The GPO Classics Collection: Britain at War -Under Fire

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Five films from the GPO Film Unit in wartime. Features 'Britain Can Take It' (Jennings & Watt, 1940), which American journalist Quentin Reynolds took directly to President Roosevelt in the White House where it was used to swing public opinion behind Britain in the War; 'Britain at Bay' (1940), with a commentary written and spoken by J B Priestley; 'The Story of an Air Communique' (1940) made to show how the figures for destroyed enemy aircraft were compiled; Christmas Under Fire (Watt, 1941), which was Quentin Reynald's second despatch showing carols from Kings College Chapel, Cambridge during the Blitz and 'Men of the Lightship' (MacDonald, 1940), a reconstruction of the bombing of the Dudgeon lightship.

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Review by Graeme Hobbs on 20th October 2005

When war was announced in 1939, the GPO Film Unit under Alberto Cavalcanti and with directors such as Harry Watt and Humphrey Jenning in its ranks, was the organisation in prime position to document it. These two DVDs collect eight of the films made by the Unit up to Christmas 1940.

The First Days documents the early days of wartime Britain. It has a curious atmosphere. Though a war documentary, there is no gunfire. Instead, a city prepares for conflict during sunny autumn days. Countless sandbags are filled, shelters are constructed and children are evacuated. It is a picture of a patient, stoical populace for whom everything has changed.

The picks of the collection are the two eloquent films written and presented by Quentin Reynolds, American war correspondent for Collier’s magazine, Britain Can Take It! and Christmas Under Fire, the latter a sombre, world-weary despatch from an England ‘fighting for its life’ during the Blitz. The sound of carols from King’s College, Cambridge has never sounded so precious.

The other films are more crudely propagandist, as could be expected from a war still young and vigorous. The deeper humanism of Humphrey Jennings’ mid-war work required different circumstances to give it birth.

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Article - "Only Connect: some aspects of the work of Humphrey Jennings" by Lindsay Anderson
Friday 4th January 2008

I
It is difficult to write anything but personally about the films of Humphrey Jennings. This is not of course to say that a full and documented account of his work in the cinema would not be of the greatest interest: anyone who undertook such a study would certa...  View article in full

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Collections & Lists

This film is part of the following Film Collections

GPO / Crown Film Unit Films

Including: 40s Britain - Fishermen At War, Classical Music In The Forties, Drifters / Caller Herrin, GPO Animation, Len Lye - Rhythms, London Pride, Night Mail / West Highland, The GPO Classics Collection: Britain At War - The First Days, The GPO Classics Collection: Britain at War -Under Fire, The GPO Story: Thirties Britain (Vol 1).

Wartime Documentaries

Including: 40s Britain - Fishermen At War, Battle For The Skies, Britains Home Front at War - London Can Take It!, Britains Home Front At War - The Home Guard and Britains Citizen Army, Britains Home Front at War - Women and Children at War, Britains Home Front At War - Words for Battle / Writers at War, Burma Victory, Churchill, Colditz, Desert Victory.

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This film is part of the following Customer Film Lists

Top Documentary Shorts - a look at Britain on film by Lester May

Little gems deserving a bigger audience. There is a wide variety of great documentary films now released on DVD. Many of them will help to complete the picture in your family history and in some of them, some lucky people will actually see their ancestor on film! These films are excellent examples of the art of documentary film making and give a fascinating view of our islands in peace and in war, at work and at play. There are some real gems too, so surprise yourself and dip into these wonderful films about aspects of our island life.

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