DB7

The Central Office of Information (COI) have teamed up with the National Archives to create an online film exhibition that celebrates 60 years of public information films. Visitors to The National Archives | Public Information Films can view some of COI's most memorable films.

Steve Crook

I took Barbara (theuofc) to see some of them that they were showing at the NFT

If War Should Come (1939) - Produced shortly before the almost inevitable outbreak of war in September 1939.
A catalogue of civil defence measures to be taken to prepare for what was to come:
Don't hoard - there's plenty of food
Put up a shelter, always carry a gas mask, keep pencil & paper by the radio to note down instructions, put buckets of water & sand on every landing.
Evacuate the children to the countryside where they'll all have a wonderful time - lots of scenes of children having a wonderful time in the countryside. No mention of the mistreatment, if not actual abuse that some of them found there.

The Dim Little Island (1949) - although it looked like it was made a lot earlier.
Osbert Lancaster, Ralph Vaughan Williams, a naturalist and an industrialist narrating lots of Humphrey Jennings scenes to RVW's music. Trying to show that Britain can be as successful after the war as it was before it. Some scenes, especially with RVW's music as we flew low over large cornfields looked like the natural successors to scenes from 49P. But the whole thing didn't really fit together and wasn't very convincing, even with the benefit of hindsight.

Food Flash - a couple of the "Food Flash" 30-90 second clips made for the Ministry of Information, usually telling people about the joys of powdered egg, digging for victory or something similar.
The two they showed had Arthur English and a chum trying to follow the instructions to cook some cabbage and then Charlie Chester and Arthur Haynes promoting the joys of cod liver oil.

What a Life! (1949) - Two businessmen (Richard Massingham & Russell Walters) are so depressed by the end of the day, hearing everyone complaining how terrible everything is that they decide to end it all. They take a boat out from Southend, tie a couple of millstones around their necks and jump overboard - only to find that the water was only about a foot deep! Riotous laughter ensues, from the screen anyway.

Shown by Request (1941) - one for the librarians. A documentary short showing how the Mobile Film Units of the MoI stored and issued films that were shown in village halls around the country. But that was just the first half. The second half showed how, when they came back after being shown, the films were checked for damage before being put back into the library! It was only 19 minutes long, but they made it seem much longer :)

Newsreel clip - New Government Film Studios (Beaconsfield) opened by Herbert Morrison (1949)

The People at No. 19 (1949) - an odd one to end on.
Young man comes home to what we discover is the house of his wife's parents where they're living until they can get a place of their own. He lets slip that wifie has just gone to the doctor's to confirm the pregnancy test. Mother-in-law is very pleased. But when the wife comes home she's not at all happy. Why can that be? Husband tries to find out. Is she not pregnant after all? No, she's pregnant all right? Well is anything wrong with the baby? No, the baby's fine. She finally blurts it out, the doctor's told her that she's got syphilis!
At first she blames the husband, saying that he must have got it while he was away in the Army. But he denies it, claiming he stayed faithful to her. Finally she admits that while he was away, she did go out on a double-date with a girl friend and things got a bit frisky. Meanwhile her mum & dad are in and out of the room, pleased at the idea of being grandparents and can't understand why the young couple are so upset. Whenever they're alone the row resumes but they finally decide to stay together and go for the treatment together. But you know that it'll be brought up in the first big row they have.

It was actually a big problem just after WWII, there was a huge rise in STDs.

As I said to Barbara afterwards the old joke is "My wife doesn't get hysterical when she's upset. Much worse, she gets historical!"

Steve

The Eagle

When I was in the forces we used to have home defence training. We used to nickname the instructors, Nuclier Ned & Rontion Ronnie.
They would show us these public information films about how to store food and find secure areas in your house like under the stairs.
Some of the words were used in the Frankie Goes To Hollywood song "Two Tribes".
"When you here this sound you and your family must take cover immediatly"
The voice for these messages is familiar, I expect someone knows who it is.

Nick Dando

The late Patrick Allen.

Nick

spinalman

An excellent link, thanks for that.

Paul