History

THE WORLD’S LONGEST-RUNNING FILM ANNUAL

Founder F. Maurice Speed’s innovative concept was based on his conviction that,

"What the ordinary moviegoer lacks is a more or less complete annual record, in picture and story, of his year's filmgoing. Ironically enough, it wasn't until the war came along, and I had been discharged from the Army, that I decided, as nobody else seemed so inclined, I might as well attempt to fill the void myself." - F. Maurice Speed

The idea came to fruition on 8 December 1944, when the very first Film Review annual was released. As Speed recalled in the annual's 50th edition, "That initial 1944-45 book sold some 80,000 copies to a book-starved public and the second annual reached a dizzy 250,000 print order." The book rapidly developed into an annual illustrated digest of all the films screened in the UK. As time went on, Speed gathered together outside contributors, among them authors and film historians such as Peter Noble, William K. Everson, Oswell Blakeston, Peter Cowie, Anthony Slide, Ivan Butler and Gordon Gow. The annual also introduced special articles written by such film industry figures as James Mason, Michael Powell, Cecil B. DeMille, Bob Hope, Rita Hayworth, and Alfred Hitchcock. Maurice’s annual introductions also reveal his keen interest in emerging technical advances such as stereo sound and CinemaScope.

In 1963, for the 20th edition, Speed's publishers, Macdonald & Co, altered the annual's format, reducing it in size and doubling the price. This new look only lasted for three years, after which Macdonald dropped the title. After a 12-month hiatus, Speed returned, now under the aegis of W.H. Allen, with a catch-up edition (published at the end of 1967) that covered a two-year period. In 1987 Speed, by then in his seventies, took on co-editor James Cameron-Wilson, who would eventually graduate to editing the book on his own before handing over editorial duties to Michael Darvell and Mansel Stimpson in 2007.

The groundbreaking movie almanac long regarded as the essential reference for movie enthusiasts and industry professionals released its 70th edition in 2015, marking the end of the annually published book. Beginning where that final volume left off, the Film Review Daily website launched with ‘Releases of the Year’ added on a daily basis. The annual covered film releases for seven decades until the digital version stepped in to continue the tradition. In December of 2024, Film Review celebrated ten years online and the launch of the publication’s 80th anniversary year.
Cheers to the legacy of Film Review!