Information Films.

[kevinfl]

In 1987, while at agricultural college I saw two information films which were hilarious!. In this day of P.C. madness they would never be made. The first was all about the correct procedure of how to drive a tractor. Cue extremely well filmed stunts involving tractors tipping over at the edge of fields, going out of control down slopes etc. Once memorable scene had a leery tractor driver ogling a blond model-type thing who mysteriously had her dress caught on a barbed wire fence in the middle of nowhere. Result - another crashed tractor and critically injured driver. Each safety tip had the initial set-up leading to disaster, then just prior to the inevitable happening a voice-over ( with the words appearing on screen ) would intone the mantra - ' you have to know your tractor, you have to know your ground ' The second film was, if I remember correctly, set on a building site. It had various comedic characters you wouldn't let loose anywhere near a child's plastic tool set - never mind the real thing. Pants wetting chaos ensued with one sequence showing a pneumatic drill fracturing some gas pipe reulting in a gigantic fireball. The question is - WHAT ARE THESE FILMS CALLED - AND CAN I GET HOLD OF THEM........................PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[orpheum]

if you insert "public information films" in the search engine on amazon you will see that there is a 2 vol DVD set of these.

[Lord Brett]

I like the one where Nick Brimble is using an electric drill, only instead of a proper plug, he's just attached the wires to three pins shoved into the socket. Guess what? He gets electrocuted.

Would anyone really be that daft?

[GRAEME]

Originally Posted by Lord Brett I like the one where Nick Brimble is using an electric drill, only instead of a proper plug, he's just attached the wires to three pins shoved into the socket. Guess what? He gets electrocuted. Would anyone really be that daft?

My uncle James used to occassionally use matchsticks to push and hold the wires into their respective socket holes.

He lived to die of something else.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by GRAEME My uncle James used to occassionally use matchsticks to push and hold the wires into their respective socket holes. He lived to die of something else.

Pushing them in with a screwdriver is even more fun - although I would suggest using a screwdriver with an insulated handle

It was a rare week when I didn't get a mains shock when I was working in electronics. I don't remember any of them being fatal

Steve

[maturin]

I recently came across Apaches, which seems to be a kids version of your tractor film. A group of scruffy, long-haired pre-teens (1970s) die gruesome deaths under tractors or in pits of mucky ooze. I can't imagine who it was aimed at. The kids play on oblivious of their dwindling numbers, while a teacher sorrowfully removes small blazers from the clothes pegs at school.
Even more cringe-making were some of the 'adult' and Tufty Club road safety clips which featured in recent episodes of I'm Sorry, I haven't a Clue.

[Freddy]

This is on Saturday morning 29th March BBC 2

2.50am Pay Attention Britain! The Story of Public Information Films
The work of the Central Office of Information over the past 60 years, featuring clips from their often amusing and sometimes alarming public announcements on topics like road safety. The programme examines how characters such as Charley the Cat became part of the cultural landscape.

[maturin]

That sounds great - I love all those old Public Information films, and the Tv and radio versions. Lots of useful information to help you cross the road or survive nuclear attack. Apaches, The finishing Line and the Spirit of the Lonely Water were the stuff of nightmares!

I'd really like to see the (I think never broadcast) Protect and Survive series on nuclear holocaust preparation drill.
Any chance of some kind member taping this?
Richard

[CaptainWaggett]

Originally Posted by Freddy This is on Saturday morning 29th March BBC 2 2.50am Pay Attention Britain! The Story of Public Information Films The work of the Central Office of Information over the past 60 years, featuring clips from their often amusing and sometimes alarming public announcements on topics like road safety. The programme examines how characters such as Charley the Cat became part of the cultural landscape.

Narrated by the wonderful Fi Glover. Thanks for the heads-up.

It's amazing that any of us manged to reach adulthood in the 1970s with the Grim Reaper stalking the land waiting to catch frisbee-throwers (in case you climbed into a nuclear power station to fetch it) or stepped on a rug (polished floors meant INSTANT DEATH!) . My all-time favourite is the one where two kids are trying to cross the road and Alvin Stardust tells them they'll be much safer going down a side alley with him...Hmm.

[Fellwanderer]

Originally Posted by Freddy This is on Saturday morning 29th March BBC 2 2.50am Pay Attention Britain! The Story of Public Information Films The work of the Central Office of Information over the past 60 years, featuring clips from their often amusing and sometimes alarming public announcements on topics like road safety. The programme examines how characters such as Charley the Cat became part of the cultural landscape.

Thanks - set to record

[Freddy]

Pleasure

[Rob Compton]

Originally Posted by Freddy This is on Saturday morning 29th March BBC 2 2.50am Pay Attention Britain! The Story of Public Information Films The work of the Central Office of Information over the past 60 years, featuring clips from their often amusing and sometimes alarming public announcements on topics like road safety. The programme examines how characters such as Charley the Cat became part of the cultural landscape.

Freddy - many thanks for the notice - looks really interesting

Just my sort of thing!
rgds
Rob

[maturin]

Originally Posted by Freddy This is on Saturday morning 29th March BBC 2 2.50am Pay Attention Britain! The Story of Public Information Films The work of the Central Office of Information over the past 60 years, featuring clips from their often amusing and sometimes alarming public announcements on topics like road safety. The programme examines how characters such as Charley the Cat became part of the cultural landscape.

I very much hope that some kind member of the forum made a copy of this fascinating-looking documentary. I'd love to watch it. Lots of cringe-making public information programmes to offer in return.
Richard

[WickedLadyKiller]

Some of these Public Information films are available, via the magic of the internet, at the National Archives' website:

The National Archives | Public Information Films

Particular favourites of mine are Pedestrian Crossing and Think Bike starring Jimmy Hill. Marvellous stuff.

[CaptainWaggett]

SPLINK. The BBC did an excellent series about these a couple of years ago - use the drop-down menu at the side to get the rest.