultural Village , is home to over 80 lions and various other game, while the Krugersdorp Nature Reserve , a 1500 ha game reserve , is a forty-minute drive from
4131-404: Is a smaller number of synagogues serving the city's Reform Jews , including Temple Israel and Beit Emanuel . 32% of Johannesburg residents speak Nguni languages at home, 24% speak Sotho languages , 18% speak English, 7% speak Afrikaans and 6% speak Tshivenda . Johannesburg has a well-developed higher education system of both private and public universities . Johannesburg is served by
4284-537: Is a visual reference to an Arabic love poem. In Dr. Lynn's apartment, a wall hanging is prominently displayed twice—first over the dining table when Laura enters, and later over Alec's left shoulder when Stephen confronts him. The original choice for the role of Alec Harvey was Roger Livesey , but David Lean cast Trevor Howard after seeing him in The Way to the Stars . Joyce Barbour was originally cast as Dolly, but Lean
4437-403: Is also located on Rissik Street. The region surrounding Johannesburg was originally inhabited by San hunter-gatherers who used stone tools. There is evidence that they lived there up to ten centuries ago. Stone-walled ruins of Sotho–Tswana towns and villages are scattered around the parts of the former Transvaal in which Johannesburg is situated. By the mid-18th century, the broader region
4590-658: Is also particularly highly regarded. Under the Import Duties Act 1932 , HM Treasury levied a 75% tariff on all film imports on 6 August 1947 which became known as Dalton Duty (after Hugh Dalton then the Chancellor of the Exchequer ). The tax came into effect on 8 August, applying to all imported films, of which the overwhelming majority came from the United States; American film studio revenues from
4743-419: Is another possibility. Precise records for the choice of name were lost. Johannes Rissik and Johannes Joubert were members of a delegation sent to England to obtain mining rights for the area. Joubert had a park in the city named after him, and Rissik has his name for one of the main streets in the city where the historically important albeit dilapidated Rissik Street Post Office is located. The City Hall
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4896-460: Is common in films adapted from stage plays, the film includes settings that are only mentioned in the play, such as Dr. Lynn's flat , Laura's home, a cinema , a restaurant, and a branch of Boots the Chemist . Several scenes were added for the film, including a scene on a lake where Dr. Harvey gets his feet wet, Laura wandering alone in the dark and smoking on a park bench where she is confronted by
5049-548: Is impossible for them to maintain their relationship. Alec reveals that he has been offered a job in Johannesburg , South Africa , where his brother lives. Although he was initially unsure whether to take it, he decides he must leave England to put a definitive end to his affair with Laura, and to avoid hurting their families. He offers to leave the decision to Laura, but Laura replies, "That's unkind of you, my darling." The next week, Laura and Alec have their final meeting in
5202-478: Is intended to be in the Home Counties. Noël Coward provided the station announcements in the film. The station refreshment room was recreated in a studio. Carnforth Station retains many of the period features from the time of filming and has become a place of pilgrimage for fans of the film. Some of the urban scenes were shot in London, Denham , and Beaconsfield , near Denham Studios . The country bridge
5355-403: Is irrelevant. Perfection is not an aim. An attitude means a style. A style means an attitude." Anderson, in particular, was dismissive of the commercial film industry. Their documentary films included Anderson's Every Day Except Christmas , among several sponsored by Ford of Britain , and Richardson's Momma Don't Allow . Another member of this group, John Schlesinger , made documentaries for
5508-475: Is located within the mineral-rich Witwatersrand hills, the epicentre of the international-scale mineral, gold and (specifically) diamond trade. Johannesburg was established in 1886, following the discovery of gold, on what had been a farm. Due to the extremely large gold deposits found along the Witwatersrand , within ten years, the population had grown to over 100,000 inhabitants. A separate city from
5661-531: Is nearly overcome with emotion. Fred senses her turmoil and acknowledges Laura's emotional distance, though whether he understands the cause remains unclear. He thanks her for coming back to him, and she weeps in his arms. A parallel subplot involves the interactions of the station and refreshment room staff. Two of the staff flirt with each other but cannot engage in public displays of affection during work hours, which humorously contrasts with Laura and Alec's ability to meet openly with each other and inability to have
5814-485: Is nothing left on the site after being destroyed. The site will consist of a 5,000 m (54,000 sq ft) precinct. On 12 May 2008, a series of riots started in the township of Alexandra , in the north-eastern part of Johannesburg, when locals attacked migrants from Mozambique , Malawi and Zimbabwe , killing two people and injuring 40 others. These riots sparked the xenophobic attacks of 2008. The 2019 Johannesburg riots were similar in nature and origin to
5967-474: Is the earliest film adaptation of Charles Dickens's festive novella A Christmas Carol . Booth's The Hand of the Artist (1906) has been described as the first British animated film. In 1902, Ealing Studios was founded by Will Barker . It has become the oldest continuously operating film studio in the world. In 1902, the earliest colour film in the world was made; capturing everyday events. In 2012, it
6120-634: Is the most populous city in South Africa with 4,803,262 people, and is classified as a megacity ; it is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world . It is the provincial capital of Gauteng , the wealthiest province in South Africa. Johannesburg is the seat of the Constitutional Court , the highest court in South Africa. Most of the major South African companies and banks have their head offices in Johannesburg. The city
6273-585: Is the principal clerk attached to the office of the surveyor-general Hendrik Dercksen, Christiaan Johannes Joubert , who was a member of the Volksraad and was the Republic's chief of mining. Another was Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (better known as Paul Kruger ), president of the South African Republic (ZAR) from 1883 to 1900. Johannes Meyer , the first government official in the area
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6426-408: The 2008 xenophobic riots . A completely refurbished Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup final . From 22 to 24 August 2023, Johannesburg hosted 15th BRICS summit . On 31 August 2023, at least 76 people died when a building caught fire in Johannesburg. The building had been taken over by a gang who were illegally renting it out. Johannesburg is located in
6579-507: The BFI Top 100 British films list, and in 2004, Total Film magazine named it the 44th greatest British film of all time. Film critic Derek Malcolm included it in his 2000 column The Century of Films . British historian Thomas Dixon remarked that Brief Encounter "has become a classic example of a very modern and very British phenomenon—weeping over the stiff upper lip , crying at people not crying. The audiences for these wartime weepies could, through their own tears, provide something that
6732-530: The Ideal Film Company was founded in Soho, London , distributing almost 400 films by 1934, and producing 80. In 1913, stage director Maurice Elvey began directing British films, becoming Britain's most prolific film director, with almost 200 by 1957. In 1914, Elstree Studios was founded, and acquired in 1928 by German-born Ludwig Blattner , who invented a magnetic steel tape recording system that
6885-663: The Johannesburg South Africa Temple ( Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ). Most of Johannesburg's estimated 50,000 Jews live in the North Eastern suburbs; Glenhazel , Raedene Estate , Kew , Norwood , Highlands North , Sandringham , Savoy Estate , Waverley , Orchards , Oaklands and Fairmount . There are many Orthodox synagogues in the city including; Great Park Synagogue , Oxford Shul and Doornfontein Synagogue . There
7038-483: The Orange . Most of the springs from which many of these streams emanate are now covered in concrete and canalised, accounting for the fact that the names of early farms in the area often end with "fontein", meaning "spring" in Afrikaans. Braamfontein, Rietfontein, Zevenfontein, Doornfontein, Zandfontein and Randjesfontein are some examples. When the first white settlers reached the area that is now Johannesburg, they noticed
7191-529: The Sharpeville massacre . On 11 July 1963, the South African Police raided a house in the Johannesburg suburb of Rivonia where nine members of the banned African National Congress (ANC) were arrested on charges of planning sabotage. Their arrest led to the famous Rivonia Trial . The nine arrested included one Indo-South African, one coloured, two whites and five blacks, one of whom was
7344-570: The South Bank in London for the first London Film Festival on 16 October 1957 run by the BFI. During the 1950s, the British industry began to concentrate on popular comedies and World War II dramas aimed more squarely at the domestic audience. The war films were often based on true stories and made in a similar low-key style to their wartime predecessors. They helped to make stars of actors like John Mills , Jack Hawkins and Kenneth More . Some of
7497-457: The Soweto uprising of 1976. Between 1984 and 1986, South Africa was in turmoil as a series of nationwide protests, strikes and riots took place against apartheid, and the black townships around Johannesburg were scenes of some of the fiercest struggles between the police and anti-apartheid demonstrators. The central area of the city underwent something of a decline in the 1980s and 1990s, due to
7650-619: The "golden age" of British cinema is usually thought to have occurred in the 1940s, during which the directors David Lean , Michael Powell , and Carol Reed produced their most critically acclaimed works. Many British actors have accrued critical success and worldwide recognition, such as Audrey Hepburn , Olivia de Havilland , Vivien Leigh , Glynis Johns , Maggie Smith , Laurence Olivier , Michael Caine , Sean Connery , Ian Mckellen , Joan Collins , Judi Dench , Julie Andrews , Daniel Day-Lewis , Gary Oldman , Emma Thompson , Anthony Hopkins , Peter O’Toole and Kate Winslet . Some of
7803-582: The 1950s, though later films had Michael Craig and Leslie Phillips in leading roles. The Carry On series began in 1958 with regular instalments appearing for the next twenty years. The Italian director-producer Mario Zampi also made a number of successful black comedies , including Laughter in Paradise (1951), The Naked Truth (1957) and Too Many Crooks (1958). Ealing Studios had continued its run of successful comedies, including The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) and The Ladykillers (1955), but
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#17327800761107956-445: The 21st century, there was light sleet in 2006, as well as snow proper on 27 June 2007 (accumulating up to 10 centimetres or 4 inches in the southern suburbs), 7 August 2012, and 10 July 2023. Regular cold fronts pass over in winter bringing very cold southerly winds but usually clear skies. The annual average rainfall is 713 millimetres (28.1 in), which is mostly concentrated in the summer months. Infrequent showers occur through
8109-432: The 640 British production companies registered between 1925 and 1936, only 20 were still active in 1937. Moreover, the 1927 Films Act was up for renewal. The replacement Cinematograph Films Act 1938 provided incentives, via a " quality test ", for UK companies to make fewer films, but of higher quality, and to eliminate the "quota quickies". Influenced by world politics, it encouraged American investment and imports. One result
8262-453: The Air broadcast two adaptations of Brief Encounter in its original form, Still Life . The first aired on 6 April 1947 on ABC featuring Ingrid Bergman , Sam Wanamaker and Peggy Wood . The second aired on 13 November 1949 on NBC , starring Helen Hayes and David Niven . The first adaptation of Brief Encounter to source from both the screenplay and Noël Coward's original stage material
8415-797: The BBC's Monitor arts series. Together with future James Bond co-producer Harry Saltzman , dramatist John Osborne and Tony Richardson established the company Woodfall Films to produce their early feature films. These included adaptations of Richardson's stage productions of Osborne's Look Back in Anger (1959), with Richard Burton , and The Entertainer (1960) with Laurence Olivier , both from Osborne's own screenplays. Such films as Reisz's Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (also 1960), Richardson's A Taste of Honey (1961), Schlesinger's A Kind of Loving (1962) and Billy Liar (1963), and Anderson's This Sporting Life (1963) are often associated with
8568-671: The Blitz while Listen to Britain (with Stewart McAllister , 1942) looked at the home front. The Crown Film Unit , part of the Ministry of Information took over the responsibilities of the GPO Film Unit in 1940. Paul Rotha and Alberto Cavalcanti were colleagues of Jennings. British films began to make use of documentary techniques; Cavalcanti joined Ealing for Went the Day Well? (1942), Many other films helped to shape
8721-609: The British equivalent of the Academy Awards . The world's first moving picture was shot in Leeds by Louis Le Prince in 1888 and the first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by British inventor William Friese Greene , who patented the process in 1890. The first people to build and run a working 35 mm camera in Britain were Robert W. Paul and Birt Acres . They made
8874-542: The British have that we in America have not. Magna Carta , the Tower Bridge and Alfred Hitchcock, the greatest director of screen melodramas in the world." Hitchcock was then signed up to a seven-year contract by Selznick and moved to Hollywood . "The idea of a nation of devoted cinema-goers is inextricably linked with the number of classic films released during the war years. This was British cinema’s ‘golden age’,
9027-516: The Cradle of Humankind together with his partner Johannes Stephanus Minnaar where they first discovered gold in 1881, and which also offered another kind of discovery—the early ancestors of all mankind. Some report Australian George Harrison as the first to make a claim for gold in the area that became Johannesburg, as he found gold on a farm in July 1886. He did not remain in the area. On 3 October 1886
9180-579: The F.O. (1958), and I'm All Right Jack (1959). Starring in School for Scoundrels (1960), the British Film Institute thought Terry-Thomas was "outstanding as a classic British bounder ". Popular comedy series included the "Doctor" series, beginning with Doctor in the House (1954). The series originally starred Dirk Bogarde , probably the British industry's most popular star of
9333-648: The Gainsborough films. Towards the end of the 1940s, the Rank Organisation became the dominant force behind British film-making, having acquired a number of British studios and the Gaumont chain (in 1941) to add to its Odeon Cinemas. Rank's serious financial crisis in 1949, a substantial loss and debt, resulted in the contraction of its film production. In practice, Rank maintained an industry duopoly with ABPC (later absorbed by EMI) for many years. For
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#17327800761109486-608: The Gatsrand Pass (near Zakariyya Park) on 27 May, north of Vanwyksrust—today's Nancefield, Eldorado Park and Naturena—the next day, culminating in a mass infantry attack on what is now the waterworks ridge in Chiawelo and Senaoane on 29 May. During the Boer war, many African mineworkers left Johannesburg creating a labour shortage, which the mines ameliorated by bringing in labourers from China, especially southern China. After
9639-666: The Matabele, the name given them by the local Sotho–Tswana), set up a kingdom to the northwest of Johannesburg around modern-day Rustenburg. The main Witwatersrand gold reef was discovered in June 1884 on the farm Vogelstruisfontein by Jan Gerritse Bantjes , son of Jan Bantjes , this triggered the Witwatersrand Gold Rush and the founding of Johannesburg in 1886. The discovery of gold rapidly attracted people to
9792-532: The Metropolitan Municipality, the old centre, established in 1886 and given city status in 1928, has been listed in recent censuses as a "main place". As of 2011 , this main place had a population of 957,441 and an area of 334.81 km . Some authors consider the metropolitan area to include most of Gauteng province. The UN 's Population Division in 2016 estimated the metropolitan area population to be 9,616,000. Blacks account for 73% of
9945-502: The Navy , Men of Two Worlds , Theirs Is the Glory , The Overlanders , and Bedelia . Brief Encounter received widespread critical acclaim, with Johnson and Howard's performances earning high praise; although there were doubts that it would be "generally popular". Variety praised the film, stating, "Coward's name and strong story spell nice US chances." It was a moderate success in
10098-618: The New Pin was released. It was based on a novel by Edgar Wallace , starring Donald Calthrop, Benita Home and Fred Raines, which was made by British Lion at their Beaconsfield Studios . John Maxwell's BIP became the Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC) in 1933. ABPC's studios in Elstree came to be known as the "porridge factory", according to Lou Alexander, "for reasons more likely to do with
10251-652: The UK and became a major hit in the US, leading to Johnson's nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress . Today, Brief Encounter is widely acclaimed for its black-and-white cinematography and the evocative atmosphere created by its steam-age railway setting, elements particularly associated with David Lean's original version. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 46 reviews, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The site's critical consensus states: " Brief Encounter adds
10404-408: The UK from February to July 2009, with performances at venues including the Oxford Playhouse, Marlowe Theatre and Richmond Theatre . During the tour, the lead roles were played by Hannah Yelland and Milo Twomey. British cinema The oldest known surviving film (from 1888) was shot in the United Kingdom as well as early colour films. While film production reached an all-time high in 1936,
10557-404: The UK had been in excess of US$ 68 million in 1946. The following day, 9 August, the Motion Picture Association of America announced that no further films would be supplied to British cinemas until further notice. The Dalton Duty was ended on 3 May 1948 with the American studios again exported films to the UK though the Marshall Plan prohibited US film companies from taking foreign exchange out of
10710-628: The administrative boundary of the municipality . The population of the whole area has been estimated to be variously at 7,860,781 in 2011 by "citypopulation.de",. Johannesburg's suburbs are the product of urban sprawl and are regionalised into north, south, east and west, and they generally have different personalities. Greater Johannesburg consists of more than five hundred suburbs in an area covering more than two hundred square miles (520 square kilometres). Although black Africans can be found throughout Johannesburg and its surrounding area, greater Johannesburg remains highly racially segregated. Within
10863-423: The area, making necessary a name and governmental organisation for the area. Jan, Johan and Johannes were common male names among the Dutch of that time; two men involved in surveying the area for the best location of the city, Christian Johannes Joubert and Johann Rissik, are considered the source of the name by some. Johannes Meyer, the first government official in the area is another possibility. Precise records for
11016-578: The box-office. At the 19th Academy Awards , Brief Encounter received 3 nominations – Best Director (Lean), Best Actress (Johnson) and Best Adapted Screenplay . but failed to win in any category. However, the film won the Palme d'Or at the 1st Cannes Film Festival , while Johnson won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress . Many critics, historians, and scholars consider Brief Encounter as one of
11169-463: The celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the BBC 's Maida Vale Studios , Jenny Seagrove and Nigel Havers starred in a special Radio 2 production of Brief Encounter , performed live from Maida Vale's studio 6 (MV6). The script used was a 1947 adaptation for radio by Maurice Horspool, which had been in the BBC's archives and had never been performed since its creation. In addition, Theatre Guild on
11322-408: The characters' plight, seeing it as analogous to their own social constraints in forming and maintaining relationships. Sean O'Connor further considers the film an "allegorical representation of forbidden love," informed by Coward's experiences as a closeted gay man. Brief Encounter was adapted as a radio play on the 20 November 1946 episode of Academy Award Theater , starring Greer Garson . It
11475-613: The choice of name were lost. Within ten years, the city of Johannesburg included 100,000 people. In September 1884, the Struben brothers discovered the Confidence Reef on the farm Wilgespruit near present-day Roodepoort, which further boosted excitement over gold prospects. The first gold to be crushed on the Witwatersrand was the gold-bearing rock from the Bantjes mine crushed using the Struben brothers stamp machine. News of
11628-482: The city centre. The De Wildt Cheetah Centre in the Magaliesberg runs a successful breeding program for cheetah , wild dog and other endangered species . The Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve, situated in the "Cradle of Humankind" on 1200 ha of "the typical highveld of Gauteng" also runs a breeding programme for endangered species including Bengal tigers, Siberian tigers and the extremely rare white lion . To
11781-410: The city with the number growing every year—1.2 million on pavements and sidewalks, and a further 4.8 million in private gardens. City Parks continues to invest in planting trees, particularly those previously disadvantaged areas of Johannesburg which were not positive beneficiaries of apartheid Johannesburg's urban planning. Johannesburg Botanical Garden , located in the suburb of Emmarentia ,
11934-1053: The community, social and personal services and 12% are in manufacturing. Only 0.7% work in mining. 53% belong to mainstream Christian churches, 24% are not affiliated with any organised religion, 14% are members of African Independent Churches , 3% are Muslim , 1% are Jewish and 1% are Hindu . There are Muslim mosques, Hindu temples, A Sikh Gurudwara (Sikh Temple) in Sandton and a large number of synagogues. Places of worship in Johannesburg are predominantly Christian churches: Serbian Orthodox Church , Zion Christian Church , Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa , Assemblies of God , Baptist Union of Southern Africa ( Baptist World Alliance ), Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK) , Methodist Church of Southern Africa ( World Methodist Council ), Anglican Church of Southern Africa ( Anglican Communion ), Presbyterian Church of Africa ( World Communion of Reformed Churches ), Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Johannesburg ( Catholic Church ) and
12087-523: The company ceased production in 1958, after the studios had already been bought by the BBC . Less restrictive censorship towards the end of the 1950s encouraged film producer Hammer Films to embark on their series of commercially successful horror films. Beginning with adaptations of Nigel Kneale 's BBC science fiction serials The Quatermass Experiment (1955) and Quatermass II (1957), Hammer quickly graduated to The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula (1958), both deceptively lavish and
12240-421: The course of the winter months. The lowest nighttime minimum temperature ever recorded in Johannesburg is −8.2 °C (17.2 °F), on 13 June 1979. The lowest daytime maximum temperature recorded is 1.5 °C (34.7 °F), on 19 June 1964. According to the 2011 South African National Census , the population of Johannesburg is 4,434,827 people, making it the most populous city in South Africa (it has been
12393-494: The discovery soon reached Kimberley and directors Cecil Rhodes and Sir Joseph Robinson rode up to investigate the rumours for themselves. They were guided to the Bantjes camp with its tents strung out over several kilometres and stayed with Bantjes for two nights. In 1884, they purchased the first pure refined gold from Bantjes for £3,000. Incidentally, Bantjes had from 1881 been operating the Kromdraai Gold Mine in
12546-484: The duration”?’. Within two weeks of the order cinemas in the provinces were reopened, followed by central London within a month. In 1940, cinema admissions figures rose, to just over 1 billion for the year, and they continued rising to over 1.5 billion in 1943, 1944 and 1945. Humphrey Jennings began his career as a documentary film maker just before the war, in some cases working in collaboration with co-directors. London Can Take It (with Harry Wat , 1940) detailed
12699-408: The earliest British films were of everyday events, the early 20th century saw the appearance of narrative shorts, mainly comedies and melodramas. The early films were often melodramatic in tone, and there was a distinct preference for story lines already known to the audience, in particular, adaptations of Shakespeare plays and Dickens novels. In 1898, Gaumont-British Picture Corp. was founded as
12852-517: The eastern plateau area of South Africa known as the Highveld , at an elevation of 1,753 metres (5,751 ft). The former Central Business District is located on the southern side of the prominent ridge called the Witwatersrand (English: White Water's Ridge) and the terrain falls to the north and south. By and large the Witwatersrand marks the watershed between the Limpopo and Vaal rivers as
13005-868: The film and Coward's original stage play, incorporating additional musical elements. Produced by David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers , the adaptation premiered at Birmingham Repertory Theatre in October 2007 and later at the West Yorkshire Playhouse before opening in February 2008 at the Haymarket Cinema in London, which was temporarily converted into a theatre for the play. The 2008 London cast included Amanda Lawrence, Tamzin Griffin, Tristan Sturrock, and Naomi Frederick in lead roles. The production ran until November 2008 and subsequently toured
13158-492: The film, these characters pay little attention to the couple. The film's final scene, where Laura embraces her husband after he acknowledges her emotional distance and possibly suspects the cause, is not present in the original play. Two editions of Coward's original screenplay for the film adaptation are available, both listed in the bibliography. Much of the film was shot at Carnforth railway station in Lancashire , then
13311-478: The films with the largest ever box office returns have been made in the United Kingdom, including the fourth and fifth highest-grossing film franchises ( Harry Potter and James Bond ). The identity of the British film industry, particularly as it relates to Hollywood , has often been the subject of debate. Its history has often been affected by attempts to compete with the American industry . The career of
13464-630: The first British film Incident at Clovelly Cottage in February 1895, shortly before falling out over the camera's patent. Soon several British film companies had opened to meet the demand for new films, such as Mitchell and Kenyon in Blackburn . The Lumière brothers first brought their show to London in 1896. In 1898, American producer Charles Urban expanded the London-based Warwick Trading Company to produce British films, mostly documentary and news. Although
13617-627: The first gothic horror films in colour. The studio turned out numerous sequels and variants, with English actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee being the most regular leads. Peeping Tom (1960), a now highly regarded thriller, with horror elements, set in the contemporary period, was badly received by the critics at the time, and effectively finished the career of Michael Powell, its director. The British New Wave film makers attempted to produce social realist films (see also ' kitchen sink realism ') attempted in commercial feature films released between around 1959 and 1963 to convey narratives about
13770-432: The first of many deceptions. Eventually, they agree to make love at the flat of Alec's friend Stephen, who has dinner plans. However, Stephen returns unexpectedly. Stephen overhears Laura sneaking out and subtly chides Alec for his infidelity. A distraught Laura wanders the streets for three hours until a concerned police officer urges her to go home. Alec surprises Laura at the train station. They admit to each other that it
13923-516: The following week outside Boots the Chemist , and during a third meeting, they share a table at lunch. With time to spare, they attend an afternoon performance at the Palladium Cinema. They soon become uneasy as their innocent, casual relationship begins to deepen, verging on infidelity. They eventually admit they love each other. Laura and Alec continue meeting in public until they unexpectedly run into some of Laura's friends, necessitating
14076-443: The former British National Pictures Studios in Elstree, the facilities original owners, including producer-director Herbert Wilcox , had run into financial difficulties. One of the company's early films, Alfred Hitchcock 's Blackmail (1929), is often regarded as the first British sound feature. It was a part-talkie with a synchronised score and sound effects. Earlier in 1929, the first all-talking British feature, The Clue of
14229-453: The future president Nelson Mandela . At their trial, the accused freely admitted that they were guilty of what they were charged with, namely of planning to blow up the hydro-electric system of Johannesburg to shut down the gold mines, but Mandela argued to the court that the ANC had tried non-violent resistance to apartheid and failed, leaving him with no other choice. The trial made Mandela into
14382-408: The glistening rocks on the ridges, running with trickles of water, fed by the streams—giving the area its name, the Witwatersrand, "the ridge of white waters". Another explanation is that the whiteness comes from the quartzite rock, which has a particular sheen to it after rain. The site was not chosen for its streams, however. The main reasons the city was founded where it stands today was because of
14535-452: The gold. Indeed, the city once sat near massive amounts of gold, given that at one point the Witwatersrand gold industry produced forty per cent of the planet's gold. Parks and gardens in Johannesburg are maintained by Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo . City Parks is also responsible for planting the city's many green trees, making Johannesburg one of the 'greenest' cities in the world. It has been estimated that there are six million trees in
14688-508: The government to live separately. Work was considered to be an exception to apartheid in order to keep Johannesburg functioning as South Africa's economic capital. In the 1950s, the government began a policy of building townships for black families (prior to this unskilled workers were asked to work on "single status" in male-only hostels at the mines and had to commute to see their families in whatever province they originated) outside of Johannesburg to provide workers for Johannesburg. Soweto ,
14841-461: The greatest films of all time . In 1999, the British Film Institute ranked it the second-greatest British film of all time . In 2017, a Time Out poll of 150 actors, directors, writers, producers, and critics ranked it the 12th-best British film ever. In a railway station refreshment room , a man and a woman are sitting glumly at a table when one of the woman's friends comes in and immediately begins chatting away. After some terse pleasantries,
14994-577: The high crime rate and when property speculators directed large amounts of capital into suburban shopping malls, decentralised office parks, and entertainment centres. Sandton City was opened in 1973, followed by Rosebank Mall in 1976, and Eastgate in 1979. During the 1990s, the city faced rapid growth of crime throughout large parts of the city. Some areas of skyscrapers were abandoned, many residents left their homes, and businesses moved out. Some historical buildings in central areas were destroyed by fires that spread relentlessly. Like many cities around
15147-420: The high elevation and its location in the subtropics. Winter is the sunniest time of the year, with mild days and cool nights, dropping to 4.1 °C (39.4 °F) in June and July. The temperature occasionally drops to below freezing at night, causing frost . Snow is a rare occurrence, with snowfall having been experienced in the twentieth century during May 1956, August 1962, June 1964 and September 1981. In
15300-636: The highest profile of any actor of Indian origin. Paul Robeson was also cast in leading roles when "there were hardly any opportunities" for African Americans "to play challenging roles" in their own country's productions. In 1933, the British Film Institute was established as the lead organisation for film in the UK. They set up the National Film Library in 1935 (now known as the BFI National Archive), with Ernest Lindgren as its curator. In 1934, J. Arthur Rank became
15453-524: The informal leadership of Col Ignatius Ferreira , was located in the Fordsburg dip, possibly because water was available there, and because of the site's proximity to the diggings. Following the establishment of Johannesburg, the area was taken over by the Transvaal government who had it surveyed and named it Ferreira's Township, today the suburb of Ferreirasdorp . The first settlement at Ferreira's Camp
15606-692: The land increased, tensions developed between the Boer –dominated Transvaal government in Pretoria and the British, culminating in the Jameson Raid that ended in fiasco at Doornkop in January 1896. The Second Boer War (1899–1902) saw British forces under Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, occupy the city on 30 May 1900 after a series of battles to the south-west of its then-limits, near present-day Krugersdorp. Fighting took place at
15759-410: The largest, controlling 180 cinemas by 1928 and up to 300 by 1929. Maxwell formed ABC Cinemas in 1927 which became a subsidiary of BIP and went on to become one of the largest in the country, together with Odeon Cinemas , founded by Oscar Deutsch , who opened his first cinema in 1928. By 1937, these three chains controlled almost a quarter of all cinemas in the country. A booking by one of these chains
15912-484: The late 1970s until 1994, Soweto is now part of the Greater Johannesburg metropolitan area. An acronym for "South-Western Townships", Soweto was organised initially as a collection of nondescript settlements on the outskirts of the city, populated mostly by African labourers working in the gold mining industry. Soweto , although eventually incorporated into Johannesburg, had been explicitly separated as
16065-506: The lovers visit twice, including on their final day, is Middle Fell Bridge at Dungeon Ghyll in Cumbria . The poem that Fred asks Laura to help him with for his crossword is by John Keats : " When I have Fears that I may Cease to Be ". The quote Fred recites is "When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face, huge cloudy symbols of a high romance". In addition to the Keats reference, there
16218-415: The man leaves to catch his train. The man's companion explains that the man is about to move to Africa. After the man leaves, the companion briefly disappears without warning but returns, explaining that she wanted to see the express train. After a short interval, the two women head for their own train. At home, Laura Jesson, the woman at the table, sits in the living room with her husband Fred. Although Fred
16371-489: The mid-1920s the British film industry was losing out to heavy competition from the United States, which was helped by its much larger home market – in 1914 25% of films shown in the UK were British, but by 1926 this had fallen to 5%. A slump in 1924 caused many British film studios to close, resulting in the passage of the Cinematograph Films Act 1927 to boost local production, requiring that cinemas show
16524-552: The moment, the industry hit new heights of creativity in the immediate post-war years. Among the most significant films produced during this period were David Lean 's Brief Encounter (1945) and his Dickens adaptations Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948), Ken Annakin 's comedy Miranda (1948) starring Glynis Johns , Carol Reed 's thrillers Odd Man Out (1947) and The Third Man (1949), and Powell and Pressburger's A Matter of Life and Death (1946), Black Narcissus (1947) and The Red Shoes (1948),
16677-518: The most commercially successful film of its year in the United States. Laurence Olivier's Hamlet (also 1948), was the first non-American film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture . Ealing Studios (financially backed by Rank) began to produce their most celebrated comedies, with three of the best remembered films, Whisky Galore (1948), Kind Hearts and Coronets and Passport to Pimlico (both 1949), being on release almost simultaneously. Their portmanteau horror film Dead of Night (1945)
16830-521: The most populous city in South Africa since at least the 1950s). From the 2001 census, the people live in 1,006,930 formal households, of which 86% have a flush or chemical toilet , and 91% have refuse removed by the municipality at least once a week. 81% of households have access to running water, and 80% use electricity as the main source of energy. 29% of Johannesburg residents stay in informal dwellings. 66% of households are headed by one person. Johannesburg's urban agglomeration spreads well beyond
16983-612: The most successful included The Cruel Sea (1953), The Dam Busters (1954), The Colditz Story (1955) and Reach for the Sky (1956). The Rank Organisation produced some comedy successes, such as Genevieve (1953). The writer/director/producer team of twin brothers John and Roy Boulting also produced a series of successful satires on British life and institutions, beginning with Private's Progress (1956), and continuing with (among others) Brothers in Law (1957), Carlton-Browne of
17136-477: The name Johannesburg was first used. Surveyor Jos de Villiers surveyed Johannesburg's first neighborhood, Randjeslaagte, between 19 October and 3 November that year. Gold was earlier discovered some 400 kilometres (249 miles) to the east of present-day Johannesburg in Barberton . Gold prospectors soon discovered the richer gold reefs of the Witwatersrand offered by Bantjes. The original miners' camp, under
17289-727: The nations their films played in. Following the Cinematograph Film Production (Special Loans) Act 1949, the National Film Finance Corporation (NFFC) was established as a British film funding agency. The Eady Levy , named after Sir Wilfred Eady was a tax on box office receipts in the United Kingdom in order to support the British Film industry. It was established in 1950 coming into effect in 1957. A direct governmental payment to British-based producers would have qualified as
17442-702: The north of the city. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, tower blocks (including the Carlton Centre and the Southern Life Centre ) filled the skyline of the central business district. The system of apartheid , a comprehensive system of racial separation was imposed upon South Africa starting in 1948. For its growth, the economy of Johannesburg depended upon hundreds of thousands of skilled white workers imported from Europe and semi- and un-skilled black workers imported from other parts of Southern Africa. Though they worked together they were forced by
17595-615: The northern part of the city is drained by the Jukskei River while the southern part of the city, including most of the Central Business District, is drained by the Klip River . The north and west of the city has undulating hills while the eastern parts are flatter. Johannesburg may not be built on a river or harbour, but its streams contribute to two of southern Africa's mightiest rivers, the Limpopo and
17748-416: The one work of his that almost everybody knows and has likely seen. The film has frequently aired on television to high viewership consistently. Its story is that of an unconsummated affair between two married people [....] Coward is keeping his lovers in check because he cannot handle the energies of a less inhibited love in a setting shorn of the wit and exotic flavour of his best comedies [....] To look at
17901-456: The owner returns, prompting Dr. Harvey to quickly escort her out via the kitchen service door. Additionally, when Laura contemplates suicide by throwing herself in front of a train, the film makes her intention clearer through voice-over narration. In the play, the characters at Milford station—Mrs. Bagot, Mr. Godby, Beryl, and Stanley—are aware of the growing relationship between Laura and Alec and occasionally mention it in an offhand manner. In
18054-507: The parts of the former Transvaal province in which Johannesburg is situated. Many Sotho–Tswana towns and villages in the areas around Johannesburg were destroyed and their people driven away during the wars emanating from Zululand during the late 18th and early 19th centuries (the mfecane or difaqane wars), and as a result, an offshoot of the Zulu kingdom, the Ndebele (often referred to as
18207-603: The popular image of the nation at war. Among the best known of these films are In Which We Serve (1942), We Dive at Dawn (1943), Millions Like Us (1943) and The Way Ahead (1944). The war years also saw the emergence of The Archers partnership between director Michael Powell and the Hungarian-born writer-producer Emeric Pressburger with films such as The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) and A Canterbury Tale (1944). Two Cities Films , an independent production company releasing their films through
18360-437: The population, followed by whites at 18%, coloureds at 6% and Asians at 4%. 42% of the population is under the age of 24, while 6% of the population is over 60 years of age. 37% of city residents are unemployed. 91% of the unemployed are Black African. Women comprise 43% of the working population. 19% of economically active adults work in wholesale and retail sectors, 18% in financial, real estate and business services, 17% in
18513-531: The producer Alexander Korda was marked by this objective, the Rank Organisation attempted to do so in the 1940s, and Goldcrest in the 1980s. Numerous British-born directors, including Alfred Hitchcock , Christopher Nolan and Ridley Scott , and performers, such as Charlie Chaplin and Cary Grant , have achieved success primarily through their work in the United States. In 2009, British films grossed around $ 2 billion worldwide and achieved
18666-452: The quantity of films that the company turned out, than their quality". Elstree (strictly speaking almost all the studios were in neighbouring Borehamwood ) became the centre of the British film industry, with six film complexes over the years all in close proximity to each other. By 1927, the largest cinema chains in the United Kingdom consisted of around 20 cinemas but the following year Gaumont-British expanded significantly to become
18819-545: The railway station refreshment room, now seen with the poignant perspective of their shared history. As they prepare to part for the last time, Dolly Messiter, an acquaintance of Laura's, interrupts them, oblivious to their anguish. Alec’s train arrives before they can say a proper goodbye. He discreetly squeezes Laura’s shoulder as he departs, leaving her with Dolly. Laura, overcome with emotion, nearly commits suicide by jumping in front of an express train. However, she gathers herself and returns home to her family. At home, Laura
18972-406: The railway station's refreshment room, she is assisted by a fellow passenger, Alec Harvey, who removes a piece of grit from her eye. Alec is an idealistic general practitioner who also works as a consultant at the local hospital on Thursdays. Both Laura and Alec are married with children, although Alec's wife Madeleine and their two sons are never seen. The two encounter each other again by chance
19125-535: The school of realist Documentary Film Movement , from 1933 associated with the GPO Film Unit . It was Grierson who coined the term " documentary " to describe a non-fiction film, and he produced the movement's most celebrated early films, Night Mail (1936), written and directed by Basil Wright and Harry Watt , and incorporating the poem by W. H. Auden towards the end of the short. Music halls also proved influential in comedy films of this period, and
19278-406: The script, shorn of David Lean's beautiful camera work, deprived of an audience who would automatically approve of the final sacrifice, is to find oneself asking awkward questions (pp. 64–67). Brief Encounter has earned a lasting legacy in cinema history. In 1952, it was voted one of the 10 greatest films ever made in two separate critics' polls. In 1999, the British Film Institute ranked it #2 on
19431-670: The south, 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) from the city centre, is the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve home to large mammals and hiking trails. Separating Lenasia and the Soweto suburbs is the Olifantsvlei Nature Reserve protected area. Johannesburg is situated on the highveld plateau, and has a subtropical highland climate ( Köppen Cwb ). The city enjoys a sunny climate, with the summer months (October to April) characterised by hot days followed by afternoon thundershowers and cool evenings, and
19584-410: The thought of betraying her husband and her moral principles, despite being profoundly tempted by her emotions. This tension between desire and duty is a key element that has contributed to the film's enduring appeal. The values that Laura precariously, but ultimately successfully, upholds were widely shared and respected at the time of the film's setting. For instance, the stigma associated with divorce
19737-499: The war, they were replaced by black workers, but many Chinese stayed on, creating Johannesburg's Chinese community, which during the apartheid era, was not legally classified as "Asian", but as "Coloured". The population in 1904 was 155,642, of whom 83,363 were whites . In 1917, Johannesburg became the headquarters of the Anglo-American Corporation founded by Ernest Oppenheimer which ultimately became one of
19890-505: The war. By now contracted to Gaumont British, Alfred Hitchcock had settled on the thriller genre by the mid-1930s with The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), The 39 Steps (1935) and The Lady Vanishes (1938). Lauded in Britain where he was dubbed "Alfred the Great" by Picturegoer magazine, Hitchcock's reputation was beginning to develop overseas, with a New York Times feature writer asserting; "Three unique and valuable institutions
20043-412: The winter months (May to September) by dry, sunny days followed by cold nights. Temperatures in Johannesburg are usually fairly mild due to the city's high elevation, with an average maximum daytime temperature in January of 25.6 °C (78.1 °F), dropping to an average maximum of around 16 °C (61 °F) in June. The UV index for Johannesburg in summers is extreme, often reaching 14–16 due to
20196-410: The working classes might be seen as vulgar and the upper classes as frivolous, the middle class, which sees itself as the moral backbone of society, upholds these values. Coward, whose principal audience was the middle class, was reluctant to question or jeopardize these norms. In her narration, Laura emphasizes that what ultimately holds her back is not class consciousness, but her deep-seated horror at
20349-451: The world's largest corporations, dominating both gold-mining and diamond-mining in South Africa. Major building developments took place in the 1930s, after South Africa went off the gold standard. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Hillbrow went high-rise. In the 1950s and early 1960s, the apartheid government constructed the massive agglomeration of townships that became known as Soweto . New freeways encouraged massive sub urban sprawl to
20502-536: The world, there is an increasing focus on the rejuvenation of the inner city of Johannesburg. One of these initiatives is the Maboneng District located on the south-eastern side of the CBD . Originally a hub for art, it has expanded to include restaurants, entertainment venues and retail stores as well as accommodation and hotels. Maboneng calls itself "a place of inspiration—a creative hub, a place to do business,
20655-667: Was a "notable box-office attraction" and was the 21st most popular film at the British box office in 1946. Kinematograph Weekly reported that the biggest box office success in Britain that year was The Wicked Lady , with other major hits including The Bells of St Mary's , Piccadilly Incident , The Road to Utopia , Tomorrow Is Forever , Brief Encounter , Wonder Man , Anchors Aweigh , Kitty , The Captive Heart , The Corn Is Green , Spanish Main , Leave Her to Heaven , Gilda , Caravan , Mildred Pierce , Blue Dahlia , Years Between , O.S.S. , Spellbound , Courage of Lassie , My Reputation , London Town , Caesar and Cleopatra , Meet
20808-421: Was a rough and disorganised place, populated by white miners from all continents, African tribesmen were recruited to perform unskilled mine work, African women beer brewers cooked for and sold beer to the black migrant workers, a very large number of European prostitutes, gangsters, impoverished Afrikaners, tradesmen, and the " AmaWasha ", Zulu men who surprisingly dominated laundry work. As the value of control of
20961-711: Was adopted by the BBC in 1930. In 1915, the Kinematograph Renters’ Society of Great Britain and Ireland was formed to represent the film distribution companies. It is the oldest film trade body in the world. It was known as the Society of Film Distributors until it changed its name again to the Film Distributors’ Association (FDA). In 1920, Gaumont opened Islington Studios , where Alfred Hitchcock got his start, selling out to Gainsborough Pictures in 1927. Also in 1920 Cricklewood Studios
21114-452: Was also presented three times on The Screen Guild Theater : on 12 May 1947 with Herbert Marshall and Lilli Palmer , on 12 January 1948 with Marshall and Irene Dunne , and on 11 January 1951 with Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr . Additionally, Lux Radio Theater adapted the film on 29 November 1948 with Garson and Van Heflin , and again on 14 May 1951 with Olivia de Havilland and Richard Basehart . On 30 October 2009, as part of
21267-528: Was created by Andrew Taylor and starred Hayley Mills . This production embarked on its first national tour in 1996 and later transferred to the West End , where it played at the Lyric Theatre , Shaftesbury Avenue , in 2000, featuring Jenny Seagrove in the lead role. Emma Rice/Kneehigh Theatre adaptation The Kneehigh Theatre production, adapted and directed by Emma Rice , was a unique blend of
21420-541: Was dissatisfied with her performance, and she was replaced by Everley Gregg. Excerpts from Sergei Rachmaninoff 's Piano Concerto No. 2 recur throughout the film, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Muir Mathieson , with Eileen Joyce as the pianist. Additionally, there is a scene in a tearoom where a salon orchestra plays Spanish Dance No. 5 (Bolero) by Moritz Moszkowski . According to trade papers, Brief Encounter
21573-459: Was established as a tented camp and which soon reached a population of 3,000 by 1887. The government took over the camp, surveyed it and named it Ferreira's Township. By 1896, Johannesburg was established as a city of over 100,000 inhabitants, one of the fastest growing cities ever. Mines near Johannesburg are among the deepest in the world, with some as deep as 4,000 metres (13,000 ft). Like many late 19th-century mining towns, Johannesburg
21726-436: Was even watching it. But twenty minutes later, he was in tears, and had fallen in love with her. And it made him feel that it wasn't just a movie." The film was Brief Encounter . The film's influence extends into other works. The British play and film The History Boys features two characters reciting a passage from Brief Encounter . The episode "Grief Encounter" of the British comedy series Goodnight Sweetheart features
21879-722: Was found by the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford after lying forgotten in an old tin for 110 years. The previous title for earliest colour film, using Urban's inferior Kinemacolor process, was thought to date from 1909. The re-discovered films were made by pioneer Edward Raymond Turner from London who patented his process on 22 March 1899. In 1909, Urban formed the Natural Color Kinematograph Company , which produced early colour films using his patented Kinemacolor process. This
22032-490: Was founded by Sir Oswald Stoll , becoming Britain's largest film studio, known for Fu Manchu and Sherlock Holmes film series. In 1920, the short-lived company Minerva Films was founded in London by the actor Leslie Howard (also producer and director) and his friend and story editor Adrian Brunel . Some of their early films include four written by A. A. Milne including The Bump , starring C. Aubrey Smith ; Twice Two ; Five Pound Reward ; and Bookworms . By
22185-468: Was indispensable for the success of any British film. With the advent of sound films, many foreign actors were in less demand, with English received pronunciation commonly used; for example, the voice of Czech actress Anny Ondra in Blackmail was substituted by an off-camera Joan Barry during Ondra's scenes. Starting with John Grierson 's Drifters (also 1929), the period saw the emergence of
22338-421: Was lacking in their own lives as well as those of the on-screen stoics they admired." Director Robert Altman 's wife Kathryn Altman said, "One day, years and years ago, just after the war, [Altman] had nothing to do and he went to a theater in the middle of the afternoon to see a movie. Not a Hollywood movie: a British movie. He said the main character was not glamorous, not a babe. And at first he wondered why he
22491-575: Was largely settled by various Sotho–Tswana communities (one linguistic branch of Bantu-speakers), whose villages, towns, chiefdoms and kingdoms stretched from the Bechuanaland Protectorate (what is now Botswana ) in the west, to present day Lesotho in the south, to the present day Pedi areas of the Limpopo Province . More specifically, the stone-walled ruins of Sotho–Tswana towns and villages are scattered around
22644-472: Was later challenged in court by Greene, causing the company to go out of business in 1914. In 1903, Cecil Hepworth and Percy Stow directed Alice in Wonderland , the first film adaptation of Lewis Carroll 's children's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland . Also in 1903, Frank Mottershaw of Sheffield produced the film A Daring Daylight Robbery , which launched the chase genre. In 1911,
22797-584: Was modified with the Cinematograph Films Act 1938 assisted the British film industry by specifying only films made by and shot in Great Britain would be included in the quota, an act that severely reduced Canadian and Australian film production. The biggest star of the silent era, English comedian Charlie Chaplin , was Hollywood -based. Scottish solicitor John Maxwell founded British International Pictures (BIP) in 1927. Based at
22950-479: Was one of the host cities of the official tournament of the 2010 FIFA World Cup including the final . The metropolis is an alpha global city , as listed by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network . In 2019, the population of the city of Johannesburg was 5,635,127, making it the most populous city in South Africa. In the same year, the population of metro Johannesburg's urban agglomeration
23103-416: Was put at 8 million. Land area of the municipal city (1,645 km or 635 sq mi) is large in comparison with those of other major cities, resulting in a moderate population density of 2,364 per square kilometre (6,120/sq mi). Controversy surrounds the origin of the name. There were quite a number of people with the name "Johannes" who were involved in the early history of the city. Among them
23256-632: Was significant enough to cause Edward VIII to abdicate in 1936. Updating the story to a more contemporary setting might have rendered these values obsolete, thereby undermining the plot's credibility—a factor that may explain why the 1974 remake failed to resonate as strongly. The film was released against the backdrop of the Second World War , a period when "brief encounters" were common, and women experienced greater sexual and economic freedom than before. In British National Cinema (1997), Sarah Street argues that " Brief Encounter articulated
23409-530: Was the creation of MGM-British , an English subsidiary of the largest American studio, which produced four films before the war, including Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939). The new venture was initially based at Denham Studios. Korda himself lost control of the facility in 1939 to the Rank Organisation. Circumstances forced Korda's The Thief of Bagdad (1940), a spectacular fantasy film, to be completed in California, where Korda continued his film career during
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