London Can Take It!

An early and famous Beddington short was London Can Take It, made to show the indomitable spirit of London during the blitz. Its commentary was by the American journalist Quentin Reynolds, which helped the ten-minute film secure valuable screenings throughout the United States, a considerable assistance in Britain's campaign for American support. Paul Rotha criticised the film for being too impersonal, too concerned with the background of Britain at war, too little conscious of the ordinary people in the forefront. If this was a fault it was not an enduring one, for successive wartime documentaries were often scrupulous in their grass-roots regard for individuals. There was a demand for longer films which could allow a theme to be developed in more than the most rudimentary black-and-white tones.