Sydney Box

The best entry yet in the British Film Makers series, this is an astonishingly detailed work. A truly remarkable achievement, it brings Britain's post-war film industry vividly to life. Howard Maxford, Film ReviewAn authoritative account of the career of Sydney Box, (1940-1965), one of British cinema's most successful and significant producers. This study highlights the crucial but often misunderstood role that the producer plays in the film making process and, using largely unpublished material, affords an exceptional insight into the workings of the film industry during one of its most important periods. It also provides detailed discussion of Box's films, including The Seventh Veil, Good Time Girl, The Bad Lord Byron, Christopher Columbus and Deadlier than the Male.Box's career was exceptionally varied and this study analyses the work of his company Verity Films which wartime produced over 100 short propaganda films during the Second World War, as well as Box's work as a feature film producer and as managing director of Gainsborough Pictures (1946-49). It encompasses the difficulties he experienced as an independent producer in the 1950s and the formation of Sydney Box Associates, his role in early television history, and his imaginative if unsuccessful bids for British Lion and London Weekday Television in 1963/64. Introductory chapters survey the role of the producer and the importance of Box's childhood and his early career as a playwright in understanding the motivations that drove him throughout his career. A concluding chapter assess his significance. This study will be essential reading for scholars and students interested in British cinema and television history, but its focus on the frequently misrepresented or misunderstood role of the producer will make it valuable for students of film generally.