BritWeek Celebrates 50 Years of Britain in Los Angeles
Britain and the Movies
The Brits have been part of Hollywood since the beginning. Charlie Chaplin was a key figure in the creation of the movie industry. Boris Karloff (whose brother was a senior British diplomat!) and Stan Laurel were among the many influential Hollywood Brits of that era. Fifty years ago, Cary Grant (a Bristol man) was the leading Leading Man, and Alec Guinness and David Niven won Oscars. Over the ensuing years, Britain has amassed an amazing tally of well over 300 Academy Awards (with seven added this year).
The Brits have excelled not only in acting, but also in directing, screenwriting, music, costume design, animation and special effects. The Star Wars movies were made in Britain because of the strength of special effects expertise there. Many American filmmakers choose to make all or part of their movies in the UK, even if the story is set elsewhere.
• 50 years of Britain in Los Angeles • Brits & Los Angeles • How many Brits are there in Southern California?
• Britain is California’s largest investor • Californian Investment in Britain • British Retailers
• Britain and the Movies • The British and the Music Industry • Brits on TV • British Writers
•The British Consul General • The Consul General’s Residence