Marky B

Does anyone remember the public information film about Reginald Mole,husband? It was about reversing a car into a slot between two cars by the kerb. Whenever I do the same thing,I still call it the Reginald Mole,husband.
Who played him? Now there's one for you!
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Lord Brett

Yes, I remember it well. I was always under the impression that his name was ll one word, though, as in “Reginald Molehusband, the safest parker in town”.

I’ll check to see if it’s on one of the Charlie Says compilations of public information films.

David Challinor

Does anyone remember the other short films the BBC would put on during the school holidays. I’m showing my age here but these were also broadcast on Saturday mornings on BBC 1 in the pre-Multi Coloured Swop Shop days, before Grandstand. There were a couple of historic ones – I guess aimed at boosting the nation’s tourism – about castles (Hever?) which only used a camera, narrative and some sound effects. So peaceful music would give way to the Sound Effects Library’s medieval battle scenes – when the camera’s point of view would go all loopy around the drawbridge and castle walls and the narrative become exciting – before calm was restored again, and a 1970’s style map of GB would show where the historical site was (it was always many, many miles from the Wirral where I grew up). Another evocative film promoted the RAF or gliding or both, this time with music I found out years later was The Beatles 1967 instrumental ‘’Flying’’….even further back I have faded, but dear to me, first tv memories of trade shows and other company promotional films from the continent broadcast around Play School on BBC2 in the late 1960s. They must have been testing BBC2’s colour broadcasting capabilities - Can anyone remember these latter films better than me?

Lord Brett

I remember (just) the ‘Flying’ film. I seem to remember that it featured gliders, but apart from the music I don’t really recall anything else – until I read your post I hadn’t thought about it in years. I was also surprised to discover that the music was by The Beatles – I only found out when I bought a copy of Magical Mystery Tour on CD. Do you reckon that’s a stylophone they are playing?

glyn horton

Until now I've always thought I was the only person who could remember the BBC2 promo films! I grew up watching them and they were always called the 'test films'. As I recall they were never listed in the TV schedules and featured very little dialogue. An exception was one that seemed to be promoting British tourism which featured a man walking into a tourist information office and hearing a figure on a poster talking to him. I remember another about a couple of truckers driving across Australia and I've never forgotten the scene where they have to change a wheel in the desert and they end up chasing it down a hill. Anyone else remember these?

DaveJ

I remember the short films shown on BBC2 in the late 60's and early 70's.
They were used to test the early colour television and were commisioned by BP
.
"Guiseppina" and "The home made car" (about a bull-nosed Morris) were my favourites.

I have a contact address and purchase details if anyone wants to buy them on Video.

Go here for the audio clips:

http://www.vintagebroadcasting.org.uk/bbcttfilms.htm

regards

DaveJ

Marky B

I remember one public information film about the England's National Parks,accompanied by Gustav Holst's "Jupiter" (the one which is also the music for I Vow To Thee My Country).
Ta Ta
Marky B thumbs_u

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Bobj

You must have read my mind MarkyB as I was thinking about starting a similar thread.
I too was brought up on these short films. I remember them at intervals during the testcard transmissions on BBC2 and on Saturday mornings.
A few years ago when my father died and I was sorting out his possessions I came across a copy of the Shell-Mex and BP Film Catalogue(1969).
Some of the films mentioned are featured in earlier posts notably
'Giuseppina' and 'The Home-made Car.'The catalogue was divided into sections - with films about Petroleum,Industry & Engineering, Agriculture,Aviation,Motor Sport,Road Safety & Films of General Interest. All the films were produced by these companies.
The catalogue states that films could be hired out in 16mm to individuals or clubs/societies at a cost of five shillings per film!
I have no idea if these companies still maintain such a library. I'm pretty sure they ceased film production some years ago when the demand for short films as second features ceased.

Dave] - I for one would be very interested in details of where videos of these films could be purchased.
'Giuseppina' is a particuar favourite and I'd love to see it once more.
PS I think the films about castles may have been produced by The National Trust.

Bobj

Just did a quick search and www.webfax.org.uk carries a list and other info about the films transmitted and who made them.

DaveJ

The whole catalogue of BP shorts can be purchased from:
BP Library
F.A.O Danny Cleary
11-12 Wigmore Place
London
WIU 2LU

They cost £20.56 per PAL video tape including P&P

I hope they bring back some fond memories for you as they did for me.

regards

Dave

Bobj

Thanks for that information DaveJ

Simon Bermuda

Anyone recall another public information film which was shown a lot during the '70s? If memory serves, it featured an elderly man who, after a busy day at a horse show - "Aye, that's been a good day" - drifts off to sleep in a comfy armchair, forgetting to extinguish his cigarette.

Other '70s public info films warning of the dangers of fires caused by careless smokers include the one with the eccentric couple and their 'bedtime routine', and also one with a voice-over starkly intoning: "Smoking in bed is like lighting a slow fuse - DON'T DO IT!"

Marky B

What was that one about the elderly couple and their bedtime routine?
What I do remember Frank Windsor seemed to be always the voice over for these public information films.
"That boy's a fool"! scold
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Lord Brett

Actually, they weren't that elderly, it was a thirtysomething couple (the bloke looked like a young Peter Bowles) doing a cod-Noel Coward song and dance, the joke being that they were done up in thirties style dressing gowns in an average seventies semi.

Altogether now...

Before you go to bed at night
The evening's not yet through

It ain't enough just switching off,
here's what you have to do...

My memory fails me at this point, but I'm hoping it will turn up if and when the promised new Charlie Says DVD from Nework is released.

Aenima

Can you help? There was an appeal on BBC 1 this morning from The National Archive people re. the Reginald Molehusband film. Apparently they don't know what happened to the film and are therefore desperate to track down a copy.

More info here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4700772.stm

I'll 'av 'arf