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British Propaganda Film

How film has been put to work to shape attitudes at home and promote British interests abroad.

For much of the modern democratic era, film has been the single most powerful mass medium. Its power to blend fact, fantasy and fiction into novel and attention-grabbing forms, together with its emotional directness, has made it the perfect medium for propaganda. Whether fighting wars, shaping behaviour or attempting to embed particular social values, the propaganda film has become a ubiquitous component of our media landscape.

This collection explores the long history of film propaganda in Britain, spanning not just war (hot or Cold) and peacetime, but also public health campaigns, pop culture, empire and decolonisation. On the way, it illustrates how, as the modern state has changed in its reach and scope, so have the forms, formats and uses of the propaganda film.

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London Line Colour No. 16London Line Colour No. 16

Cinemagazine196814 minsSilent Location: Surbiton

What do "I'm Backing Britain", electronic music and nuclear lighthouses have in common? Nothing at all, but they're all here in this 60s TV magazine show.

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Nurse and MartyrNurse and Martyr

Biopic191511 minsSilent

The moving true story of wartime heroine Nurse Edith Cavell, recreated in the aftermath of her execution.

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Zandra RhodesZandra Rhodes

Government sponsored film198115 mins

Early 1980s portrait of fashion designer Zandra Rhodes, by fellow avant-garde creator, Peter Greenaway.

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Battle Front in BritainBattle Front in Britain

Documentary191824 minsSilent

Growing potatoes in Green Park plus some handy uses for your old tin cans – it’s all part of the war effort on the home front.

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The Queen's State Visit to IranThe Queen's State Visit to Iran

Documentary196114 mins

2-6 March 1961 saw the Queen and Prince Philip make their first and only state visit to Iran. Their host was Mohammed Reza Pahlavi (1919-80), the Shah of Iran, who had already made an official visit to Britain in 1959.

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Spare TimeSpare Time

Documentary193914 mins Location: Sheffield

A rare glimpse into the leisure pursuits of ordinary people in pre-war Britain.

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Listen to BritainListen to Britain

Documentary194220 mins

Humphrey Jennings and Stewart McAllister's masterly collage of the various people and classes of Britain - at home and at work, at war and at peace - is one of the great films of war-time Britain.

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Aids - MonolithAids - Monolith

Public Information Filler19871 mins

Portentous imagery and John Hurt’s grave voiceover define this key film from a £5 million campaign to combat the AIDS epidemic.

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Coughs and SneezesCoughs and Sneezes

Public Information Filler19451 mins

One of Richard Massingham’s most famous public information films, which lead to the ubiquitous mantra: "Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases".

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Your Very Good HealthYour Very Good Health

Animation & Artists Moving Image19489 mins

Long before the ‘Charley Says’ campaign of the 1970s and ‘80s, another cartoon Charley was used to demystify the newly created NHS.

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Salute to FarmersSalute to Farmers

Documentary194114 mins

With feeding the nation a wartime priority, agricultural workers are heralded as soldiers of the plough.

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If War Should ComeIf War Should Come

Public Information Filler193910 mins

With its soothing Elgar soundtrack and calm commentary, this retrospectively poignant public information film aimed to reassure a pre-war Britain.

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Start a Land ClubStart a Land Club

Government sponsored film19428 mins

The wartime potato shortage is addressed in this marvellous film from 1942 - exhorting workers and school children to lend a hand on local farms by joining Land Clubs.

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Robinson CharleyRobinson Charley

Animation & Artists Moving Image194810 mins

No man is an island, but Charley represents his nation in this economical cartoon tale of Britain’s economics

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Good ValueGood Value

Documentary19428 mins

A tribute to British workmanship - from Witney blankets to Sheffield cutlery.

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Victory ParadeVictory Parade

Documentary194621 mins

Soldiers from the far reaches of the British Empire arrive in London to take part in the official commemoration of the end of war in Europe.

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African Student FamiliesAfrican Student Families

Cinemagazine197510 minsSilent Location: Westminster

Cinemagazine London Line looks at the support available in London for African students and their families.

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Hello! West IndiesHello! West Indies

Government sponsored film194323 mins

WWII propaganda messages back home

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Nigerian Footballers in EnglandNigerian Footballers in England

Documentary194910 mins

An enlightening account of the first Nigerian football team to tour outside West Africa.

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Glenda JacksonGlenda Jackson

Cinemagazine197114 mins

Glenda Jackson talks about acting for theatre and for the camera

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London Line No. 113London Line No. 113

Cinemagazine196614 mins Location: Sevenoaks

If your interests happen to include rainwear, concrete in Africa, science in Sevenoaks, and gbedu drum music, then this is your lucky day...

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British Sporting Personalities: Peter MayBritish Sporting Personalities: Peter May

Biopic19629 minsSilent

Surrey and England cricketer Peter May's life on and off the field - from batting in Ashes tests to his wedding day.

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The Cumberland StoryThe Cumberland Story

Government sponsored film194745 mins Location: Workington

Humphrey Jennings’ post-war documentary chronicles the modernisation of the Cumberland coal mines in the 1940s.

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The People's LandThe People's Land

Travelogue194310 mins Location: Dover

From the white cliffs to the emerald Lakes, this patriotic Technicolor postcard of England pays tribute to the National Trust.

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Market TownMarket Town

Travelogue194210 mins Location: Newark-on-Trent

Rise and shine! Newark market calls with a seductive array of produce.

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So This Is LondonSo This Is London

Documentary193314 minsSilent Location: Westminster

London at its best? This gorgeous lyrical portrait was made by pioneering female director Marion Grierson.

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Ready to WearReady to Wear

Cinemagazine196210 mins Location: London

A portrait of the British fashion industry that patronises its African intended audience

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Moslems in Britain - PeopleMoslems in Britain - People

Documentary196424 mins

A series of interviews about life in the capital with Muslims living and studying in London

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Lads of the VillageLads of the Village

Comedy191976 minsSilent

Humour and adventure as the returning heroes of an English village recount their exploits in the Mesopotamian war.

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Bully BoyBully Boy

Animation & Artists Moving Image19146 minsSilent

Lightning sketch propaganda stirs outrage about Reims bombing, and features a British bulldog eating the German sausage

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Desert Victory (Film Trailer)Desert Victory (Film Trailer)

Documentary19431 mins

Stirring trailer for renowned war documentary Desert Victory - coming to a screen near you!

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Springtime in an English VillageSpringtime in an English Village

Documentary19447 mins Location: Stanion

An extraordinary and unexpected snapshot of rural life in wartime in which a young black girl is crowned Queen of the May.

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Sierra Leone Greets the QueenSierra Leone Greets the Queen

Government sponsored film196121 mins

The Queen and Prince Philip's visit in late 1961, the year Sierra Leone became independent from Britain.

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London Line Colour Series 1 Issue 1London Line Colour Series 1 Issue 1

Cinemagazine196614 mins Location: Fulham

Swinging 60s meets capital of cool in a fun and funky TV magazine show aimed at Canadian audiences.

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Comprehensive SchoolComprehensive School

Documentary196211 mins Location: Holland Park

The joys of 1960s modern education - as seen at a not-exactly-typical local comp.

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StrangersStrangers

Animation & Artists Moving Image19731 mins

Who needs to talk to strangers when you're the only one who can understand the garbled mewling of your best buddy cat, Charley?

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Ian NairnIan Nairn

Cinemagazine197014 minsSilent Location: Pimlico

The maverick architectural critic tours two pioneering post-war housing estates in Pimlico, London.

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London Can Take It!London Can Take It!

Documentary19409 mins Location: London

Humphrey Jennings and Harry Watt’s famous GPO film is an enduring example of British self-mythology; a hymn to London’s resilience that helped persuade America to join the war.

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The VolunteerThe Volunteer

Government sponsored film194442 mins Location: Denham

Entertaining and evocative Fleet Air Arm drama-doc propaganda piece, written and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.

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War Office Official Topical Budget and Pictorial News 343-1War Office Official Topical Budget and Pictorial News 343-1

Non-Fiction19187 minsSilent

Proud servicemen accept awards for valour in a morale boosting late-war newsreel

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Charley in New TownCharley in New Town

Animation & Artists Moving Image19488 mins

Charley says (no, not that one) that Britain’s new towns are great

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Uncommon MarketUncommon Market

Documentary197232 mins

Different time, similar debates as Britain gears up to join the EEC.

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Henry PluckroseHenry Pluckrose

Cinemagazine197114 mins Location: City of London

First things first - profile of an inspirational figure in primary education

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Heinz Baked Beans : Common MarketHeinz Baked Beans : Common Market

Advert19721 mins

In 1972 Britain entered the European common market full of beans. What could go wrong?

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Bloemfontein: Unfurling the FlagBloemfontein: Unfurling the Flag

Non-Fiction19001 minsSilent

WKL Dickson raced from his sickbed to ensure this patriotic moment in the Boer War was recorded on film.

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Return to LifeReturn to Life

Documentary196029 mins

John Krish’s deeply compassionate documentary on the resettlement of refugees in Britain; made to mark World Refugee Year 1959.

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Ambulance Crossing the ModderAmbulance Crossing the Modder

Non-Fiction18991 minsSilent

A surprisingly languid scene shot far from the Boer War battlefields.

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Night MailNight Mail

Documentary193624 mins Location: Euston Sta

The flagship of the GPO Film Unit's output and a cornerstone of British documentary, featuring music by Benjamin Britten and the verse of W.H. Auden.