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Your Very Good Health

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

Animation & Artists Moving Image 1948 9 mins

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Overview

Long before the ‘Charley Says’ campaign of the 1970s and ‘80s, another cartoon Charley was used to explain the post-war Labour government's new legislative reforms. In this film Charley demystifies the new state-funded National Health Service, detailing the benefits a free-at -point-of-delivery health service will offer to everyone in England.

Endowed with an average man-on-the-street's everyday charm and armed with cheeky ripostes to authoritative commentary, the cartoon character designed by Joy Batchelor became the familiar face of official post-war propaganda, serving to anticipate and, it was hoped, overcome the British public's characteristic scepticism about government-imposed changes. This government film is a public record, preserved and presented by the BFI National Archive on behalf of The National Archives, home to more than 1,000 years of British history.

Director

Joy Batchelor and John Halas

Featuring

Jack Train , Harold Berens and Geoffrey Sumner

Genres

Animation & Artists Moving Image

Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Subjects

National Health Act (1948) Public health Medical services Health services Patients National Health Service Welfare Health and welfare buildings Health centres Hospitals Health education Education Doctors

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