Betjeman (Box Set)

Between 1962-1964, John Betjeman made twelve short films about West Country towns for HTV, with the aim of opening people’s eyes to their beauty and character. Charmin... more >

Between 1962-1964, John Betjeman made twelve short films about West Country towns for HTV, with the aim of opening people’s eyes to their beauty and character. Charming and instructive, these little gems of television were put away after broadcast in their poorly labelled canisters and not found for another thirty years. They are now on DVD in two volumes, The Lost Betjemans and Betjeman Revisited.

As the camera roams the towns, Betjeman gives his genial narration to fit the scenes, imagining the thoughts of hotel dwellers in Clevedon in winter, evoking a glorious spring day in Malmesbury, defending Bath’s Georgian heritage against the potential ravages of developers and being surprisingly caustic about some particularly hideous examples of recent architecture along the way.

Fascinating as timepieces – the advertisements and labels, the cars and the fashions, the films are simple and good-hearted and seek beauty and inspiration in the everyday. Also out are Betjeman’s Britain and Betjeman’s London, two documentaries presented by Peter Gammond that trace his steps and recall his words for the places he cherished.
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DVD Extras

• 4 discs.

Film Details

Cast

John Betjeman

Technical Details