In the first half of the twentieth century, cinema-going was the most popular commercial leisure activity century. But with the transition to peacetime, leisure habits changed. During the 1950s increased affluence, the growth of television ownership and the diversification of leisure led to rapid declines in attendance. Linking national developments to detailed case studies, this book adds nuance to our understanding of regional variations in film exhibition, audience habits and cinema-going experiences during a period of profound social and cultural change.