Public information films : British government film units, 1930-52 / Alan J. Harding

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Harding, Alan J., author.

Contributor:

Harding, Alan J., Contributor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Great Britain. Crown Film Unit--History.

Great Britain.

Great Britain. Post Office. Film Unit--History.

Great Britain. Ministry of Information--History.

Documentary films--Political aspects--Great Britain.

Documentary films.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (x, 327 pages) : illustrations, portraits, charts; digital file(s).

Place of Publication:

Manchester, UK : Manchester University Press, 2024.

Language Note:

In English.

System Details:

data file

Biography/History:

Alan J. Harding is a former Programme Director at the University of Southampton and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Summary:

Between 1930 and 1952 government film units produced nearly 400 public information films. Although a few, such as Night Mail (1936) and Target for Tonight (1941), are still recognized as seminal works in the development of the British documentary movement, most of the films created were public relations or informational films of differing quality and length. This book examines the full catalogue of films produced by the Empire Marketing Board Film Unit, the General Post Office Film Unit and the Crown Film Unit. A detailed analysis enables a series of themes to be identified and discussed, which reflected not only the needs of the sponsor but also the national and international contexts in which the films were produced. A key aspect addressed in this book is the nature and importance of the distribution and exhibition of the films. Although some films were exhibited through commercial cinemas, most were shown though very different non-theatrical settings. By a detailed study of contemporary documents, it is also possible to suggest the impact of these public information films as well as the short- and long-term legacy of the government film units.

Contents:

Front Matter

Contents

List of figures

List of tables

Preface

Introduction

1 A shaky start – the British government and film, 1900–30

2 The Empire Marketing Board Film Unit

3 The General Post Office Film Unit in peacetime, 1933–37

4 Rumours of war and the creation of the Crown Film Unit, 1938–40

5 The Crown Film Unit’s wartime productions, 1940–45

6 The Crown Film Unit’s post- war productions, 1946–52

7 Non- theatrical exhibition and audiences

8 Commercial and theatrical exhibition

9 The end of government filmmaking, 1951–52

10 Legacy

Appendix

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher-supplied metadata and e-publication, viewed December 6th, 2024.

ISBN:

1-5261-5477-3

1-5261-5479-X