The United Kingdom has had a significant film industry for over a century. While film production reached an all-time high in 1936, the "golden age" of British cinema is usually thought to have occurred in the 1940s, during which the directors
David Lean,
Michael Powell, (with
Emeric Pressburger) and
Carol Reed produced their most highly acclaimed work. Many British actors have achieved international fame and critical success, including
Maggie Smith,
Michael Caine,
Sean Connery and
Kate Winslet. Some of the films with the largest ever box office returns have been made in the United Kingdom, including the second and third highest-grossing film series (
Harry Potter and
James Bond). The identity of the British industry, and its relationship with Hollywood, has been the subject of debate. The history of film production in Britain has often been affected by attempts to compete with the American industry. The career of 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 and
Ridley Scott, and performers, such as
Charlie Chaplin and
Cary Grant, have achieved success primarily through their work in the United States.