From Tom Brown to Bulldog Drummond, from Biggles to Bond, the 20th Century British hero was represented as schoolboy, sleuth, soldier, sailor, sky-pilot and spy, and film portrayed them in all their different personalities - romantic, gritty, superior, gutsy, charming, and even with a tongue-in-cheek humour. Featured stars include Dirk Bogarde, Jack Hawkins, Stewart Granger, Kenneth More, Leslie Howard, David Niven and John Mills in films such as Reach For The Sky, We Dive At Dawn, A Tale Of Two Cities and A Matter Of Life And Death.

Some of British cinema's most popular comedians, including Norman Wisdom, Stanley Holloway, Will Hay, Frankie Howerd, and the Carry On team in films such as On The Beat, Oh, Mr Porter!, The Ghost Train and Carry On Doctor.

A look at British spy stories, ranging from classic Hitchcock films of the 1930s to eighties paranoia in Defence Of The Realm, a mixture of the commonplace with the extraordinary - the ease with which laughs turn into thrills, the way a coded secret can suddenly mean life or death for a group of innocent people. Featured stars include Robert Donat, Kenneth More, Deborah Kerr and Margaret Lockwood in films such as Sabotage, The Lady Vanishes (1938 and 1979) and The 39 Steps (1935, 1959 and 1978).

During the 1940s and 50s, British films featured female stars who portrayed fiery, independent characters in distinctive settings, and stories than emanated from the events of World War II and its cultural aftermath. Featured stars Phyllis Calvert, Patricia Roc, Margaret Lockwood, Virginia McKenna, Deborah Kerr, and Jean Simmons in such films as Madonna Of The Seven Moons (1945), Love Story (1944), The Wicked Lady (1945), A Town Like Alice (1956), Black Narcissus (1947) and The Blue Lagoon (1949)

Sequences from the golden age of British musicals highlight the talents of stars such as Jessie Matthews, Jack Buchanan, Jean Kent and Kay Kendall. Films include Evergreen, As Long As They're Happy, Trottie True and London Town.

Stars like David Niven, Trevor Howard and John Mills in enduring wartime classics such as A Matter Of Life And Death, In Which We Serve, The Way Ahead, The Life And Death of Colonel Blimp, The Way to the Stars, 49th Parallel and Henry V.

From the earliest days of movies, the potential for scaring audiences has been recognized and whether treated for thrills or comedy, ghosts and ghouls have proved a popular staple of British cinema. Featured stars include James Mason, Margaret Rutherford, Richard Greene and Claude Rains in films such as A Place Of One's Own, Blithe Spirit, Don't Take It to Heart, Hands Of The Ripper and The Clairvoyant.

Costume dramas have been a staple of British cinema, especially during the 1940s when the Gainsborough melodramas resulted in some of the successful and popular films of the period. The best examples of the genre mix sumptuous film-making artistry with propulsive narratives. Stars include James Mason, Margaret Lockwood, Phyllis Calvert, Patricia Roc, Stewart Granger, Dennis Price and Jean Kent in films such as The Wicked Lady, The Man In Grey, Fanny By Gaslight, Madonna Of The Seven Moons and The Magic Bow

The combination of distinctive actors and characters have resulted in some of the most indelible and memorable scenes. True originals of British cinema include Margaret Rutherford, Peter Sellers, Alastair Sim and Edith Evans in films such as Blithe Spirit, Waltz Of The Toreadors, Cottage To Let and The Importance Of Being Earnest.

British cinema has always has a strong tradition for powerful reflections on contemporary life, social and psychological dramas that mix insightful commentary and identifiable characters with involving narratives. Featured stars include Richard Harris, Patricia Roc, Stanley Baker and James Mason in films like This Sporting Life, When the Bough Breaks, Violent Playground and Odd Man Out.

Highlights from some of the best-known literary adaptations British cinema has produced, including extracts from The Importance Of Being Earnest, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, The Card and The History Of Mr. Polly.

Stars such as Oliver Reed, Stanley Baker, Howard Keel and Peter Finch feature in films highlighting thrills and action, including The Trap, Sea Fury, Floods of Fear and Robbery Under Arms.

Among the films that feature sports are This Sporting Life with Richard Harris, Checkpoint with Stanley Baker, All For Mary starring David Tomlinson and The Lady Vanishes with cricket obsessives Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne.

Celebrating young scene-stealers including John Howard Davies, Jon Whiteley, Vincent Winter, Hayley Mills and Juliet Mills in British movies such as Oliver Twist, Dangerous Exile, The Kidnappers, Tiger Bay and The History of Mr Polly.

Comedy sequences from films such as The Early Bird, The Frozen Limits, The Intelligence Men, Band Waggon and Carry On Loving feature stars like Norman Wisdom, the Crazy Gang, Morecambe and Wise, Arthur Askey, and the Carry On team

Featuring some of the most famous non-human stars of British cinema, including Tarka the Otter, An Alligator Named Daisy, Tawny Pipit and The Belstone Fox.

Audiences have always had favourite performers whose appeal transcends international barriers. Featured are names like Michael Caine, Henry Fonda and Meryl Streep in films including The Eagle Has Landed, On Golden Pond and Sophie's Choice.

A look at the portrayal of relationships between friends, lovers and families in films such as Brief Encounter, On Golden Pond and Voyage of the Damned.

The thrill and excitement of action movies highlighted by films such as Raise the Titanic, Hawk The Slayer and Escape to Athena with stars including Michael Caine, Gene Hackman and Elliot Gould.

From the Bible to Charles Dickens, literature has been a rich source for films. Productions featured include Great Expectations, The Man In The Iron Mask and Moses The Lawgiver, with stars such as Burt Lancaster and Richard Chamberlain.

A look at films showing the profits of crime and the wages of sin, including Return Of The Pink Panther, Love And Bullets and Madam Sin with stars like Peter Sellers, Charles Bronson and Bette Davis.

The downbeat doggedness of Philip Marlowe, the suave charm of Simon Templar, the comic ineptitude of Inspector Clouseau. Films include Farewell My Lovely and Return Of The Pink Panther, with stars such as Robert Mitchum and Peter Seller

From the sun-kissed sidewalks of California to the dingy streets of London, filmmakers reflect on modern society in films such as From A Far Country and Rising Damp with stars such as Peter Fonda, Sam Neill and Leonard Rossiter.

Highlighting the magic of special effects in films like Saturn 3. Raise the Titanic and Capricorn One with stars including Kirk Douglas, Omar Sharif and Telly Savalas.

A look at the wide-ranging skills of actors including Laurence Olivier, Robert Duvall and James Stewart.

Moments from films that have explored the dark side of mystery and imagination, featuring Richard Burton, Kirk Douglas and Terence Stamp.