Practical considerations for teachers

Making contact with older members of the community

  • There are a number of ways of making contact with local groups of older people, eg, through libraries, the education departments in museum, local history groups, community centres and clubs (such as the Women's Institute or Age Concern or senior citizen screenings at the local cinema) as well as sheltered housing schemes and residential homes. Check with your local library or council for listings. Your Local Education Authority may also be able to help.
  • Once you've identified your group, contact them to discuss the possibility of an intergeneration partnership. Give them as much detail as you can about the school, the project and what you hope to achieve.
  • Bear in mind that setting up an intergenerational project will take careful planning and preparation so make sure you allow time for this.
  • The older people's group may not feel confident in taking part immediately with a project specifically about film and cinema-going. bfi Education can help you locate a local tutor to help them prepare for their visit in schools with film and reminiscence sessions aimed at stimulating their memories. See our Register of associate tutors or email Screen dreams.
  • You will need to prepare both the older people's group and the pupils separately for the visit in order:
    • to make sure they know what to expect and what is expected of them
    • to outline the format of the sessions
    • to ensure that both groups value and understand the project aims and outcomes
    • to breakdown any stereotypes the groups may have of each other
    • to build their confidence in their knowledge, expertise and ability
  • When inviting elderly members of the community into your school, you will need to consider the following:
    • How will the group get to and from the school?
    • Who will arrange transport, if required?
    • Is parking accessible?
    • How many people will there be? Ratio between young and old?
    • A welcome on arrival (maybe a cup of tea?)
    • Were any of the group former pupils?
    • Perhaps a short trip around the school to help them familiarise themselves with the environment
    • Where will you hold the sessions?
    • How will you end the session? Time limit?
    • Who will do the thanks afterwards?
  • From the outset, all partners will need to be clear on the timescale, sustainability and exit strategy for the project.
  • Evaluate and monitor at all stages from the set up, through the interaction to any final outcomes.

Preparatory sessions for older groups

The importance of film and cinema-going during the 1930s-1950s should not be underestimated. This was the main form of entertainment during the war years, with record number of cinema attendances. People flocked to the cinema for a variety of reasons, including meeting up with friends, going on dates, watching the newsreels, and, of course, to escape the reality of their own lives for a few hours. For many it was a regular event, often going more than once a week, and their memories of the cinemas, the films and who they went with will be very vivid. You may also find that someone in the group worked in or knew someone who worked in the local cinema and can give you a special insight into their working day.

Old film magazines or film annuals are useful prompts and these can often be picked up in markets or bookshops. Many people bought the film magazines of the day, such as Picturegoer, Film Weekly or Film Pictorial and sent off for signed photos of their favourite stars. Some people in the group may well still have some of these items at home in scrapbooks.

During the Screen Dreams exhibition, we held a visitors poll to find out who were the favourite film stars of the period. Here are some of the most mentioned names:

Favourite Actors
Dirk Bogarde, James Mason, John Mills, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Kenneth More, Stewart Grainger, Laurence Olivier, Alastair Sim.

Favourite Actresses
Bette Davis, Margaret Lockwood, Celia Johnson, Doris Day, Judy Garland, Patricia Roc, Ingrid Bergman, Phyllis Calvert, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn, Margaret Rutherford.

There are a number of films that will help prompt memories of the period 1930s-1950s:

  • The Smallest Show on Earth (Basil Dearden, 1951)
  • This Happy Breed (David Lean, 1944)
  • A Matter of Life and Death (Powell & Pressburger, 1946)
  • Reach for the Sky (Gilbert, 1956)
  • Mrs Miniver (Wyler, 1942)
  • Went the Day Well? (Cavalcanti, 1942)
  • Passport to Pimlico (Cornelius, 1949)

And, of course, classic films such Brief Encounter (David Lean, 1945) The Wicked Lady (Leslie Arliss, 1945) , The Ladykillers (Alexander Mackendrick, 1955), To Have and Have Not (Howard Hawks, 1944), Top Hat (Mark Sandrick, 1935), Philadelphia Story (George Cukor, 1940) and Gone with the Wind (Victor Fleming, 1939) will always generate discussion around favourite stars. Many of these films are commercially available or for rental through libraries.

Below are some questions that will stimulate a group discussion about cinema-going in the past.

General warm-up questions

  • Do you all have a favourite moment in a film/or a favourite film? What is it and why is it so special?
  • What films do you remember watching as a child and which were your favourites?
  • Do you remember how you felt watching the movies at the cinema?
  • What age were you when you first went to the cinema?

Stars

  • Who was your favourite film Star? What was so special about him/her?
  • What was your favourite of their films?
  • Did you buy magazines about films/stars? What did you like about them? Can you remember what they were called?
  • Were you interested in gossip about their lives/romances? Do you remember any
    wonderful scandals?
  • Did you ever model yourself on a star? - eg. get a certain haircut, or makeup or
    dress/hat? Smoke?
  • Did you ever go to a premier or event to see a star in person?
  • Did you ever collect stars autographs?
  • What do you think of the film stars of today?
  • What types of films do you most enjoy and why? Romances/ Westerns/Mystery/ Thrillers/ War?

Cinema-going

  • Where did you mainly go to the cinema? Why?
  • What was it called?
  • How many cinemas were there in this area? Or where you grew up?
  • What was it like inside? Luxurious or a fleapit? Carpets/benches/comfy seats?
  • How much did it cost to get in?
  • Did you take in sweets or buy from the usherette? What sort of things?
  • When did you go? What age were you? Did you ever pretend to be older, in order to get in?
  • Who did you go to the cinema with?
  • Do you remember having to queue? For how long?
  • Do remember any particular buskers or queue entertainers?
  • Where else did you go for entertainment? Dance Halls?
  • Do you still go to the cinema today? If so, where? If not, why? What do you think of the films made today. Do you see any of them at the cinema?
  • When did you stop visiting the cinemas on a regular basis and why? Marriage/Families/
  • When did you all get your first TV set?

War Period

  • Were any of you in the forces? Did you go to the cinema when you were? In large groups? See films in the army camps or on ships or abroad?
  • Why was the cinema so important during this period?
  • Why do you think the government allowed cinemas to re-open during the war?
  • What happened during the air raids?
  • Do you remember the newsreels? Why were these so important?

Some research before the sessions

  • Check with your local library or archive for any resources on cinema history. The information given in the case study of Cinema-going in Rugby was obtained primarily from the central library in Rugby.
  • Make contact with a local history group to help find out where all the cinemas used to be. They may have already produced some work around cinemas in the area and have locally recorded testimonies. They may have members who be willing to get involved in the project.
  • Are any of the cinemas still in use? As cinemas? Or as other leisure venues? Or demolished -what is there now? Where is the nearest local cinema(s)?
  • Draw up a map of the area then and now. Plan a visit to the old cinema sites.
  • Encourage pupils to talk to their parents, grandparents or older family friends about the project.
  • Use the internet to research old and new cinemas.
  • Involve the local cinema. Talk to the local cinema manager to find out if they hold screenings for older people and if s/he knows the history of the cinema. The manager may be able to provide information, may be happy to be interviewed by the children during a visit and could even introduce them to some older film fans who attend the cinema.

Preparing the pupils for the session

  • Ask the children to think about their own cinema-going experiences. Compare these with some of the personal testimonies in the pack.
  • Encourage the children to talk to their own families and friends about their cinema-going experiences so as to compare answers. This may lead to the collection of some old photos, newspaper cuttings or memorabilia which can form the basis of a reminiscence box.
  • Although this pack is aimed at recalling and contrasting cinema-going experiences, it will also lead to discussion about life in a different era, eg, cinema-going during the war, rationing, what people wore and ate, how they travelled, their work, etc.
  • Brainstorm and prepare a list of questions to ask the older people on their visit.
  • Consider who will ask these questions. Remember one question may lead to another which is not on the list (see below). Allow some flexibility to follow unexpected routes.
  • How will the children record what is said (notes? cassette recorders? video?)

Notes on pupil questions

Experience indicates that planning is needed to avoid certain well-known limitations, e.g.

  • "Closed" questions often lead to very short answers (the 'how much?' 'how often?' 'how long?' type of questions). They are perfectly legitimate, but should not dominate.
  • Sticking closely to a list of prepared questions so that pupils ignore the opportunities for following up intriguing answers with an unprepared supplementary.

Compare

Uninformative
Q. "Did you ever get in trouble in the cinema?"
A. "Yes, I did."
Q. "Did they sell ice creams then?"
Potentially more informative
Q. "Did you ever get in trouble in the cinema?"
A. "Yes, I did."
Q. Could you tell us what you did please?"

The skill of framing unprepared 'open' supplementary questions is challenging but very worthwhile. It requires good listening, quick thinking and careful wording. The teacher in charge will need to "chair" sensitively too.

Last Updated: 22 Mar 2010