A Shortie Checklist: British Instructional, Gaumont-British & Rank

[Jlewis]

Going the British route this time with three intertwined companies that have provided some mighty fine shortie material over a cluster of decades.

British Instructional Films a.k.a. “BIF” was created by Harry Bruce Woolfe and H.M. Howard in August 1919. Woolfe was the more powerful force of the two, managing his company through its merging with Gaumont British in 1933 until his semi-retirement in 1944. Two major focuses of Woolfe in the early years of his company were the Great War, which he felt disillusioned about and needed psychological therapy from, and Mother Nature, which easily provided therapy from the sound of guns. The former was represented in short films like The Battle Of Jutland as well as feature-length (up to six reels) newsreel compilations like Armageddon (1922), Zeebrugge (1924), Sons Of The Sea (1925), Ypres (1925) and Mons (1926). Yet the latter interest had the biggest impact on the company's fortunes despite being restricted to the 9-11 minute format.

Over 30 “Secrets of Nature” one-reelers were in release by February 1923 and these remained a staple of the BIF and later Gaumont-British Instructional library for two decades further, being renamed “Secrets of Life”. Although there were other companies that showed time-lapse flowers blooming and roots penetrating the soil, tadpoles in development, stickleback daddies taking care of baby fish and sundews luring flies to their doom, only this company would make something as offbeat as Mitey Atoms (about cheese mites), microscopic “aquariums” in a wine-glass and Magic Myxies (about whatever they are... alien creatures from outer space?). At least one extinct species was documented for the cameras in Hold All a.k.a. Feeding Time At The Zoo: the thylacine or marsupial Tasmanian “wolf” would never be seen in any zoo after 1936.

 

 

Apparently Walt Disney was impressed enough to borrow the second umbrella title for his own 1956 True Life Adventure feature; his own series of the post-war forties and fifties used the same tricks of the trade with the only key change being Technicolor. Only a select few later “Secrets of Life” were in Dufaycolor. Apart from that, the only handicap the original series had was no use of electron microscopes and computer technology, only introduced in wildlife and science films tentatively in the 1970s. One reason for their very high quality was the number of professionals fully experienced prior to joining and now at the peak of their skills. For example, Oliver G. Pike was a veteran of bird life films for several other companies since 1907, working at first for Charles Urban's Kineto... a company that also backed more than eighty little reels of Frank Percy Smith (who also made additional all-color reels for Natural Colour Kinematograph). Smith, as the most prolific cameraman for both the “Nature” and “Life” series, even dabbled in stop-motion animation; his Bertie the Bee, a co-star in his 1925 trio of cartoons featuring Archie the Ant, appeared in a few titles as an “expert” on flower pollination.

In 1934, Smith collaborated with Mary Field on a book exposing the secrets of Secrets, titled (obviously) The Secrets of Nature. Field took over as director for the series so that Smith could stay focused on his camera work. Keep in mind that there weren't many ladies in such powerful positions in the British and Hollywood film industries at this time. Field was practically second-in-command to executive Woolfe. Even as a recently married woman in 1944, J. Arthur Rank still felt she should be the executive in charge of a company within a company (which I will get into in a bit).

Through the twenties and early thirties, both features and shorts of a documentary nature continued to be the BIF bread-and-butter, examples of the longer kind include African “docu-dramas” like Palaver (filmed in Nigeria) and Stark Nature (Sudan). Nelson (1926) marked their first fictional drama featuring all actors and was followed two years later by Shooting Stars, directed by Anthony Asquith. After establishing glossier headquarters in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire during the fall of '28, entertainment features were increased in number to keep another of their key distributors New Era satisfied. By 1930, the bigger British International Pictures had increased its stock in BIF with Pathé also backing them, but the relationship between Woolfe and the new power-house in charge was only tolerated for a few years. In the summer of 1933, Woolfe declared his independence by temporarily forming British Independent Films in an attempt to get back to documentary basics. Then mighty Gaumont gave him a lucrative offer he couldn't refuse.

Gaumont was... or shall I say still IS... most famously a French company created by Léon Gaumont (1864-1946) on June 23, 1895. It still produces films today, mostly in Europe, but also with Gaumont International Television operating in the United States. In fact, it holds the distinction for being the oldest movie company still making movies for theaters as well as for smaller screens, older than Hollywood's Paramount and Universal and also older than still chugging away Titanus of Rome and Nordisk of Copenhagen. Only one fellow company started in France can hold the second oldest title: Pathé occasionally produces films even if it is more of a distributor these days, but it was created just one year after Gaumont. Gotta hand it to the French for making companies that last!

Gaumont began making films in the United Kingdom in 1898, but the official history of Gaumont British got underway when Isidore Ostrer took control in 1922. (This is where I start covering their pre-British Instructional product on these threads, with just a slight push-back a year or two to accommodate some series. You can read their full filmography in British Film Catalogue: Two Volume Set - The Fiction Film/The Non-Fiction Film edited by Denis Gifford and updated to 1995.) Gaumont-British mostly made feature films and would become an international force in the thirties with Alfred Hitchcock's masterpieces The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes. A joke made in the Selznick version of A Star Is Born has Janet Gaynor asking if all of the movie studios were located in Hollywood. The response she gets is “all but Gaumont British” since this was the one “outside” company any average movie fan of the thirties could name.

Operating now as Gaumont-British Instructional Films, Woolfe and Mary Field continued “Secrets of Nature” under a new logo “Secrets of Life” to avoid legal red-tape. Much of the in-depth analysis of the natural world carried over into man-made ventures like ship building, airplanes, farming and the history of English culture itself. New rising figures of importance during this era included Stuart Legg, J.B. Holmes and Paul Rotha. Perhaps due to the mother company being a British Hollywood factory, great care was put in production polish, with narration, music scores and editing done to make education as entertaining as possible. One curio though: despite Gaumount British making its first Dufaycolor short, Mother of Parliaments, in 1934, only a select few travelogues and nature reels were shot in either that system or Technicolor, unlike rival U.S. companies like MGM's Traveltalks. After Woolfe's retirement, new chief Donald Carter diversified the product further, even opening a new South African unit to accommodate the post-war demand for exotic travels on screen.

Children entertainment got a big boost in 1944, a few years after J. Arthur Rank reorganized the General Film Distributors empire that distributed for Gaumont, Gainsborough, Ealing and other prominent companies. He put Mary Field in charge of a special division catering to kiddie matinees and a push into features followed. Bush Christmas (1947), The Adventures Of Dusty Bates (1947, initially a serial), The Little Ballerina (1947), The Lone Climber (1950), The Mysterious Poacher (1950), The Clue Of The Missing Ape (1953), The Gold Express (1955) and Supersonic Saucer (1956) were among the more famous titles. However the shorter films themselves were not overlooked and were brimming with fresh talent both behind and in front of the cameras. Jean Simmons made her debut in Sports Day, filmed in 1944 before super stardom under the wings of David Lean, Lawrence Olivier and Michael Powell. Petula Clark also first appeared in a GB Instructional made the following year, Trouble At Townsend, even if few outside of the UK knew who she was until after their country-by-country “British Invasions” of pop music two decades later and her singing “when you're alone, and life is making you lonely, you can always go Downtown”.

I will break my golden rule on this forum and add the animated cartoons into the mix here. Rank brought David Hand overseas from Disney to launch a Gaumont British Animation department. Alas... this was a great experiment that didn't last long. After providing animated sequences for the documentaries and making sponsored ad films right after the war, this company enjoyed only a short-lived success with its “Animaland” (featuring characters who would fit in well in Bambi's forest like Ginger Nutt Squirrel, despite his European tufted ears) and the more artistically creative “Musical Paintbox”. The earliest “Animaland” shorts even paid tribute to the series that made their mother company famous: The Cuckoo starts out as a parody on Edgar Chance's 1922 “Secrets of Nature” film covering the live-action bird even if this new character more closely resembles Baby Huey.

Sadly the fifties were less kind than the thirties and forties to movie making, with a changing economy, new legislation changes and television taking their toll. The animation staff was the first to go when Rank began some downsizing at the start of the decade. Modest success came in the 16mm field, as this impressive catalog showcases: https://archive.org/details/gb16mmentert1gbeq A few years later, GB Instructional itself became GB “Specialized” Films as it too cut back in production. By the time Donald Carter left to work in Canada, virtually all shorts bearing the GB logo were off shoots of the newsreel division... which itself ended in 1959.

However the market for shorts was not dead yet, since Rank Film Distributors continued to back a steady stream of independent travel and human interest reels just as the earlier General Film Distributors had supplemented its GB Instructional product. In fact, the big boss was even prompted to replace his dying newsreel with a very glossy and ambitious all-Eastmancolor weekly called “Look At Life”. This prevented the Rank features from ever getting lonely in theaters during the swinging sixties and, even after they ended, Rank (the company continuing after its founder's death) still released new theatricals and 16mm shorts as late as the 1980s.

Below I have arranged everything by series. The dates given are either release dates as described by Gifford (mentioned above) or as trade show presentations (just before theatrical distribution) as listed in vintage Kinematograph Year Books uploaded on the Internet Archive.

[Jlewis]

British Instructional Films Series: Secrets Of Nature

We are all rather fortunate that British Pathé and the British Film Institute have uploaded many of these on YouTube for us Yanks who do not have Region 2 to purchase DVDs of this valuable stuff. Although the later Gaumont-British Secrets of Life series (qv) is less accessible, a substantial number of silent 1922-29 and sound 1930-33 reels are easy to see... and are most enjoyable to see. The close-up and slow-motion photography still impresses, even in black and white. The narrators in the sound films never talk down at the viewer nor expect them to know-it-all either, but maintain a sense of fun about every life from molds to frogs. I especially enjoy those narrated by Victor Peers in his snide Noel Coward-ish whimsy. Some of the bird reels are narrated by the camera people themselves like Walter Higham, although uncredited and I am not 100% certain. In 1934, the series continued for Gaumont-British Instructional under a new logo: Secrets Of Life (see a few posts down)

At least two titles have nothing to do with plants and animals, but are included here because they were still labeled under this series: The Story Of Westminster Hall and The Flight Machine.

Regent, New Era, Pro Patria and Wardour Films took turns distributing and these are indicated with director and camera information in (). All black & white and one reel of roughly 8-11 minutes each unless otherwise noted

Many can be seen here: http://www.britishpathe.com/workspaces/BritishPathe/Secrets-Of-Nature

 

 

(silent films, some given soundtracks later)

 

• The Garden Spider (camera: Charles Head) / September 1919 Re-titled for “Secrets of Life” series as The Lair Of The Spider (Mar 30, 1922)

• The Evolution Of The Caddis Fly (Harry Bruce Woolfe) / November 27, 1919 Re-released August 1922 as part of the “Secrets of Nature” series

• Hands Versus Feet (camera: Charles Head, Edgar Chance & Oliver G. Pike; editor: W. P. Pycraft) / March 30, 1922

• Infant Welfare In The Bird World (camera: Charles Head, Edgar Chance & Oliver G. Pike) / March 30, 1922 Birdlife of the Cornish coast

• Skilled Insect Artisans (camera: Charles Head, Edgar Chance & Oliver G. Pike; editor: W. P. Pycraft) / March 30,1922

• The Battle Of The Ants (Geoffrey Barkas) / 12m / June 17, 1922

• Children Of Nature (editor: W. P. Pycraft) / August 31, 1922

• Fathoms Deep Beneath The Sea (H.M. Lomas; editor: W. P. Pycraft) / August 31, 1922

• Frocks And Frills (editor: W. P. Pycraft) / August 31, 1922 Covers turkeys and peacocks

• Nature Gliders (Edgar Chance & Oliver G. Pike) / August 31, 1922 Slow motion flight of birds

• Studies In Animal Motion (camera: Jack Parker; editor: P. Chalmers Mitchell) / August 31, 1922

• The Cuckoo’s Secret (camera: Edgar Chance) / 17m / August 31, 1922 U.S. issue print can be seen here: https://archive.org/details/the_cuckoo

• The Seashore (H.M. Lomas; editor: W. P. Pycraft) / August 31, 1922 (preview)

• The Sparrow-Hawk (Charles W.R. Knight; editor: W. P. Pycraft) / August 31, 1922

• The Story Of Peter The Raven (camera: Charles Head; editor: W. P. Pycraft) / October 5, 1922

• The Story Of The Buzzard (camera: Charles Head; editor: W. P. Pycraft) / October 5, 1922

• The Story Of The River / October 5, 1922

• Tragedy Of The Sea / October 5, 1922

• The Comma Butterfly (camera: Charles Head; editor: W. P. Pycraft) / November 21, 1922

• Nature’s Armour (camera: Jack Parker) / December 7, 1922

• The Labyrinth Spider (camera: Charles Head) / December 7, 1922

• The Rook (camera: W.R.C. Knight; editor: W. P. Pycraft) / December 7, 1922

• The Sea / December 7, 1922

• The White Owl (Oliver G. Pike; editor: W. P. Pycraft) / 17m / December 7, 1922 The Barn Owl. Read about its filming here: http://www.olivergpike.info/whiteowl.html

• Water Babies (camera: E. Warneford) / December 7, 1922

• Marine Parade (camera: Geoffrey Barkas) / February 1, 1923 (edited '22)

• Spring / February 1, 1923 (edited '22)

• The Diver (camera: Geoffrey Barkas) / February 1, 1923 (edited '22)

• The Path Through The Wood (Oliver G. Pike) / February 1, 1923 (edited '22)

• Where Flies Go In Winter (camera: E. Warneford; editor: Maxwell LeFroy) / February 1, 1923 (edited '22) The house fly in its various life stages

• Concerning Bills (camera: Jack Parker; editor: F. Martin Duncan) / February 14, 1923 Multiple bird shots

• Battles With Salmon (for Regent) / 1923

• Giant Snails (for Regent; editor: P. Chambers Mitchell) / 1923

• Robin (for Regent) / 1923

• The May-Fly (for Regent; editor: (editor: W.P. Pycraft) / 1923 (Film Daily review, Dec 30)

• The Stickleback (for Regent; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 1923 (Film Daily review of U.S. release, December 30)

• The Story Of Westminster Hall (for Regent; Frank Baines) / 1923 Actually about a cathedral rather than nature

• A Fly Fisher Festival (for Regent; editor: George Southcote) / October 25, 1923

• Cabbages And Things (Cabbage Butterfly & Ichneumon Flies) (for Regent) / October 25, 1923

• Crabs And Camouflages (for Regent) / October 25, 1923

• Fear! (for Regent; editor: F. Martin Duncan) / October 25, 1923

• Hunting Spider (for Regent; camera: Charles Head) / October 25, 1923

• The Gannet (for Regent; Oliver G. Pike; editor: W. P. Pycraft) / October 25, 1923

• A Fowl Story (for Regent; E. Warneford) / November 29, 1923

• Dinner-time At The Zoo (for Regent; camera: Jack Parker) / November 29, 1923

• Summer (for Regent; editor: W. P. Pycraft) / November 29, 1923

• The Tale Of A Dog Fish (for Regent; H. R. Hewer; camera: Geoffrey Barkas; editor: W. P. Pycraft) / November 29, 1923

• Tiger-Beetle (for Regent) / November 29, 1923

• Wasp (for Regent; camera: Jack Parker) / November 29, 1923

• Winter / might not have been released but uploaded online by the British Film Institute

• Humble Friends (for Regent; editor: Maxwell LeFroy) / February 14, 1924

• Jack Daw (for Regent; camera: Charles Head) / February 14, 1924 European bird vaguely resembling America's grackle

• Sea Breezes (for Regent) / February 14, 1924

• Strange Friendships (for Regent; editor: F. Martin Duncan) / February 14, 1924

• The Stream (for Regent; editor: W.P. Pycroft) / February 14, 1924

• Autumn (for Regent; editor: W.P. Pycraft) / March 27, 1924

• Betty’s Day At The Zoo (for Regent; camera: E. Warneford; editor: F. Martin Duncan) / March 27, 1924

• The Grouse (for Regent; Oliver G. Pike; editor: W.P. Pycraft) / March 27, 1924

• The Pond (for Regent) / March 27, 1924

• Tiger Of The Stream (Oliver G. Pike) / March 27, 1924

• Zoo Babies (for Regent; camera: Jack Parker; editor: W.P. Pycraft) / March 27, 1924

• The Dipper (for Regent; camera: Charles Head) / January 1925

• Paws And Claws (for Regent; camera: Jack Parker) / January 1925

• Strange Courtship (for Regent) / January 1925

• Swallow Tail Butterfly (for Regent; camera: Charles Head) / January 1925

• Swallows (for Regent) / January 1925

• Vapourer Moth (for Regent) / 1924

• Golden Eagle (for New Era; H.A. Gilbert) / April 1, 1926

• Life Of A Plant (for New Era; F. Percy Smith; assist: Mary Field) / April 1, 1926

• Puss Moth (for New Era; camera: Charles Head) / April 1, 1926

• Round The Empire At The Zoo (for New Era; Mary Field; camera: Jack Parker) / April 1, 1926

• Seed Time (for New Era; F. Percy Smith) / April 1, 1926 Includes Burdock, Enchanters Nightshade, Beggar Tick (plant, not tick), Stone Crop and Goat's Beard

• The Gnat (for New Era; F. Percy Smith) / April 1, 1926

• An Aquarium In A Wineglass (for New Era; F. Percy Smith) / June 17, 1926 Features creatures tiny enough to create a mini-aquarium

• Battle Of The Plants (for New Era; F. Percy Smith) / June 17, 1926

• Busy Bees (for New Era) / June 17, 1926

• Emperor Moth (for New Era; H. M. Lomas; editor: W. P. Pycraft) bw/s-13m / June 17, 1926

• Magpie (for New Era; camera: Charles Head) / June 17, 1926

• Phantoms (for New Era; camera: F. Percy Smith) / June 17, 1926 Profiles smaller gnats. Re-edited with new shots in 1930

• The Story Of The Grasses (for New Era; F. Percy Smith; assist: Mary Field) / January 13, 1927

• The Story Of Cecropia (for New Era; camera: Charles Head) / March 25, 1927

• Ant Lion (for Pro Patria- camera: Charles Head) / June 20, 1927

• Floral Co-Operative Societies (for New Era; F. Percy Smith; assist: Mary Field) bw/s-12m / June 20, 1927

• Nursery Of The Cormorant (for Pro Patria) / June 20, 1927

• Plant Magic (for New Era; F. Percy Smith; assist: Mary Field) / June 20, 1927

• Praying Mantis (for New Era; Mary Field; camera: Jack Parker) / June 20, 1927

• The Story Of A Glass Of Water (for New Era; F. Percy Smith; assist: Mary Field) / June 20, 1927

• Romance Of The Flowers (for Pro Patria) / November 18, 1927

• The Denizens Of The Garden (for Pro Patria) / November 18, 1927

• The Plants Of The Pantry (for Pro Patria- F. Percy Smith; assist: Mary Field) bw/s-13m / November 18, 1927

• The Story Of The Leaf (for Pro Patria- F. Percy Smith; assist: Mary Field) / November 18, 1927

• The Iris Family (for Pro Patria; Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith) / April 17, 1929 (silent version); August 1, 1930 (sound version)

• Scarlet Runner & Co. (for Pro Patria; Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith) bw/s-10m / April 17, 1929 (silent version); August 1, 1930 (sound version) Profiles an unusual pollination process of a flower. Bertie the bee (stop motion animation) makes a cameo

• Springtime At The Zoo (for Pro Patria; Mary Field) bw/s-10m / April 17, 1929 (silent version); August 1, 1930 (sound version) The usual cheetahs, mountain goats, fennec foxes, musk ox and other wooing “romances”, but ending with a lonely lovebird

• The Frog (for Pro Patria; Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith) / April 17, 1929 (silent version); August 1, 1930 (sound version) Aside from tadpole growth, we also get slow motion footage of frogs and toads eating

• The Home Wrecker (for Pro Patria; Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike & E. Hawkins) / April 17, 1929 Footage of the cuckoo as well as the cameramen documenting it

• The Honey Bee (for Pro Patria; Mary Field; camera: Charles Head) / April 17, 1929 (reissued with sound in 1939)

 

 

(all with sound and all with Mary Field as director listed)

 

• Plants Of The Underworld (for Pro Patria; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 10m / January 18, 1930 Features mushrooms in time-lapse

• Daily Dozen At The Zoo (for Pro Patria; camera: Jack Parker) / 10m / January 18, 1930 Comics shots of exercising bears, woolly monkeys, gibbons, penguins, kangaroos, rhinos, ibex, secretary birds, etc.

• Marine Models (for Pro Patria; camera: Geoffrey Barkas) / 10m / January 18, 1930 Sea anemone, lobsters, octopus, skates and other unlikely “models” show their wardrobes

• Safety In Hiding (for Pro Patria; Mary Field) / 10m / January 18, 1930 Some large species like giraffes and raccoons don't need to hide as much, but others like the Lobster Moth are quite unique in camouflage

• Sea Level (for Pro Patria; camera: Geoffrey Barkas) / 10m / January 18, 1930

• The Flight Machine (for Pro Patria; Mary Field) / May 18, 1930 (Film Daily states in completion) Actually covers airplanes, not nature

• The Sundew (for Pro Patria; camera: Charles Head) / July 11, 1930 Reissued later with different soundtrack: Some Plants Having Abnormal Methods Of Nutrition

• Bath Time At The Zoo (for Pro Patria; Arthur Woods; camera: Jack Parker) / 9m / July 11, 1930

• Down Under (for Pro Patria; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 10m / July 11, 1930 More about plant roots in time-lapse

• Peas And Cues (for Pro Patria; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 9m / July 11, 1930 Pollination of pea plants

• The Aphis (for Pro Patria; camera: Charles Head) bw/s-8m / July 11, 1930 The “cattle” of the insect world

• The Merlin (for Pro Patria; camera: Charles Head) / 9m / July 11, 1930 Life of a shy hawk with some scenes of human interaction

• Starting In Life (camera: F. Percy Smith) / 10m / August 1, 1930 Mostly a sound version of the 1926 entry: Seed Time

• Enter The Queen (for Pro Patria; Mary Field) / 10m / August 1, 1930 Ant colony

• Phantoms (for Pro Patria; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 10m / August 1, 1930

• Mitey Atoms (Mighty Atoms) (for Pro Patria; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 10m / November 24, 1930 Features cheese mites., with Peers narration discussing the tiny arachnids as tidy cleaner uppers. Also a bit of stop-motion animation in the end with a mite relative, the false scorpion. Two titled versions exist, but apparently some may have found the original title too “punny”.

• A Spoon In His Mouth (for Pro Patria; camera: H.A. Gilbert & Arthur Brook) / 10m / November 24, 1930 The spoonbill and other marsh birds in Hungary

• Hold All (Feeding Time At The Zoo) (for Pro Patria; camera: Jack Parker) / 10m / November 24, 1930 While many residents at the London Zoo here are familiars (lions, giraffes, pythons, elands), one key species shown early in the reel is generally thought to be extinct today and seen in no zoos anywhere: the thylacine or Tasmanian “wolf”. London had a couple as late as 1933, a Tasmania zoo had the last remaining captive after that.

• Playtime At The Zoo (for Pro Patria; camera: Jack Parker) / November 24, 1930 (Film Daily review in U.S. Jul 18, 1933)

• Special Messengers (for Pro Patria; camera: Jack Parker) / 8m / November 24, 1930 Shows urban dwellers raising pigeons for racing sports

• The Strangler (for Pro Patria; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 11m / November 24, 1930 Features plants that eat plants, namely the doddler

• War In The Trees (for Pro Patria; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 10m / June 10, 1931 Shows how a wood wasp attacks tree-destroying grub. Much footage borrowed from an earlier documentary: Sirex Wood Wasps And Their Insect Enemies

• Friendly Flies (for Wardour Films; Mary Field) / 10m / June 10, 1931

• In All His Glory (for Wardour Films; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 10m / June 10, 1931 Covers flowers and bees in pollination

• Magic Myxies (for Wardour Films; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 11m / June 10, 1931 A very bizarre entry with psychedelic imagery of a unique fungus with plant and animal like characteristics. Criticized at the time for being more comical than scientific in tone, but quite fun.

• The Light Of Love (for Pro Patria; camera: Charles Head) / 10m / June 10, 1931 Reissued title: The Glow Worm (also available on Youtube and likely issued in the late '30s by British Pathé

• The World In A Wine-Glass (for Pro Patria; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 8m / June 10, 1931 Much, but not all, footage borrowed from an earlier title: An Aquarium In A Wineglass

• Great Crested Grebe (for Wardour Films; Mary Field; camera: Walter Higham) / 9m / February 4, 1932

• Dream Flowers (for Wardour Films; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 9m / February 4, 1932 The poppy flower in its psychedelic glory. Borrows some footage of Heart Of Asia series (qv)

• Short Eared Owl (for Wardour Films; Mary Field) / 10m / February 4, 1932

• The Bittern (for Wardour Films; camera: Walter Higham) / 9m / February 4, 1932 Cameraman Higham was a specialist with advanced Newman-Sinclair equipment, tripods and close-up lenses required for this very shy bird.

• The Two-Pounder (for Wardour Films; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 10m / February 4, 1932 Covering trout growth

• Water Folk (for Wardour Films; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 10m / February 4, 1932 Tiniest creatures: Daphina

• Romance In A Pond (for Wardour Films; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 9m / April 15, 1932 Features newts, a popular topic in later films

• The Nightingale (for Wardour Films; camera: Oliver G. Pike) / 9m / April 15, 1932 Among the first in the series to use on-location sound recordings.

• The Frothblower (for Wardour Films; camera: Charles Head) / 8m / May 4, 1932 Those little insects called “froghoppers” that resemble thorns on a plant until they jump off

• Orphans Of The Wood (for Wardour Films; Mary Field) / 10m / May 4, 1932 Pheasants get a helping hand from humans (and domestic hens) in raising their chicks

• Springtime In The Scillies (for Wardour Films; camera: Walter Higham) / 9m / May 4, 1932 Black-billed gulls, razorbills, shags and puffins shown in the Scilly Islands

• The Raiders Of The Fens (for Wardour Films; camera: Walter Higham) / 9m / May 4, 1932 Mostly harriers and larks shown nesting

• Brock The Badger (for Pathé; camera: Oliver G. Pike) / 10m / October 12, 1933

• Amazing Maize (for Pathé; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 10m / October 12, 1933 Shows how corn grows

• Brewster’s Magic (for Pathé; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 8m / October 12, 1933 The process of beer making from the wheat barley

• Fit To Boil (for Pathé; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 10m / October 12, 1933

• Gathering Moss (for Pathé; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 10m / October 12, 1933

• Nature’s Double Lifters (for Pathé; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 10m / October 12, 1933

 

[Jlewis]

British Instructional Films: the other series

 

Empire

Travelogues of great interest didn't just involve the British Empire countries, although they received prime importance. Arthur Newton is listed as editor in the earliest titles and Graham Bell on the 1928 releases. Regent distributed the first set, then New Era took over for early 1927, followed by Pro Pratia in '28. All black & white and silent, one reel of roughly 10 minutes each

 

 

• Accra / November 26, 1925

• Basutoland And Its People / November 26, 1925

• Cacao Industry Of Trinidad / November 26, 1925

• A Day In The Life Of A District Officer / November 26, 1925

• Durnbar At Zaria / November 26, 1925

• Palestine / November 26, 1925 Features footage shot in 1923 for the feature Armageddon

• A Punjab Village / November 26, 1925

• Rough Diamonds / November 26, 1925

• The Fiji Islands / November 26, 1925

• Tin Mining In Nigeria / November 26, 1925

• Western Canada / November 26, 1925

• Zanzibar And The Clove Industry / November 26, 1925

• An African Derby / February 24, 1927 Filmed May '25 in Basutoland and can be seen here: http://www.colonialfilm.org.uk/node/1047

• Black Cotton / February 24, 1927

• Blazing The Trail / February 24, 1927

• A Gate In China / February 24, 1927

• Geysers And Glaciers / February 24, 1927

• Trinidad / February 24, 1927

• The City Of Kano / June 6, 1928

• The Oil Palm Of Nigeria / June 6, 1928

• Mineral Wealth Of The Gold Coast / June 21, 1928

• Northern Territories / June 21, 1928

• The Island Of Barbados / June 21, 1928

• The Island Of Grenada / June 21, 1928

• Baghdad / August 16, 1928

• An Eastern Market / 1928

• Sisal Grass Industry Of East Africa / January 2, 1929

 

Heart Of Asia

Filmed in India and present day Pakistan and Iran, these were distributed by Pro Patria, all black & white and silent, one reel of roughly 10 minutes each. All released in a trade show viewing, August 16, 1928

 

• A Persian Caravan

• Baluchistan

• Northwest Frontier

• Persian Carpet Making

• Through The Back Door Of India

 

Sunshine Series

Distributed by Pro Patria, these focus on tropical fruit harvesting. All black & white and silent, one reel of roughly 10 minutes each. Released January 2, 1929

 

• Jaffa Oranges

• Messina Lemons

• Spanish Onions

 

An Assortment of others... the “one shots”

 

Distributors and directors listed in ()

(silent, one reel unless indicated)

• Hampton Court / November 27, 1919

• The Moon And Its Phases / November 27, 1919 Part animated

• Our Life On The Thames / November 27, 1919

• A Wanderer Of London / November 27, 1919

• The Battle Of Jutland (Harry Bruce Woolfe & A.V. Bramble) / 3 reels / September 8, 1921 War compilation

• Mechanism Of A Motor Car / 4 x 10m shorts / October 2, 1924

• All About Whitney Blankets / 1924

• Naval Warfare (for New Era) / September 23, 1926 Extract from the feature Nelson

• Jerusalem (for New Era) / November 1926

• The Nile (for New Era) / November 1926

• Suez Canal (for New Era) / November 1926

• The House Fly (for New Era; camera: E.E. Warneford) / 1926

• A Zoo Tea Party (for New Era) / 1926

• Roman Britain (for New Era; Mary Field) / 3 reels / January 13, 1927

• Electricity (for Electric Development Association) / 32m / 1927

• West Africa Calling (for Conservation & Union Office) / December 1927

• Benguela Railway: A Milestone In African Civilization / 3 reels / 1928

• Construction Of Imperial Chemical House / 4 parts (1 reel each) / 1928

• Takoradi Harbour And Railway Terminus (for Gold Coast Government) / 1928

• Opening Of British Instructional Film Studio / November 8, 1928 (filmed)

• Our Friend- The Horse / 10m / 1929 Made for the R.S.P.C.A.

• Cyprus (for Pro Patria; Stanley Rodwell) / April 17, 1929

• Deferred Payment (for Pro Patria; Mary Field) / 1929

 

(sound)

• Stampede (for Pro Patria; Errol Hinds, C. Court & Stella Court Treatt) / 45m / February 17, 1930 Docudrama shot in Sudan

• The Shaming Of The True (Charles B. Cochran, producer; Walter Creighton) / 5m / February 1930 A patron in a theater becomes a part of a movie. A comedy with Maisey Gay, Roy Royston, Douglas Byng

• Any Evening After Work (for British Social Hygiene Council- Mary Field) / 27m / 1930 Sex education

• Beef And Beer (for Pro Patria- Mary Field) / 1 reel / 1930

• Sirex Wood Wasps And Their Insect Enemies (for the Imperial Forestry Institute; Neil Chrystal) / 1 reel / 1930

• Trails And Rails / 11m / 1930 West African railroad under construction

• Up Country With A Settler (for Pro Patria) / 1 reel / December 1930 Filmed in Mombasa

• Surface Tension (for Pro Patria- Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 10m / December 1930

• Cambridge (G.F. Nixon & Stuart Legg; camera: Jack Parker) / 1 reel / August 1931

• The Mystery Of Marriage (The Mysteries Of Marriage) (Mary Field) / 33m / September 13, 1931 (Film Daily mention) Compares humans with other critters in their mating habits

• Conquest Of The Air (camera: George Pocknall) / 26m / December 4, 1931 History of aviation

• How To Tell (K.B. Williamson) / 16m / December 1931 Sex education

• The King's English (Mary Field; camera: Jack Parker) / 20m / February 1932

• The Bad Companions (for British International; John Orton) / 45m / April 27, 1932 A comedy that is borderline feature, part of a quota of “features” that British Instructional provided with features over an our to keep British International satisfied. Featuring Nor Kiddie, Renee Gadd, Wallace Lupino, Hal Gordon & others

• England Awake (for Wardour Films; John Buchan) / 36m / May 19, 1932

• The Changing Year (Mary Field) / 30m / September 26, 1932 With Eric Finton, Rene Ray & Robert Abel

• Strip! Strip! Hooray!! Or Fun With Sunbathers (for British Pathé; Norma Lee; writer: Leslie Arliss) / 11m / September 26, 1932 Comedy with Ken Douglas, Betty Norton, Albert Raynor, Muriel White

• Symphony Of The Sea (Mary Field) / 20m / December 1932

• Contact (for Imperial Airways- Paul Rotha; camera: Horace Wheddon & Jack Parker) / 28m / May 1933 Classic airplane documentary that established the director

• The Ways Of Life (for Wardour Films- writers: Julian Huxley, J. Arthur Thomson & Ward Cutler) / 1 reel / 1933

• Paddington Street (Arthur Lloyd James) / 1 reel / 1933 A study of two alterations in language

• A Mediterranean Island (James Fairgrieve) / 10m / 1933 Cyprus

• John Smith And Son / 1 reel / 1933 Covers venereal disease

• The Flag (Mary Field; camera: Jack Parker) / 1 reel / 1933 Features Frank Hubert

• Roadwards (as British Independent Productions for Wardour Films- Paul Rotha; camera: Jack Parker) / 4 reels / December 1933

• Little Tiger (Ronald Haines) / 10m / 1934 (approximate date) http://www.citwf.com lists this as Gaumont-British. British Pathé copy is silent and only credits the R.S.P.C.A. This profiles history of cats

 

 

Some limited released instructions, all made in 1933.

• The Manufacturer Of Copper Rods And Other Activities At The Enfield Rolling Mills And Cable Works / 2 reels

• The Manufacturer Of High Voltage Overhead Conductors (for Richard Johnson & Nephew Ltd.) / 1 reel

• The Manufacturer Of Porcelain Insulators (for Taylor, Tunnicliff & Co..) / 1 reel

• Electricity From Grid To Consumer (The English Electric Company And The Grid) / 1 reel

• Metering And Transformers (for Ferranti Ltd.) / 1 reel

• Reyrolles And The National Grid (for A. Reyrolle) / 1 reel

• Tapping Off The Grid (for Johnson & Philips) / 1 reel

• A Typical Rural Distribution System / 1 reel

 

[Jlewis]

Gaumont British (pre-Gaumont-British Instructional)

After 1934, the bulk of the shorts released were produced by Harry Bruce Woolfe although Gaumont's newsreel stayed as a separate entity with Castleton Knight as producer, releasing special shorts under the same GB Instructional banner.

 

 

Around The Town

Not sure how many of these silent one-reelers (10 minutes and under) were released, but quite a few were cranked out and a couple survive today. The first was released on October 30, 1919 and the last in the summer of 1923. All profiled odds and ends around London.

 

Featherland

Walter Higham worked on both these bird reels and the Secrets of Nature series for British Instructional. Supposedly six of these were made, but these are two know titles. (A second series of sound films featuring the same series title were made by another company later.)

 

• The Kingfisher / Jun 17, 1926

• The Merlin Hawk / Jun 17, 1926

 

Gaumont-British Magazine

Andrew Buchanan supervised a couple one-shot sound films (under 10 minutes) starting February 2, 1934 with one titled Reigning Cats And Dogs. Unfortunately I don't have the others accounted for yet... and neither did master historian Denis Gifford in his British Film Catalogue

 

Gaumont Sound Mirror

Do not have a list of these, but a cluster were made in black & white and sound, each running 8 minutes or so. Essentially all human interest reels. The first was issued September 25, 1930

 

Here And There In The British Isles

All black & white, silent and running one reel (10 minutes approximate), these were local travelogues of interest. Released in 1927 (not certain of release dates) and given sound for reissue in 1931.

 

• Beauty Spots In Ulster

• A Charming View Of The Abbey From Dean's Yard

• Conway And Its Beautiful Valley

• Mountaineering In Lakeland

• A Pilgrimage To Canterbury

• Rough Seas On The Cornish Coast

• Scotland's Oldest Inhabited Castle

• Sussex Snapshots

• Unusual Peeps At London

• Wells And Its Famous Cathedral

 

How It Is Made

All black & white, silent and running one reel (10 minutes approximate). Released May 5, 1929

 

• The Birth Of A Motor Car

• Domestic Earthenware

• The Humble Screw

• The Potter's Wheel

• Road Transit

• Steel And How It Is Made

 

John Henry Calling

Comedy series directed by Challis N. Sanderson and featuring John Henry. All black & white, silent and running two reels (20 minutes approximate). They were trade shown May 1926.

 

• Broadcasting

• Home Construction

• How I Began

• Listening In

• The Loud Speaker

• Osculation

 

Off The Beaten Track

Widgey R. Newman supervised these travelogues with principal camera work by Basil Emmott. All black & white, silent and running one reel (10 minutes approximate) and dated 1925 (not sure of release date).

 

• A Day Down East

• A Hard Subject

• Skywriters

• With The Bargees

 

Our National Industries (British Industries)

Percy Nash supervised most of, but not sure of all, these scenic “behind the scenes”. Called British Industries by 1925. All black & white, silent and running one reel (10 minutes approximate)

 

• Our National Industries: initial 10 films trade-shown on May 1, 1924

• Cable Making / November 4, 1925

• The History of Electricity / November 4, 1925

• How The Money Goes / November 4, 1925

• The Magic Of Nitrate Of Soda / November 4, 1925

• Modern Lighting / November 4, 1925

• Overseas Communication / November 4, 1925

• The Story Of Cotton / November 4, 1925

• The Oxford University Press / November 4, 1925

• Telegraphic Transmission / November 4, 1925

• Malts And Hops / November 4, 1926

• The Romance Of Oil / November 4, 1926

 

Romance Of London

H.E. Hayward is credited on these city scenics, all black & white, silent and running one reel (10 minutes approximate). Released February 1923

 

• Dr. Johnson

• London's Lost River

• The Old And New St. Paul's

• Old London Amusements

• The Tyburn Tree

 

Screen Playlets

Ambitious little dramas, six made in 1926 and three more a year later. All black & white and silent, number of reels 2 (or 20m) or 3 (30m) indicated as rough estimates. Directors listed in ().

 

• Cash On Delivery (Milton Rosmer) / 3 reels / November 18, 1926 With Moore Marriott, Forrester Harvey, Gabrielle Casartelli, Charles Ashton & Pollie Emery

• The Escape (Edwin Greenwood) / 2 reels / November 18, 1926 With Bertram Burleigh, Gladys Jennings & Barbara Blenn

• Miss Bracegirdle Does Her Duty (Edwin Greenwood) / 2 reels / November 18, 1926 With Jane Alexander, George Bellamy, Humberston Wright, P. Evremonde & Sadie Speight

• The Greater War (Jack Raymond) / 2 reels / November 18, 1926 With Moore Marriott, Victor Fairley & Joan Vincent

• Back To The Trees (Edwin Greenwood) / 2 reels / November 18, 1926 With Janet Alexander, John Stuart, Gladys Jennings, George Bellamy & Eleanor Stewart

• The Woman Juror (Milton Rosmer) / 3 reels / November 18, 1926 With Gladys Jennings, John Stuart, Frank Vosper, Charles Ashton & Alexander Field

• Whispering Gables (Edwin Greenwood) / 3 reels / November 1927 With Diana Marsh, Florence Marsh, James Helmore & John Marsh

• Fangs Of Death (Edwin Greenwood) / 3 reels / November 1927 With Gladys Jennings, Charles Barratt, Irene Rooke, Charles Vane & Wallace Bosco

• Bright Young Things (George Dewhurst) / 3 reels / November 1927 With John Longden, Kitty Berling, Humberston Wright, Charles Vane & Joan Pitt-Chatham

 

Will O'Whips Comedy

All black & white, silent and running one reel (10 minutes approximate). Directors listed in ().

 

• The Bitten Biter (Cecil Mannering) / January 1920 With Arthur Riscoe & Nita Russell

• Home Influence (Cecil Mannering) / January 1920 With Heather Thatcher & Cyril Smith

• Horatio's Deception (Cecil Mannering) / January 1920 With Arthur Riscoe & Nita Russell, with Heather Thatcher, Cyril Smith, William Burr & Daphne Hope

• Oh! Jemimah! (Cecil Mannering) / January 1920 With Arthur Riscoe & Nita Russell

• The Other Dog's Day (Cecil Mannering) / January 1920 With Arthur Riscoe & Nita Russell

• A Pair Of Gloves (Cecil Mannering) / January 1920 With Heather Thatcher & Cyril Smith

• A Complete Change (Cecil Mannering) / January 1920 With William Burr & Daphne Hope

• A Broken Contract (W.P. Kellino) / March 1920 With Nita Russell, Cyril Smith & Zoe Palmer

• Cousin Ebenezer (W.P. Kellino) / March 1920 With Nita Russell, Cyril Smith & Dick Webb

• Cupid's Carnival (W.P. Kellino) / March 1920 With Nita Russell & Cyril Smith

• The Lightning Liver Cure (W.P. Kellino) / March 1920 With Nita Russell & Cyril Smith

• A Little Bet (Cecil Mannering) / March 1920 With Nita Russell & Cyril Smith

• On The Reserve (W.P. Kellino) / March 1920 With Nita Russell, Cyril Smith, Zoe Palmer, Dick Webb & Iris Rowe

• Run! Run! (W.P. Kellino) / March 1920 With Nita Russell, Cyril Smith & Zoe Palmer

• Souvenirs (Cecil Mannering) / March 1920 With Nita Russell & Cyril Smith

• Sweep (Cecil Mannering) / March 1920 With Nita Russell & Cyril Smith

 

Gaumont's Newsreel

Gaumont British News began as Gaumont Graphic, produced mostly from France initially. The first issue was October 25, 1910. By 1913, British editor was Alec Braid, who only stayed in that position for two years, being replaced first by Alexander Victor and then, by 1916, Louis Behr maintained a steady flow for two decades.

Sound was used with selective installments in May 1929, then with more force on November 11, 1929 as a new umbrella title was unveiled: Gaumont Sound News. The first with the new logo was “Armistice Day”. Key narrator on these, starting in April 1930, was Edward Victor H. “Ted” Emmett who would later narrate many Secrets Of Life (qv) and other series. Key editor was Keith Ayling. A young David Lean cut his teeth in these, learning the ropes in sound film production while also assisting on some of Gaumont features such as The Night Porter (1929). Additional information on the early sound years can be read here: http://bufvc.ac.uk/newsonscreen/davidlean/the-story-of-gaumont-sound-news

In January 1934, after Gaumont successfully incorporated British Instructional Films and executive Harry Bruce Woolfe under its umbrella and established a Screen Services division to aid in distribution, a new and improved Gaumont British News was under-way. It was presented once or twice a week through January 1959 with Castleton Knight as producer almost until the end. Louis Behr continued as a key editor in chief for two years, getting succeeded by R.S. Howard, who stayed through 1949.

J. Arthur Rank closed up the series, but replaced it with a nifty omnibus Eastmancolor series called Look At Life, covered a few posts down under the Rank series.

 

Other Gaumont British shorts

One in color, the rest in black & white. This list is not complete

 

(silent)

• Newfoundland To London By Aeroplane / 1 reel / June 19, 1919

• Jazzmania / 2 reels / December 4, 1919

• Billiard Champions / 2 reels / January 13, 1921 Features Claude Falkiner, Willie Smith, Melbourne Inman & Tom Reece

• Celebrities Of The Dance / 2 reels / January 13, 1921 Features Tamara Karsavina, Anna Pavlova, Karina, Dacia & Phyllis Bedells

• Diamonds / 2 reels / January 13, 1921

• The Isle Of Man / 2 reels / January 13, 1921

• The Mystery Of The Wakeford Case (writer: Norman Ramsey) / 2 reels / August 4, 1921

• Rat Menace (for Ministry of Agriculture; W. Dalton & H.G. Cayley) / 2 reels / 1925

• Under Sail In The Frozen North / 3 reels / June 17, 1926 Covers the Algarsson-Worsley Expedition

• The Romance Of Postal Telegraphy (Charles Calvert) 2 reels / March 30, 1922

• The Cruise Of Princess Maquita / 2 reels / April 17, 1922

• The Cook-Bennett Fight / 2 reels / April 20, 1922

• Livestock And Dairying / 2 reels / April 24, 1922

• Home Making By Irrigation / 1 reel / June 5, 1922

• Eugene Criqui Vs. Joe Fox / 1 reel / June 8, 1922

• The Derby / 2 reels / July 1922

• Under Sail In The Frozen North (J.C. Bee-Mason) 2 reels / June 17, 1926

• First Test Match (Claud Sloman) / 2 reels / June 24, 1926

• Earl Haig: The Soldier And The Man / 1 reel / February 9, 1928

• Armistice Day At The Cenotaph (H.W. Bishop) 1 reel / November 21, 1928

• Motherhood / 2 reels / January 16, 1929

 

(sound, one reelers often billed as “Gaumont Miniatures”)

• The Derby (H.W. Bishop) / 1 reel / June 12, 1929 Initially an installment of Gaumont News

• The Message (L'Estrange Fawcett, producer; Sewell Collins) / 28m- / April 1930 Drama with Arthur Wontner, Rosalinde Fuller & Frederick Leister

• Dry Fly Fishing On The Test / 1 reel / 1930

• How The Daily Mail Is Produced / 1 reel / 1930

• Traveling Deluxe To The Continent / / 1 reel / 1930

• Thread O'Scarlet (L'Estrange Fawcett, producer; Peter Godfrey) / 35m / November 1930 Drama with George Merritt, Arthur Goullet, William Freshman & others

• This Age Of Speed / 1 reel / 1931

• The Fly (For Bermondsey Borough Council Health; H.W. Bush) / 1 reel / 1932

• The Dreamers (Ideal; Frank Cadman) / 19m / February 1933 Comedy with Bud Flanagan & Chesney Allen

• Post Haste (Ideal; Frank Cadman) / 20m / February 1933 Comedy with Jack Williams & Joey Porter

• Sign Please (Ideal; John Rawlins) / 19m / February 1933 Comedy with Jimmy Gold & Charlie Naughton

• They're Off (Ideal; Frank Cadman & John Rawlins) / 18m / February 1933 Comedy with Bud Flanagan & Chesney Allen

• Tooth Will Out (Ideal; Frank Cadman) / 20m / February 1933 Comedy with Jack Williams & Joey Porter

• A Century Of Progress / 2 reels / 1933

• Royal Windsor / 1 reel / February 8, 1934

• Power / 1 reel / February 8, 1934

• Mother Of Parliaments / 1 reel / May 11, 1934 In Dufaycolor

• Wings Over Everest (Geoffrey Barkas & Ivor Montagu; camera: S.R. Bonnett & A. Fisher) / 25m / May 31, 1934

• Biblical Palestine (Andrew Buchanan; camera: Edward Cooper) / 3 reels / 1934

• The Royal Academy (narrator: Robert Llewellyn) / 1 reel / July 8, 1934

• Secrets Of The New Forest / 1 reel / September 1934

• The Royal Wedding (Castleton Knight; producer; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / 2 reels / December 6, 1934

• A Friesland Wedding / 1 reel / December 1934

• Buckingham Palace / 1 reel / February 22, 1935

• The King's Jubilee (Castleton Knight; producer; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / 2 reels / May 2, 1935

 

 

[Jlewis]

Gaumont-British Instructional Films

Where possible, I have indicated what company or organization aided distribution. A great many here were distributed by General Film Distributors (GFD) through mid-1955 (by which time the company had downsized quite a bit), then by Rank Film Distributors. Excluded in these are independently produced shorts that GFD merely distributed and also included in their 16mm educational film brochures. Perhaps I will cover them in the future.

Covering the series in alphabetic order...

 

Atomic Physics

Directed by Derek Mayne with camera work by Jack Parker. All black & white with times listed. The initial series was produced in 1947 and released '48. Final film may recycle footage from the earlier ones.

 

• Uranium Fission / 22m / March 1948

• Atomic Smashing / 20m / March 1948

• Atomic Theory / 9m / March 1948

• Nuclear Structure / 17m / March 1948

• Unlocking The Atom / 20m / 1951

 

Biology Films (assorted)

All black & white and roughly 10-11 minutes, a few were distributed to theaters but mostly for the 16mm market only. In the United States, Universal-International issued them after 1947 through its United World Films division

 

• Hydra (Life Of A Freshwater Polyp) (H. R. Hewer; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden) / October 1936

• The Life Cycle Of The Frog (J.V. Durden; writer: H.R. Hewer; camera: F. Percy Smith; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / October 1936 Reissued 1946 as Life Story Of The Tadpole a.k.a. Development Of The Tadpole

• The Sea Urchin (J.V. Durden; writer: H.R. Hewer; camera: F. Percy Smith; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) /20m / 1936

• The Development Of The Chick (J.V. Durden) / 1937

• Life Of A One-Celled Animal (Amoeba) (J.V. Durden; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden) / 1937

• Paramecium (J.V. Durden) / 1937

• Pollination (camera: F. Percy Smith) / 1937

• Heredity In Man (J.V. Durden) / September 1937

• From Generation To Generation (J.V. Durden) / December 1937 More on heredity

• Heredity In Animal (J.V. Durden) / December 1937

• Centipedes And Millipedes / 10m / 1938

• Climbing Plants (J.V. Durden) / 1938

• The Life Story Of A Fern (J.V. Durden; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 1938

• The Liver Fluke (J.V. Durden) / 1938

• Spiders And Scorpions / 1938

• Crustacea (H. R. Hewer & J.V. Durden; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 1940

• Onychophora And Myriapoda (H. R. Hewer & J.V. Durden; camera: F. Percy Smith) / 1940

• Development Of The Rabbit (for British Council; Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike & Frank North) / 11+ / December 1942 “Senior” Biology series; see here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/development-of-the-rabbit

• The Life Cycle Of A Moss (camera: F. Percy Smith) / 1946 Re-edit of an earlier film

• The Dogfish As A Vertebrate (Anatomy Of A Dogfish) (Thora James; camera: Norman MacQueen; consultant: H.R. Brewer) / 1948

• Photosynthesis (Thora James) / 1948

• Tsetse Fly (Donald Carter, producer; Frank Cadman) / 1950

 

Body Structures

A few of these are in Technicolor, with animation from David Hand's department

 

• Circulation Of The Blood (Frank Wells, producer; Beryl Denman Lacey; camera: Frank North) / Technicolor-16m / December 1948

• Elimination (Winifred Cullis, producer; Beryl Denman Lacey) / bw-12m / December 1948

• Digestion: Chemical Changes (Frank Wells, producer; Beryl Denman Lacey; animation: Louis Dahl; narrator: Robert Gladwell) / Technicolor-15m / 1949

• Digestion: Muscular And Mechanical Movements (Frank Wells, producer; Beryl Denman Lacey; animation: Louis Dahl; narrator: Robert Gladwell) / Technicolor-15m / 1949

• Organization Of The Body (Functions Of The Body) (Beryl Denman Lacey) / bw-15m / 1950

• Human Skeleton: Muscles, Movement And Posture (Beryl Denman Lacey) / bw-11m / 1951

• Human Skeleton: Structure And Joints (Beryl Denman Lacey) / bw-11m / 1951

• Biography Before Birth (Thora James) / bw-10m / 1952

• External Respiration / bw-10m / 1952

• How We Begin (Thora James) / bw-10m / 1952

• Internal Respiration / bw-10m / 1952

• The Nitrogen Cycle (Frank Wells, producer; Thora James; animation: Louis Dahl) / bw-10m / 1952

• Preparation For Parenthood (Thora James) / bw-18m / 1952

 

British Isles (assorted)

 

• York (E.R. Thompson) / bw-10m / April 1934

• Shakespeare (J.B. Holmes; writer: C. Harrison) / bw-18m / June 22, 1934

• Fruitlands Of Kent (Mary Field) / bw-10m / September 21, 1935 (edited '34)

• Propeller Making (A Little Known London Industry) (camera: George Pocknall; editor: Derek Hyde-Chambers) / bw-10m / May 5, 1936

• Rural School / bw-18m / August 14, 1936

• Medieval Village (Mary Field & J.B. Holmes) / bw-20m / November 16, 1936 Profiles Laxton, Nottinghamshire

• The Development Of English Railways (Mary Field & Andrew Miller Jones) / bw-10m / November 16, 1936

• Heavy Industry (John Elder) / bw-10m / December 1936 Building of the Queen Mary

• Edinburgh Zoo / bw-10m / August 12, 1937

• Hoplands Of Kent (Mary Field; camera: Frank Bundy) / bw-10m / December 1937

• They Made The Land (for Films of Scotland Committee; John Greirson, producer; Mary Field) / bw-19m / April 28, 1939

• Development Of The English Town (for British Council; Mary Field) / bw-10m / December 1942 See here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/development-of-the-english-town

• Lowland Village (for British Council; Darrel Catling) / bw-18m / December 1942 See here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/lowland-village

• Market Town (for British Council; Mary Field; camera: Jack Parker) / bw-18m / December 1942 See here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/market-town

• Back To The Land (H. Bruce Woolfe, producer) / bw-10m / March 10, 1943 Tour of English and Portuguese farming

• Coastal Village (for British Council; Stanley Irving) / 10m / bw-1943 See here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/coastal-village

• History Of The English Language (for British Film Council- Mary Field) / 14m / bw-1943 See here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/history-of-the-english-language

• Derbyshire Village (for British Council; G.J. Cons; camera: Jack Parker) / bw-9m / 1944

• Magna Carta: The Story Of Man's Fight For Liberty (Mary Field) / Technicolor-5m / 1946 (started 1942) Clever animated sequences mixed with live-action; see here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/magna-carta

• London's Food Markets (Frank Wells, producer; Darrell Catling) / bw-18m / 1948 Uploaded online by the Travelfilmarchive

• The Monastery (Brendan J. Stafford & Rose Graham) / bw-18m / April 20, 1949 Covers Buckfast Abbey

• The Lighthouse (writer: Gordon Lipton; camera: J. Houghton; narrator: James McKechnie) / bw-10m / May 13, 1949 (filmed '48)

• Cathedral City (Don Chaffey) / bw-18m / September 1949 Profiles Canterbury

• Planned Town (Sean Graham; camera: Frank North) / bw-18m / 1949

• The Castle (Medieval Castles / English Castles) (Frank Wells, producer; Felicity Kinross; camera: Frank North) / 18m / April 1950

• Wordsworth Country (Frank Wells, producer; Derek Mayne; camera: Frank North & Reg Hughes) / bw-18m / July 27, 1950

• The Unquiet Land: The Civil War In England (Civil War In England: 1642-1646) / bw-40m (25m shorter version) / 1950

• The Growth Of London (Derek Wayne) / bw-10m / May 24, 1951

• Great Britain: Its Geographical Position (Derek Mayne) / bw-10m / 1951

• London Today (Frank Wells, producer) / bw-18m / November 21, 1952

• The British Monarchy (Derek Mayne) / bw-18m / June 1953

 

 

Children Films & other dramas of juvenile interest

Only listing films running less than 45 minutes in length. Quite a few features were released through early 1956, by which time GB Instructional had ceased production apart from offerings from the newsreel division. This batch is all in black & white.

 

• Tom's Ride (Darrel Catling) / 11m / May 15, 1944 A boy tries to return a bicycle, resulting in a wild chase. With Colin Simpson, Angela Glynne, Stewart Rome, Valentine Dunn & Mary Masters

• Sports Day (The Colonel's Cup) (Francis Searle) / 24m / March 1945 (filmed '44) Little Tommy must prove to his friends that he did not mistreat a dog. Jean Simmon's debut in this juvenile drama. Also David Anthony, Ernest Borrow, Peter Hobbes, Peter Jeffrey, Getrude Maesmore Morris & others

• Bothered By A Beard (E.V.H. Emmett) / 36m / January 1946 (filmed '45) Series of barber sketches. With Tod Slaughter, Jerry Verno, John Salew, Franklyn Bennett, Dorothy Bramhall & Arthur Denton

• Trouble At Townsend (Darrel Catling) / 23m / January 1946 (filmed '45) London children cause havoc on a farm. Petula Clark's debut, along with David Lees, Thea Wells, Peter Mullins & Ann Wilton

• Stage Frights (Henry Passmore, producer; Harry Hughes) / 34m / December 1947 Two stage property men try to retrieve stolen bank notes. With Mark Daly, Graham Moffatt, Knox Crichton & Agnes Lauchlan

• Concert Waltz / bw-9m / 1947 Children perform in honor of Margot Fonteyn

• Under The Frozen Falls (Donald Wilson, producer; Darrell Catling) / 44m / March 23, 1948 A Secret Society of Leadbeaters collect ore for toys and find themselves battling thieves after a secret formula in a cave. With Harold Warrender, Jacques Brown, Iva Brandt, Mary Kerridge, Ray Jackson & Peter Scott

• Material Evidence (Darrell Catling) / 25m / May 1948 With Ingrid Forrest, Constance Smith & Gordon McLeod

• Pitaniko (Robin G. Last; sound: Peter Birch) / 10m / December 1947 Filmed in Rhodesia in 1945

• Basuto Boy (Frank Odman, producer; Aubrey Singer) / 15m / November 19, 1948 (filmed '47) See here: http://www.colonialfilm.org.uk/node/64

• A Journey For Jeremy (James Hill) / 33m / June 1949 A boy (Robin Netscher) takes the express from Glasgow to London

• Which Will We Have? (Barabbas The Robber) (G.W. Productions; Donald Taylor) / 40m / July 1949 With Frank Cochrane, Betty Ann Davies, Robert Harris, George Hayes, Niall MacGinnis, Elspeth March

• The Magic Chalks / bw-10m / October 1950 A girl's drawings come to life

• Playing Together / bw-10m / 1950

• The Trek To Mashomba (Brian Salt, producer; Vernon Sewell) / 46m / April 1951 Filmed partly in Rhodesia and recalling the trekkers of 1892 from Transvaal to Mashomba Valley. With Ivor Bowyer, John Longden & Bruce Meredith-Smith

• The Magic Marble (Darrell Catling) / 13m / May 1951 A marble comes to life. Starring David Hannaford

• The Marble Returns (Darrell Catling) / 10m / May 1951 Starring David Hannaford

• The Case Of The Old Rope Man (Frank Wells, producer; Darrel Catling) / 18m / June 1952 With James Carney, Howell Davies, David Tearle, Philip Lennard & Brian Campbell

 

Eminent Scientists

All black & white and running 6 minutes each, these were mini-biographies. Released November 1934

 

• Sir Joseph Thomson

• Sir Oliver Joseph Lodge

• Sir William Henry Bragg

• Sir John Ambrose Fleming

• Mr. William Morris Mordey

• Sir Richard Tetley Glazebrook

 

Face of Britain

An official series of British travelogues that gained quite a bit of attention at the time for their innovative editing styles and for covering scenes not often seen in nonfiction films of the era. The first title established Raul Rotha as one of the big names to be reckoned with in documentaries. All in black & white.

 

• The Rising Tide (Great Cargoes) (Paul Rotha; camera: George Pocknall & James Rogers) / 40m / August 30, 1934 Profiles the dock of Southhampton. Re-edited as Great Cargoes

• Town Settlement (camera: George Pocknall & Frank Bundy; narrator: A.J. Cummings) / 10m / October 3, 1935

• This Was England (Mary Field; camera: George Pocknall & Frank Bundy; narrator: A.J. Cummings) / 10m / October 19, 1935

• Citizens Of The Future (Donald Taylor; camera: George Pocknall & Frank Bundy; narrator: A.J. Cummings)/ 10m / October 31, 1935

• The Face Of Britain (camera: George Pocknall & Frank Bundy; narrator: A.J. Cummings) / 10m / November 1, 1935

• The Progress (camera: George Pocknall & Frank Bundy; narrator: A.J. Cummings) / 10m / November 1, 1935

 

Fauna-Flora-Geology

Wildlife series directed by Margaret Thomson. Each is one reel (under 10 minutes) and in black & white. They had a rather limited release, primary on 16mm for educational purposes.

 

• Woodlands Fauna / December 1937

• Woodlands Flora / December 1937

• Woodlands Geology / December 1937

• Downlands Fauna / June 1938

• Downlands Flora / June 1938

• Downlands Geology / June 1938

• Heathlands Fauna / 1938

• Heathlands Flora / 1938

• Heathlands Geology / 1938

• Moorlands Fauna / 1938

• Moorlands Flora / 1938

• Moorlands Geology / 1938

 

Fitness Wins

Directed by Mary Field, these black & white physical fitness reels were all in black & white, running 11 minutes or so. Bulk released to theaters on March 7, 1940

 

• Beginners Please

• Eighteen Girls And A Horse

• Fitness Wins The Game

• Five Fit Fellows

• Four And Twenty Fit Girls

• Fresh Fields

• Invitation To The Dance

• Twenty Men And A Leader

 

Focus

These geographical in-depth reels more or less replaced the longer Rank produced This Modern Age (qv) as a sporadically released series. Mostly ran roughly 11 minutes and in black & white.

 

• Focus On Formosa (Frank Wells, producer) / December 1951

• Focus On Shipping (Frank Wells, producer) / September 12, 1952

• Focus On Ethiopia (Castleton Knight, producer; camera: Ted Candy; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / February 1953

• Focus On Leisure (Castleton Knight, producer; camera: Ted Candy; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / February 20, 1953

• Focus On The Nile (Frank Wells, producer; writer: Derek Mayne) bw-8m / March 17, 1953

• Focus On India (Frank Wells, producer; Stuart Legg; narrator: Geoffrey Sumner) / May 22, 1953

• Focus On The Drover (Frank Wells, producer) / May 24, 1953

• Focus On Pakistan (Frank Wells, producer; Stuart Legg; narrator: Geoffrey Sumner) / June 12, 1953

• Focus On Kuwait (A.S. Graham; camera: Peter Sargent) / June 21, 1953

• Focus On Fats (Frank Wells, producer) / June 22, 1953

• Focus On Precision (Frank Wells, producer) / August 14, 1953

• Focus On Flying Boats (Frank Wells, producer; Stuart Legg; narrator: Geoffrey Sumner) / May 7, 1954

• Focus On Oil (Derek Mayne) / 20m / May 21, 1954

 

Focus On The Empire: Africa

These black and white 11 minute travelogues were supervised by Leon Schauder with E.V.H. Emmett narrating. Released November 15, 1939

 

• Karoo

• Nonquassi

• Twelve O.P.

 

[Jlewis]

Follow The River

John Elder produced this juvenile educational series, filmed in color and running 10 to 15 minutes each. They were released on a limited scale in the fall of 1949.

 

• Among The Hills

• Middle Sketch

• Visit To A Shipbuilding Yard (listed as No. 5 in 1951 release)

• Visit To A Shipyard

 

 

Football And How It Is Played (Soccer Football)

Directed by Donald Carter with assistance from coaches Jimmy Hogan, D.N. Creek and K.R. Hunt. Note that football in the UK is soccer. Black & white, 7-8 minutes

 

• Attack / October 19, 1935

• Ball Control / October 19, 1935

• Defense / October 19, 1935

• Goal-Keeping And Throwing-In / October 19, 1935

• Kicking / October 19, 1935

• Tactics / October 19, 1935

• Association Football Tactics And Defense / December 1935

 

A second series was included in the Gaumont British 16mm catalogue, but may have been produced elsewhere: https://archive.org/details/gb16mmentert1gbeq These featured Tommy Lawson, Stanley Matthews and Stanley Mortensen. Don't know the dates here.

 

• Methods Of Coaching

• Trapping

• Coaching In The Game

 

For Your Entertainment

Frank Wells produced and Colin Bell directed these musical variety shows, each running 15 minutes and in black & white.

 

• No. 1 / December 23, 1952 With Ericson, Levanda & Van, Three Jokers, Three Monarchs

• No. 2 / December 23, 1952 With Chris Sans, Cynthia & Gladys, Seven Volantes, Twelve Jackson Girls

• No. 3 / December 30, 1952 With Boyer & Ravel, Cynthia, Levanda & Van, Seven Volantes, Swan & Leight, Syd Millward, The Nitwits

• No. 4 / December 30, 1952 With Ted & George Durante, Levanda & Van, Barbour Brothers, Cynthia & LeRoys, Syd Millward, The Nitwits

 

How To Swim

Backed by the Amateur Swimming Association, Donald Carter directed these 7 minute instructionals (all black & white) with George Pocknall behind the camera. Trade shown February 12, 1937

 

• Development Of Speed

• Diving

• Breast, Back And Butterfly Strokes

• Floating And Ornamental Swimming

• Head First

• Life Saving

• The Crawl

• Water Polo

 

Junior Science & Junior Biology

All black & white

 

• The Life Cycle Of The Maize (for British Film Council- Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden; advisor: M. Munro) / 9m / 1942 Part of a Junior Biology series; see here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/the-life-cycle-of-the-maize

• The Life Cycle Of The Newt (for British Film Council- Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden) / 10m / 1942 Part of a Junior Biology series; see here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/the-life-cycle-of-the-newt

• The Life Cycle Of The Onion (for British Film Council- Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; supervisor: B. Barnes) / 10m / December 1943 A Junior Biology film; see here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/the-life-history-of-the-onion

• The Life Cycle Of The Pin Mold (for British Film Council- Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; supervisor: B. Barnes) / 9m / 1943 Part of a Junior Biology series; see here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/the-life-cycle-of-the-pin-mould

• The Life Of The Rabbit (for British Film Council- Irene Wilson; camera: Oliver Pike & Frank North; diagrams: Helen Dunt; supervisor: M. Munro) / 11m / 1945 Junior Biology series: read about and see here: http://www.olivergpike.info/lifeofrabbit.html

• Life Of The Three-Spined Stickleback (Thora James) / 10m / 1949 Junior Biology series

• Living And Non-Living Things (Thora James; assist: Eileen Evans) / 12m / 1950

• Plants And Animals Living Together (Thora James; camera: Oliver G. Pike) / bw-25m / 1950 Initially a TV program

 

 

Kitchen Craft

Ronald Haines supervised these 15 minute black & white cooking reels. Released September 21, 1934

 

• Baking Powder In Frying Batter

• Baking Powder In Scones

• Pork Pies

• Rabbit Pies

 

Lawn Tennis And How To Play It

John Betts supervised these black & white 7m shorts, released on June 7, 1935

 

• H.W. Austin

• Miss Dorothy Round

• The Backhand

• The Forehand Drive

• The Service

• The Volley And The Smash

 

The Mystery Of The Sankeskin Belt

Frank Cadman directed this semi serial featuring Cyril Wentzel, Ursula Strachey & Colin Barlow. A total of 8 16 minute shorts (black & white) were released starting in March 1950

 

Our Club Magazine

An all kids one-subject “newsreel” covering any topic of interest from zoo animals to unusual hobbies, these were co-produced by Wallace Productions and an integral part of the post-war Children's Film Foundation program. Due to their high quality, they remained a staple at British matinees for a number of years after the last one was produced. Unfortunately I only know the topics of the earlier reels (all black & white and 7-8 minutes). Do not have credit information.

 

• No. 1: Watch Your Step / June 1, 1945

• No. 2: Okapi / June 1, 1945

• No. 3: The Toymakers / June 1, 1945

• No. 4: Modern Mermaids / September 15, 1945

• No. 5: By The River / September 15, 1945

• No. 6: A Country Craft / October 12, 1945

• No. 7: Good Work / January 25, 1946

• No. 8: Your Club Committee / January 25, 1946

• No. 9: Down On The Farm / January 25, 1946

• No. 10: From The Sea Bed / June 21, 1946

• No. 11: Afghans / June 21, 1946

• No. 12: Saluki / June 21, 1946

• No. 13: Matchbox Marvels / June 21, 1946

• No. 14: Art Exhibition / August 20, 1946

• No. 15: Dance Of The Icicles / August 20, 1946

• No. 16: Ice Skating / November 22, 1946

• No. 17: Down River / November 22, 1946

• No. 18: The Grimethorpe Schoolboys' Choir / November 22, 1946

• No. 19: Trug Baskets / January 31, 1947

• No. 20: London Visits Brighton / January 31, 1947

• No. 21: Forth Bridge / January 31, 1947

• No. 22: Royal Visit To Club Meeting / June 20, 1947

• No. 23: Tower Of London / August 8, 1947

• No. 24: Club Visit To Airfield / August 8, 1947

• No. 25: Football Training / August 8, 1947

• No. 27: A Young Editor / October 10, 1947 Not sure if No. 26 was released

• No. 28: Worcester Essay / October 10, 1947

• No. 29 / March 2, 1948

• No. 30 (segments: A New Swimming Stroke / Well Played / Village In The Costwolds / Making Plaster Casts) March 2, 1948 View here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llFyGiaxE9w

• No. 31 / March 2, 1948

• No. 32 / April 21, 1948

• No. 33 / April 21, 1948

• No. 34 / July 1948

• No. 35 / July 1948

• No. 36 / July 1948

• No. 37 / September 21, 1948

• No. 38 / November 19, 1948

• No. 39 / November 19, 1948

• No. 40 / December 1948

• No. 41 / December 1948

• No. 42 / December 1948

• No. 43 / March 11, 1949

• No. 44 / June 17, 1949

• No. 45 / June 17, 1949

• No. 46 / June 17, 1949

• No. 47 / July 22, 1949

• No. 48 / July 22, 1949

• No. 49 / October 27, 1949

• No. 50 / October 27, 1949

• No. 51 / December 1949

• No. 52 / December 1949

• No. 53 / January 1950

• No. 54 / January 1950

• No. 55 / February 1950

• No. 56 / February 1950

• No. 57 / March 1950

• No. 58 / March 1950

 

Pen Pictures From Rhodesia Letter

Produced by Donald Carter and directed by Frank Goodcliffe. A total of 5 of these were made, simply given numbers. Black & white, 10 minutes, all released April 21, 1948

 

Physical Training

Another sports reel “how to” made in black and white and running about 10 minutes each in length. Director credits in ().

 

• Physical Education For Boys (J.B. Holmes) / February 25, 1935

• Physical Education For Girls (J.B. Holmes) / April 1, 1935

• Physical Education For Children Aged 4 to 6 Years (J.B. Holmes) / April 1935

• Physical Education For Children Aged 7 Years (J.B. Holmes) / April 1935

• Analysis Of Exercises (J.B. Holmes) / August 14, 1936

• Boys' Summer Games (J.B. Holmes) / August 14, 1936

• Boys' Winter Games (J.B. Holmes) / August 14, 1936

• Carriage (Mary Field) / August 14, 1936

• Infants Part 1 & 2 (J.B. Holmes) / 2 films / August 14, 1936

• Progressive Training In Ball Handling (J.B. Holmes) / August 14, 1936

• Girls' Winter And Summer Games (Andrew Miller Jones) / November 1936

• Analysis Of Agility Exercises (J.B. Holmes) bw-10m / November 12, 1936

 

Port Of London Authority

Directed by Donald Carter; in black & white

 

• Cape Cargoes (narrator: Duncan Carse) / 13m / January 14, 1949

• Via London (Dear London) / 18m / January 14, 1949

• Thames Tideway (narrator: Alvar Liddell) / 16m / January 21, 1949

 

Quiet In The Countryside

Mary Field is credited on these nature reels covering the seasons. 11 minutes each (and B&W), they were trade shown on September 21, 1935

 

• Farming In Autumn

• Farming In Spring

• Farming In Summer

• Farming In Winter

 

Religious Films

Mini-dramas that weren't quite feature-length. All in black & white. They were quite popular later on 16mm after limited runs on 35mm in theaters.

 

• A Test For Love (for CCHE- Vernon Sewell; writer Donald Carter) / 3 reels / December 1937

• Where Love Is God Is (for Religious Films; Donald Carter) / 37m / December 1937 With Eliot Makeham

• Breakers Ahead (As We Forgive) (for Religious Film Society; Vernon Sewell) bw-37m / July 14, 1938 With Belle Chrystall, J. Fisher White, Arthur Seaton, Grant Sutherland & Micheal Hogarth

• What Men Live By (Vernon Sewell) / 42m / September 1, 1938 With Esmond Knight, Eliot Makeham & Olga Lindo

• All Living Things (for Exclusive; Andrew Buchanan) / 22m / February 7, 1939 With Catherine Lacey, Michael Gainsborough, J. Fisher White & G.H. Mulcaster

• Two Minutes (The Silence) (for Religious Film Society; Donald Taylor; camera: Frank Bundy) / 42m / March 31, 1939 With Walter Hudd, Edana Romney, Patric Curwen, Margaret Hanson, Jean MacIntyre

• Prince Of Peace (for Exclusive- Donald Carter) bw-23m / March 31, 1939 With Pamela Mason

 

Science & Geography Series (assorted)

Director credits in ()

 

• Latitude And Longitude (for Royal Geographic Society; Margaret Simpson & Ken Hardy) / Technicolor-10m / September 1947 (Brussels Film Festival) Geography film

• Light Series: First Principles (Frank Wells & Derek Mayne, producers; Guy Fergusson) / bw-10m / 1949 Part animation in the "Light" series

• Light Series: Spherical Mirrors (Frank Wells & Derek Mayne, producers; Guy Fergusson) / bw-8m / 1949

• Light Series: Refraction (Frank Wells & Derek Mayne, producers; Guy Fergusson) / bw-10m / 1949

• Light Series: Lenses (Frank Wells & Derek Mayne, producers; Guy Fergusson) / bw-13m / 1949

• Introduction To Map Projection (Margaret Simpson) / Technicolor-18m / 1949

• Day And Night (Margaret Simpson; animation: Louis Dahl) / Technicolor-10m / December 1949 Part animated

• The Revolution Of The Earth Around The Sun (The Earth And Its Movement Around The Sun) (Frank Wells, producer; Margaret Simpson; art design: Louis Dahl & Geoffrey Taylor) / Technicolor-11m / September 1950 Part animated

• The Round World And The Sun's Rays (Frank Wells, producer- Margaret Simpson; art design: Louis Dahl & Geoffrey Taylor) / Technicolor-11m / September 1950 Part animated

• The Seasonal Changes In The Temperate Regions (Frank Wells, producer- Margaret Simpson; art design: Louis Dahl & Geoffrey Taylor) / Technicolor-11m / September 1950

• Sound Waves (Speed Of Sound) / bw-15m / December 1950

• Great Winds (Margaret Simpson) / Technicolor-10m / 1951

• The Moon (Margaret Simpson) / bw-10m / July 1952

• Heat Rays (Frank Wells, producer; Colin Bell; camera: Jack Parker) / bw-10m / July 1952

 

Scotland

GB Instructional covered Scotland frequently, but this black & white series was given that specific umbrella title. All 8 minutes. Directed by John Elder; cameraman: J. Blake Dalrymple

 

• Life In The Highlands / February 12, 1937

• Textiles / February 12, 1937

• Animal Husbandry / February 12, 1937

• Harvest Of The Soil / February 12, 1937

• Highlands Of Scotland / February 12, 1937

• Grain Harvests / February 12, 1937

• Scottish Coasts / February 12, 1937

• Routes And Centres / February 12, 1937

• Southern Uplands / February 12, 1937

• Caledonian Seas / February 12, 1937

• Gateways Of The East / August 4, 1937

• Raw Materials / August 4, 1937

 

Secrets Of India (Indian Town Studies)

Actually produced by Gaumont just before including the Instructional unit. Geoffrey Barkas is credited on these, with camera work by S.R. Bonnett. All black & white, 10 minutes each and trade shown in May 1934. Reissued 1937 by GB Instructional.

 

• Thar Desert Town: Bikaner see here: http://www.colonialfilm.org.uk/node/1774

• Fair City Of Udaipur

• A Foothill Town: Darjeeling

• Devil Dancers Of Sikkim

• Pageant Of The Sun God

 

 

[Jlewis]

Secrets Of Life

Basically a continuation of the Secrets of Nature (see the second of the above posts). Only the umbrella title changed. Sadly the series was mostly phased out in the mid-forties, perhaps in response to F. Percy Smith's passing in 1945 and Mary Field getting too occupied on other series. Charles Head, who also provided great material in the early years had retired and passed away by 1938. The market for nature reels shrunk when war began, although Dufaycolor was used for a few titles in 1939 to increase their popularity. Several narrators were employed, but E.V.H. Emmett from the newsreel narrated the majority of them.

Oliver Pike, one of the top cinematographers of the series, with friends

http://www.olivergpike.info/memoir.html

 

• Roots (Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / June 22, 1934

• Butterflies And Nettles (The) (H. R. Hewer; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / January 28, 1935 Reissued March 5, 1948 as Story Of A Butterfly a.k.a. Tortoiseshell Butterfly.

• Baby On The Rocks (European Buzzard) (Mary Field; camera: Charles Head; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-9m / January 28, 1935

• He Would A Wooing Go (The Frog Life History) (J.V. Durden; writer: H.R. Hewer; camera: F. Percy Smith; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-10m / January 28, 1935

• Mixed Bathing (Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / January 28, 1935 Updated version of Bath Time At The Zoo in “Secrets of Nature”

• Thistledown (The Thistle) (Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / January 28, 1935

• We Are Seven (A Family Of Great T its) (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-9m / January 28, 1935 These are the chickadee birds, not the... you know.

• Living Lies (Mary Field; camera: Charles Head) / bw-10m / February 7, 1935

• White Flies And Tomatoes (Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / February 7, 1935

• Wake Up And Feed (Feeding Time At The Zoo) (J.B. Holmes; camera: Frank Goodliffe) / bw-10m / March 22, 1935

• A Q ueer Diet (How Plants Feed) (Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / March 22, 1935

• Hedgegrow (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-15m / March 22, 1935 Reissued Mar 12, 1947 as Under The Hedge, on 16mm as Animal Life In The Hedgerow

• Home From The South (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-9m / March 22, 1935 Covers warblers

• Lupins (Life Cycle Of A Plant) (Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / March 22,1935

• The Cabbage (Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / March 29, 1935

• Looper Caterpillars (Mary Field) / bw-10m / December 1935

• The Blow Fly / bw-10m / 1935 May only have been released in 16mm

• Nursery Island (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / March 17, 1936 On 16mm as Bird Sanctuary. Filmed in Farne Islands

• London Visitors (The Blackheaded Gull) (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / March 17, 1936

• The Green Plover (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-9m / May 21, 1936

• Home In The Valley (Mary Field; camera: Charles Head; edited by J.V. Durden; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-10m / August 1, 1936 Updated look at the Sparrow Hawk. Reissued Aug 20, 1946: A Lonely Family

• Community Life (C. Van Wyss; camera: Frank Goodliffe) / bw-10m / August 1, 1936 Reissued: Wood Ants

• Life In The Balance (Interdependence Of Pond Life) (Mary Field; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-10m / August 1, 1936

• New Generation (Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-10m / August 1, 1936 Seed production

• Ravenous Roger (Mary Field; camera: Charles Head; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / August 1, 1936 Reissued in Aug 20, 1946: The Ravens At Home

• Safety First (Self Defense By Plants) (Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-10m / August 1, 1936

• The Sawfly (Mary Field; camera: Charles Head; edited by J.V. Durden; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-10m / August 1, 1936 Reissued Mar 2, 1948 as All About Sawflies

• The Tawny Owl (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike; edited by J.V. Durden; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-10m / August 7, 1936

• Ebb Tide (Mary Field; edited by J.V. Durden; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-10m / August 13, 1936 Reissued Mar 2, 1948 as Under The Rocks a.k.a. Marine Sand Animals

• Fish Face (Mary Field; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / August 13, 1936 Reissued March 5, 1948 as Fishy Looks a.k.a. Facts About Fish

• Rock Pools (Life On A Rocky Shore) (H.R. Hewer; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / August 14, 1936

• The Town Owl (camera: Oliver G. Pike; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-10m / December 17, 1936

• Home Life In The Marshes (Inland And Shore Builders) (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / November 10, 1937 Reissued Aug 20, 1946: Birds Of The Marshes

• Kings In Exile (King Penguins) (Mary Field; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / March 17, 1938

• See How They Run (Mary Field; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-10m / March 17, 1938 Filmed at Edinburgh Zoo; reissued as Animal Movement

• Far And Wide (Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / May 12, 1938

• Queering The Pitch (Mary Field; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-10m / May 12, 1938

• The Catch Of The Season (Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / May 12, 1938 Reissued on 16mm as Life Cycle Of The Trout

• Why A Sponge (Mary Field) / bw-10m / May 12, 1938 (reissued 1940)

• Perky Cockney (The London Sparrow) (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / May 30, 1938

• Home In The Heather (Mary Field; camera: Charles Head; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / October 19, 1938 Emperor Moth

• Living In London (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / October 27, 1938 Profiles pigeons

• Over And Under (Mary Field; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / October 27, 1938 Water spiders

• Swan Song (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / October 27, 1938 Reissued Aug 20, 1946: The Swans

• The Tough 'Un (Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / October 27, 1938 Reissued as a Biology series, titled Dandelion

• Three Wicked Sisters (Mary Field; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / October 27, 1938 Clothes Moths

• Babes In The Wood (Mary Field; edited by J.V. Durden; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-10m / April 17, 1939

• Shadow In The Stream (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / July 1, 1939 Profiles an otter

• Two Little Orphans (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike) / color (Dufaycolor)-10m / December 14, 1939 Covers badgers

• Father Of The Family (Mary Field; camera: J.V. Durden) / color (Dufaycolor)-10m / December 14, 1939 Reissued in 1951 as The Stickleback Family

• Ducks And Drakes (Mary Field; camera: J.V. Durden; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / color (Dufaycolor)-15m / December 14, 1939

• House Painter (Mary Field; edited by J.V. Durden) / color (Dufaycolor)-15m / December 14, 1939 About the Burnett Moth

• Old Blue (Life Story Of The Lupin) (Mary Field; camera: J.V. Durden) / color (Dufaycolor)-10m / December 14, 1939

• Water Baby (Mary Field; camera: J.V. Durden) / color (Dufaycolor)-10m / December 14, 1939

• Hereford Herd (Hereford Pedigree Cattle) (Mary Field; camera: J. Rose & George Pocknall) / bw-20m / July 1940

• Wisdom Of The Wild (Mary Field & F. Percy Smith; camera: Oliver G. Pike; edited by J.V. Durden; narrator: E. V. H. Emmett) / bw-12m / December 1940 View here: https://archive.org/details/WisdomOfTheWild

• Down Somerset Way (Mary Field) / bw-10m / April 1942

• U-Boat In The Pond (Mary Field; camera: Jack Parker; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / April 30, 1942 About the Dityscus Beetle

• Climbers (Mary Field; camera: Jack Parker & Frank North; narrator: Alan Howland) / bw-10m / April 30, 1942 Similar, but with different footage, to Climbing Plants

• On The Heath (Mary Field; camera: Jack Parker & Frank North; narrator: Alan Howland) / bw-10m / April 30, 1942

• On The Moor (Dartmoor) (Mary Field; camera: Jack Parker & Frank North; narrator: Alan Howland) / bw-10m / April 30, 1942

• Once We Were Four (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike & Jack Parker) / bw-10m / April 30, 1942 A rabbit family

• Over The Downs (Mary Field; camera: Jack Parker & Frank North; narrator: Alan Howland) / bw-10m / April 30, 1942

• Overlooked (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike & Jack Parker) / bw-10m / April 30, 1942 Camouflage tricks of animals

• Singing While They Work (Mary Field; camera: Jack Parker; narrator: Alan Howland) / bw-10m / April 30, 1942

• There's Nothing New (Mary Field; camera: Jack Parker; narrator: Alan Howland) / bw-10m / April 30, 1942

• A Queen Is Born (H. Bruce Woolfe) / bw-11m / January 20, 1943 Covers ants, this entry is not officially a “Secrets of Life”

• By Rocks And Marsh / bw-11m / February 10, 1943 Not officially a “Secrets of Life”

• Tree Triumphant (The Apple Tree) (Mary Field) / bw-20m / February 23, 1944

• Kew And Me (Mary Field; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / February 23, 1944 Kew Gardens

• Tongues And Tails (Mary Field; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-15m / February 23, 1944

• Polly All Alone (Mary Field; camera: Oliver G. Pike) / bw-15m / May 3, 1944 About a polecat

• Memories (Gilbert White's Home) (Mary Field) / bw-15m / May 3, 1944

• Paws And Claws (Mary Field; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-15m / May 3, 1944

• Fresh As A Daisy (Irene Wilson; camera: Frank North & F. Percy Smith) / bw-10m / May 22, 1945

• Strife In The Hedgerows (Hedgerows In Spring) (narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-15m / May 22, 1945

• The Pest (Crop Pests) (camera: Jack Parker) / bw-10m / May 22, 1945

• King Of The Forest (The Oak Tree) (narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-20m / June 12, 1945

• Sally The Sparrow (camera: Jack Rose; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-9m / June 22, 1945 A bird visits the London Zoo

• Seashores (Underwater Life On The Seashore) (narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-10m / June 25, 1945

• Fast And Slow (narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-15m / July 5, 1945

• On The Beach (Starfish And Lugworms) / bw-10m / August 20, 1946

• A Visit To Farne Island / bw-10m / August 20, 1946 Update of Nursery Island

• Home Of The Sea Birds / bw-10m / August 20, 1946

• The Willow Tree (Thora James & Claude Hudson; camera: Oliver G. Pike & James Parker) / bw-10m / May 21, 1947

• The Country Comes To Town (Thora James) / bw-15m / May 21, 1947

 

 

Strength And Beauty For Men And Women

Black & white sports instructionals running 8-10 minutes each, directed by Donald Carter; with Frank Bundy on camera and E.V.H. Emmett narrating. All trade shown December 6, 1937.

 

• Daily Dozen

• Our Normal Day

• The Road To Records

• Family Fitness

• Pennies For Health

• Healthy Holidays

 

Tales Of The Woodlands

Co-produced by Wallace Productions with Donald Rawlings directing and additional camera work by James Ewins, these juvenile nature reels borrowed freely from the black and white Secrets of Life (qv). GFD distributed these 9 minute reels to theaters starting June 20, 1947

 

• All Kinds Of Houses

• A Home In The Stream

• Rabbits! Rabbits!

• Sleepy Heads

• Hide And Seek

• A Tadpole Tale

 

Theatrecraft Specials

Produced by Sydney Box and directed by Henry Cass for British Council, both of these are available online. Recreates famous Shakespeare scenes. GFD distributed the 15 minute reels on July 18, 1945.

 

• Julius Caesar, The Forum Scene Features Felix Aylmer, Leo Genn, Sydney Monckton & others. See here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/julius-caesar1

• Macbeth Act II Scene 2 & Act V Scene 1 With Wilfred Lawson, Cathleen Nesbitt, Felix Aylmer & Catherine Lacey; see here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/macbeth

 

Two Thousand Years Ago

Supervised by Mary Field and filmed in Palestine (Israel) by Frank North, this recreation of life in the time Christ was one of GB's more popular United States releases, getting plenty of mileage in the 16mm market thanks to Universal-International's United Film World. Initially shown in October 1946, all were black and white, running 15 minutes.

 

• The Day's Work

• The Home

• The School

• The Synagogue And The Passover

• The Travelers

 

Voyage Of Peter Joe

A comedy series, these 20 minute reels (all B&W) starred Mark Daly, Graham Moffatt, Mark Daly and Knox Crichton. Additional cast members listed below. Henry Passmore produced and Harry Hughes directed.

 

• A Smashing Job / November 22, 1946

• All's Fair / November 22, 1946

• The Ghostesses / November 22, 1946

• Cottage Pie (A Soldier's Cottage) / January 24, 1947

• Lost In The Wash (The Laundry) / January 24, 1947

• The Stamp Ramp / January 24, 1947

 

West Indies Series

Frank A. Bundy was behind the B&W cameras on this series, filmed in 1936. G.J. Cons is listed as director on the final two. British Honduras was also a locale.

 

• Fruit In Jamaica / 10m / March 31, 1938

• Caribs / 9m / May 30, 1938

• Grappling With Grapefruit / 9m / May 30, 1938

• Kernel Nutmeg / 9m / May 30, 1938

• Sponges: The Bahamas / 9m / May 30, 1938

• Sweet Memories / 9m / May 30, 1938

• Tropical Lumbering / 13m / May 30, 1938

• Asphalt Lake: Trinidad / 11m / July 1939

• Jamaican Harvest / 7m / June 1940 See also here: http://www.colonialfilm.org.uk/node/33

 

 

With Uncle Bill At The Zoo

Frank Wells, producer; C.G. Harwood as director. All 10 minute black & white shorts shot at London Zoo. Trade shown on November 26, 1948

 

• The Rodent House

• Creatures Of The Night

• The Small Mammal House

• In The Small Mammal House

• Beaks And Claws

• Zoo Babies

 

[Jlewis]

Gaumont-British Animated Cartoons

 

OK... breaking my own rule and not sticking to just “live-action”.

 

 

David Hand, who supervised Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Bambi for Walt Disney over on Hyperion Avenue in Hollywood and Buena Vista in Burbank, California was persuaded by J. Arthur Rank to start up an animation studio for him in November 1944 with money as no object and as much time needed to train a staff.

Advertising films occupied much of the studio's early years. All of these, I believe, were shot in Technicolor:

 

• Sparky Goes Shopping (for GB Screen Services; written by Ralph Wright and animated by John Reed & Bert Felstead) / 1946
• Coco And The Bear (for Roundtree's; this and the following “Coco” series were written by Ralph Wright and animated by John Reed, Bert Felstead & Frank Moysey; voiced by Elizabeth Welch) / 1946
• Coco And The Cliff / 1946
• Coco The Trapper / 1946
• An Old English Oil Field (for Anglo-Iranian Oil Company; directed by Francis Searle) / 1946
• Smokey Comes Clean (for Oxydol; voice: Stewart McPherson) / 1947
• Puddle Trouble (for Oxydol; voice: Stewart McPherson) / 1947
• Coco The Angler (for Roundtree's; written by Ralph Wright; animated by John Reed, Bert Felstead & Frank Moysey; voiced by Elizabeth Welch) / 1947
• Oh Dear, What Can The Matter Be? (this and the next three for Anglo-Iranian Oil and written by Ralph Wright with music by the Radio Revelers) / September 1947
• There Is A Tavern In The Town / September 1947
• There Was A Lover And His Lass / September 1947
• Beside The Seaside (for ESSO, directed by Ralph Ayres) / 1948
• Early One Morning (for ESSO, directed by Ralph Ayres; music: Radio Revellers) / 1948
• Chin Chat (for Gilette Industries, directed by James Hill, written by Harold Goodwin; key animation by Louis Dahl) / 1949
• A Clean Sweep (for Oxydol with "Smutt & Snowy"; voice: Stewart McPherson) / June 1949
• A Snowy Cleans Up (for Oxydolwith "Smutt & Snowy"; voice: Stewart McPherson) / September 1949

As part of their training, the burgeoning animation staff was also put to work supplying animated segments to the many live-action films cranked out by Gaumont-British. These are just a few, all referenced elsewhere on this thread:

 

• Magna Carta / 1946
• Latitude And Longitude (Ken Hardy) / 1947
• Photosynthesis / 1948
• Body Structures: Elimination / 1948
• Body Structures: Circulation Of The Blood /1948
• Copper Ore Dressing, Smelting And Refining In Northern Rhodesia / 1948
• Digestion: Chemical Changes (Louis Dahl) / 1949
• Digestion: Muscular And Mechanical Movements (Louis Dahl) / 1949
• Introduction To Map Projection / 1949
• Light Series No. 1: First Principles (Ken Hardy) / 1949
• Light Series No. 2: Spherical Mirrors (Ken Hardy) / 1949
• Light Series No. 3: Refraction (Ken Hardy) / 1949
• Light Series No. 4: Lenses (Ken Hardy) / 1949
• Mining Centre Johannesburg / 1950
• The Seasonal Changes In The Temperate Regions (Louis Dahl & Geoffrey Taylor) / 1950
• Revolution Of The Earth Around The Sun (The Earth And Its Movement Around The Sun), The (Louis Dahl & Geoffrey Taylor) / 1950
• The Round World And The Sun's Rays (Louis Dahl & Geoffrey Taylor) / 1950

Moor Hall was the prime location for David Hand's British attempt to "out-Disney" Walt Disney. Unfortunately it suffered the misfortune of getting hit by a flood in March 1947, adding to production delays. Rank's distribution company, General Film Distributors, compensated in that troubled year by releasing some out-sourced productions of Anson Dryer, including a  three part series called Squirrel War (directed by Dryer with Mary Cathcart Borer at his Analysis company) that went into release that same spring and another special one-shot production for that October: Who Robbed The Robins? (Earlier, in April 1945, Dryer had supplied Gaumont British yet another cartoon called Robbie Finds A Gun.)

Normally GFD handled the Universal-International Woody Woodpecker and Andy Panda cartoons series in the UK, but even Universal had fewer to import at this time due to producer Walter Lantz temporarily working with United Artists.

The two primary series that culminated from three years of animation training were “Animaland” and “Musical Paintbox”. In some ways, these were inspired by GB Instructional's popular live-action series “Secrets of Life” and their many British travelogues. Ginger Nutt was their most popular character, along with his buddies Corny Crow, Dusty Mole and Loopy Hare. They enjoyed limited merchandising success on products and toys, but failed to hit it big internationally due to so much territory already conquered by Woody, Bugs Bunny, Tom & Jerry and Popeye. One key criticism at the time that can be also made today (since Image put the Animaland series on DVD a while back and you can probably see them all on YouTube) is that, while they are beautifully executed in a Disneyesque way, they are a trifle bland in comedy. Also some of the music selections may have worked better in the Silly Symphony era than in the Looney Tunes era, even if The Ostrich is quite snazzy in its Egyptian dance scenes.

There were plans for two features which would have added further success had Rank not suddenly decided to pull-the-plug in 1950 to cut expenses in his vast empire: H.G. Wells' The First Men In The Moon (later a live action feature by Nathan H. Juran and stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen) and Lewis Carroll's The Hunting Of The Shark. Many key animators here later worked on the Halas & Bachelor studio's Animal Farm though.

All in Technicolor and running between 10-15 minutes.

Animaland series:

• The Lion (Burt Felstead; writer: Ralph Wright & Pete Griffiths; animation: Stan Pearsall, Ted Percival, Bill Hopper, John Wilson & Chick Henderson; music: Henry Reed; voice: Richard Goolden) / September 23, 1948

• The House Cat (Reg Parlet & Nobby Clark; writer: Ralph Wright, Pete Griffiths & R.A.G. Clarke; animation: Stan Pearsall, Bill Hopper, Arthur Humberstone & George Jackson; music: Henry Reed; voice: Richard Goolden & The Radio Revellers) / October 7, 1948

• The Cuckoo (Burt Felstead; writer: Ralph Wright & Reg Parlett; music: Henry Reed; voice: Richard Goolden & The Radio Revellers) / November 3, 1948

• The Platypus (Burt Felstead; writer: Ralph Wright & Reg Parlett; animation: Stan Pearsall, Bill Hopper, Arthur Humberstone & George Jackson; music: Henry Reed; voice: Dick Bentley) / January 8, 1949

• The Ostrich (Burt Felstead; writer: Ralph Wright & Reg Parlett; animation: John Wilson, Frank Moysey, Chick Henderson & Ted Percival; music: Henry Reed; voice: The Radio Revellers) / April 20, 1949

• It's A Lovely Day (Burt Felstead; writer: Ralph Wright, Pete Griffiths & R.A.G. Clarke; animation: Stan Pearsall, Bill Hopper, Arthur Humberstone & George Jackson; music: Henry Reed) / August 5, 1949 Featuring Ginger Nutt and his buddies

• Ginger Nutt's Bee Brother (Burt Felstead; writer: Reg Parlett & R.A.G. Clarke; animation: Stan Pearsall, Frank Moysey, John Wilson & Bill Hopper; music: Henry Reed) / November 25, 1949

• Ginger Nutt's Christmas Carol (Burt Felstead; writer: Pete Griffiths & Reg Parlett; animation: Stan Pearsall, Frank Moysey, John Wilson & Arthur Humberstone; music: Henry Reed) / December 6, 1949

• Ginger Nutt's Forest Dragon (Burt Felstead; writer: Pete Griffiths & Reg Parlett; animation: Stan Pearsall, Bill Hopper, Chick Henderson & Arthur Humberstone; music: Henry Reed) / April 11, 1950

 

Musical Paintbox series:

• The Thames (G. Henry Stringer; writer: Ralph Wright & R.A.G. Clarke; animation: Peter Jay, Brian O'Hanlon, Waclaw Machan, Andre Amstutz & Deryck Foster; music: Henry Reed) / July 10,1948 (preview in Kinematograph Weekly)

• Wales (G. Henry Stringer; writer: Ralph Wright & Nicholas Spargo; animation: Waclaw Machan, Brian O'Hanlon, Peter Jay, Andre Amstutz & Deryck Foster; music: Henry Reed; voice: Trefor Jones) / October 7, 1948 (preview)

• Somerset (Pat Griffin; writer: Nicholas Spargo & Pete Griffiths; music: Henry Reed; voice: Bernard Miles & Ian Wallace) / February 28, 1949

• A Fantasy In Ireland (G. Henry Stringer; writer: Anthony Benton; animation: Brian O’Hanlon; music: Henry Reed; voice: Ian Wallace) / April 26, 1949

• A Yorkshire Ditty (G. Henry Stringer; writer: Ralph Wright; animation: Waclaw Machan, Peter Jay, Andre Amstutz & John Woodward; music: Henry Reed) / June 10, 1949

• Sketches Of Scotland (G. Henry Stringer; writer: Nicholas Spargo; animation: Peter Jay, John Woodward, Deryck Foster & John Worsley) / September 15, 1949

• Cornwall (Pat Griffin; writer: Anthony Benton; animation: Waclaw Machan; music: Henry Reed) / October 14, 1949

• Canterbury Road (Brian O’Hanlan; music: Henry Reed) / December 9, 1949

• Devon Way (G. Henry Stringer; writer: Nicholas Spargo & Graeme Phillips; animation: Norman Abbey, Deryck Foster, Peter Jay, John Woodward, Brian Wared, Alan Gray & Andre Amstutz; music: Henry Reed; voice: Jon Pertwee & Ian Wallace) / February 1950

• A Fantasy On London Life (Pat Griffin; music: Henry Reed) / March 29, 1950

 

Let's Sing Together: GB Animation provided animation to just one of the following musical series (each in Technicolor and running 9 minutes) featuring music by Leslie Woodgate. I went ahead and included other credits, including two made by GB Animation's biggest competitor, Halas-Batchelor.

 

• No. 1: Wraggle Taggle Gipsies-O! (Diagram Films) / April 2, 1947
• No. 2: One More River (Science Films; H. Bruce Woolfe, producer; animation: Mina Woolfe & Reg Jeffreys)  / November 21, 1947
• No. 3: Dashing Away With The Smoothing Iron (Analysis Films; Anson Dyer, producer) / November 21, 1947
• No. 4: Heave Away My Johnny (John Halas & Joy Batchelor, producers; animation: Wally Crook, Kathleen Houston & Vera Linnecar; design: John Bevan; sound/editing: Jack King) / November 21, 1947
• No. 5: Bound For The Rio Grande (Gaumont British Animation; David Hand, producer) / March 2, 1948
• No. 6: Oh No John (John Halas & Joy Batchelor, producers; animation: Vic Bevis, Brian Borthwick, Wally Crook, Kathleen Houston & Vera Linnecar; camera: Percy Wright) / March 2, 1948

 

[Jlewis]

Gaumont-British Instructional “assortment”

 

Call these what you want: “Specials”, “GB Travelogues”, etc. Putting them in alphabetic order.

 

 

• Accident Service (for Central Film Library; A.R. Dobson; camera: Frank North) / bw-30m / December 1944 Reissued as an edited down They Live Again. Covers the treatment of injured miners

• Aircraft Design (Alan Izod; camera: George Pocknall) / bw-10m / 1935

• Airwoman (GB Screen Services) / bw-1 reel / June 30, 1941

• All Things Equal (for Scotland Yard-C.I.D.- Harold Goodwin & Donald Swanson) / bw-20m-(DR)-1949

• Animal Antics / bw-10m / November 15, 1949

• Animals In Wonderland / bw-10m / June 15, 1939 Kruger National Park

• Arctic Adventure (Guy Blanchard & Sean Graham) / bw-30m / February 3, 1950 Oxford expedition to Jan Mayen Island

• Arctic Harvest (Lewis Gilbert) / bw-20m / May 31, 1946

• Atlantic (for British Council; Mary Field) / bw-10m / February 22, 1941 See here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/atlantic

• Backwood Babies / bw-20m / August 31, 1949

• Before Breakfast (GB Screen Services) / bw-1 reel / December 1943

• Behind The Flame (for North Thames Gas Board- James Hill) / bw-10m / 1948

• Bits Of Our Aircraft Are Missing (Darrel Catling) / bw-10m / 1943

• Black Gold (Donald Carter; camera: R. Gettemen) / bw-20m / August 14, 1939

• Breath Of Danger (Stanley Irving) / bw-10m / December 1941

• Breathing (Donald Carter) / bw-10m / June 1934

• Britain's Comet (Donald Carter, producer; James Hill) / bw-20m / April 1952

• Buried Treasure (for Coal Utilization Council; John Grierson & Arthur Elton, producers; Donald Cater) / bw-10m / December 15, 1938

• The Cathode Ray Oscillograph (camera: Frank Goodliffe) / bw-10m / October 1934

• Cavalcade Of Aviation (narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-20m / October 15, 1942

• Centered On Wimbleton (for Messrs. Slazeengers Ltd.) / bw-25m / July 1947

• Changes In The Franchise (Mary Field, producer; Andrew Miller Jones) / bw-10m / 1937

• Chisoko The African (Donald Carter, Donald Swanson) / bw-36m / April 26, 1949

• Churchill, Man Of The Century (Castleton Knight, producer; narrator: John Snagge) / bw-20m / November 1955

• Cine-Sports Magazine (GB Screen Services) / bw-20 x 6m shorts / September 1942

• Citizen's Advice Bureau (GB Screen Services; Francis Searle) / bw-1 reel / June 21, 1941

• The Civilian Front (for Central Film Library; Mary Field) / bw-20m / December 1940

• Cliff Face / bw-20m / January 2, 1948 (filmed '47)

• Coal Front (for Central Film Library; Francis Searle) / bw-20m / January 1941

• Colony In Colour: Rhodesia (Donald Carter, producer James Swackhammer) / color-20m / March 18, 1949 Technicolor travelogue

• Colour In Clay (for British Council- Darrell Catling; camera: Jack Cardiff) / Technicolor-11m / April 16, 1942 see here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/colour-in-clay

• Copper Ore Dressing, Smelting And Refining In Northern Rhodesia (Donald Carter, producer Ken Hardy & Robin G. Last; camera: Louis Newport; sound: Peter Birch) / bw-20m / 1948

• The Coronation Of Pope John XXIII / color-20m / November 1958

• Crowning Glory (Andrew Buchanan) / bw-14m / 1936 Mini-drama set on a movie set. With Edwin Style, Evelyn Barbard, Olive Melville, Cicely Paget-Bowman, Moran Caplat & David Hoffman

• Czechoslovakia (Mary Field) / bw-40m / November 21, 1947

• Death On The Road (for News of the World; Paul Rotha) / bw-10m / May 7, 1936

• Derby 1949 / bw-20m / August 1949

• Diphtheria (for Ministry of Heath) / bw-10m / May 19, 1941

• Double Thread (Mary Field) / bw-20m / February 11, 1944

• Down To The Sea In Trucks (Ralph McCormick; narrator: Frank Phillips) / bw-16m / 1948 (filmed '47)

• Dry Dock (Stanley Hawes; camera: George Pocknall) / bw-12m / May 14, 1936

• End Of The Day (When Day Is Done) (Harcourt-Pearson; George Pearson) / color (Dufaycolor)-10m / February 14, 1939

• The Ekcomatic Story (for Platers & Stampers) / bw-1 reel / 1951

• The Empire Around The Atlantic / bw-20m / December 1940

• The Engine Driver (for Associated British Pathé- David Welsh) / bw-20m / 1947 Silent version on YouTube

• Expansion Of Germany, 1870-1914 (Mary Field & Andrew Miller Jones) / bw-10m / November 16, 1936

• The Farm Factory (Mary Field; camera: George Pockwell) / bw-20m / November 16, 1936

• Felts For Paper Makers (Derek Mayne; camera: Frank North) / bw-10m / 1953

• Fighting Fields (Mary Field, producer for Scottish Films; Stanley Russell; narrator: Alvar Liddell) / bw-10m / July 1942

• The Filter (for Metropolitan Water Board- Mary Field; camera: F. Percy Smith; edited by J.V. Durden) / bw-10m / March 29, 1935

• First Aid On The Spot (GB Screen Services; Francis Searle) / bw-2 reels / 1943

• First Aid Post (GB Screen Services; Francis Searle) / bw-2 reels / November 1942

• The First Year (Darrel Catling; sound: Peter Birch) / bw-11m / 1948 Filmed in Tanganyika (Tanzania)

• Fishing Grounds Of The World (Lewis Gilbert; camera: Leon Shauder & Derek Taylor) / bw-10m / November 1947

• The Fishmonger (Gaston Charpenter; camera: Jack Parker) / bw-10m / November 1947

• Fitness For Service (for Central Film Library; J. Warren) / bw-10m / December 1940

• Forests Of Furniture / bw-10m / May 30, 1938

• Free Ascent / bw-10m / December 30, 1955 Covers submarine training

• The French 'U' (Mary Field; camera: Charles Van Enger) / bw-10m / June 22, 1934

• From Fear To Faith (James Swackhammer) / bw-20m / April 1952 (filmed '46) Filmed in Rhodesia; see here: http://www.colonialfilm.org.uk/node/212

• From The Seven Seas (Leon Schauder; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-11m / December 1941

• The Gap (Donald Carter) / bw-38m / April 21, 1937 Docu-drama about a possible air-raid. With G.H. Mulcaster, Patric Curwen, Carleton Hobbs, Jack Vyvyan, Norman Wooland & Foster Carlin

• Garden Friends And Foes (for Ministry of Agriculture & Ministry of Information; Darrel Catling) / bw-20m / February 1943

• Gas Masks (for Ministry of Home Security) / bw-10m / 1940

• Gaumount-British Ads (GB Screen Services) / bw-3m each / February 1943 Titles: Dirty Work Afloat / How To Make Your Clothes Last / Know The Signs No. 1 & 2 / Your Sauce

• Good Manners / bw-10m / July 14, 1950 With the Boston Youth Club

• Grinding Corn (for Associated British Pathé- David Welsh) / bw-20m / 1947

• H.M. Motor Launches (GB Screen Services for Central Film Library; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-2 reels / November 1942

• Here We Come Gathering (Wallace Productions) / bw-10m / November 5, 1945

• Hold Your Horses / bw-20m / June 16, 1950

• Home Of Good Health (Wander Films) / bw-10m / 1936

• Horse-Capades / bw-20m / August 5, 1949 With Julia Lockwood

• Hospital Nurse (GB Screen Services for Central Film Library; Francis Searle; writer Harold Goodwin) / bw-1 reel / November 15, 1941

• Hot Air / bw-10m / March 10, 1943

• How Talkies Talk (Donald Carter; writer: T. Hafner; camera: Frank Goodliffe) / bw-20m / June 22, 1934

• A Hundred Years Ago (for Central Film Library; Brian Salt) / bw-10m / 1944

• Igloo / bw-10m / August 19, 1937

• Indian Ocean (Mary Field) / bw-10m / January 1946 (started '41)

• Into The Blue (for Warner Bros.) / bw-10m / November 28, 1940 Covers RAF training

• Isle Of Bays (Frank Wells, producer) / Eastmancolor-20m / February 11, 1955

• Isn't She A Pet? (Frank Wells, producer) / bw-20m / June 1950

• Keyboard Talks (J.B. Holmes; cameraL George Pocknall; host: Mark Hamburg) / bw-20m / February 1936

• King Corn (GB Screen Services; Francis Searle) / bw-1 reel / 1941

• Kings Of The Turf (for Instructional Diploma- Walter West; camera: Charles Marlborough; narrator: Stewart MacPherson) / bw-30m / January 1949 (filmed '48) Features Gordon Richards

• La Gare (Mary Field; camera: Charles Van Enger) / bw-10m / June 22, 1934

• Let There Be Bread (for Food & Agricultural Organization of UN) / bw-20m / 1953

• Log Of A Four Master / bw-10m / December 19, 1952 South African voyage

• Looking At Birds (narrator: Alvar Lidell) / bw-9m / March 11, 1949

• Lovebirds / bw-10m / August 31, 1949

• The Making Of Wedgewood (Darrel Catling) / bw-10m / 1938

• Man Against The Mountain / bw-10m / March 10, 1943 Tree planting in Scotland

• Meet The Ovaltineys (GB Screen Services) / bw-7m / January 1941 With Celia Lipton & Ann Stephens

• The Microphone (Frank Goodliffe) / bw-10m / December 1937

• The Mine (J.B. Holmes; camera: Frank Bundy) / bw-20m / July 1936 Profiles coal

• Mining Centre Johannesburg (Donald Swanson & Guy Fergusson; camera: George Groom) / bw-20m / 1950

• Mining For Copper- Northern Rhodesia (Donald Carter, producer) / bw-10m / 1950

• Miss T (for Electrical Association for Women; Mary Field) / bw-10m / August 31, 1940

• The Modern Spirit (G.J. Cons; camera: Frank A. Bundy) / bw-20m / September 22, 1938 Covers oil industry

• Modern Steelcraft (for Thomas Firth) / bw-20m / October 1937

• Monument To A Pioneer / bw-20m / August 31, 1949

• Morning Paper (for British Council; Donald Parker; camera: Jack Parker) / bw-10m / April 17, 1942

• Mosquitoes In The Making (GB Screen Services) / bw-2 reels / 1945 Manufacture of aircraft

• Mrs. Mopp Finds Out (GB Screen Services) / bw-1 reel / April 1943 With Dorothy Summers

• Mrs. T And Her Cabbage Patch (for Electrical Association for Women- Mary Field; camera: Jack Parker) / bw-10m / 1941

• Musical Notes / bw-12m / December 1950

• A Nation Once Again (Donald Carter, producer; Brendan Stafford) / bw-20m / May 31, 1946 Profiles Thomas Davis

• Naval Occasions (for Royal Navy Film; John Hunt) / bw-20m / April 29, 1958 Covers HMS Aberdeen through the Mediterranean

• Never Bully Beef (Mary Field) / bw-20m / 1938

• New Esso Refinery (for Esso Petroleum; Darrel Catling; camera: Jack Parker) / bw-2 films / 1951

• The New Mine (Donald Carter, producer for British Council- Irene Wilson) / bw-30m / January 26, 1945 Covers the Comrie Collier of Scotland. See here: http://film.britishcouncil.org/the-new-mine

• Nitralloy Special Wear-resisting Steel (Darrel Catling) / bw-10m / 1938

• On Guard In The Air / bw-10m / 1940

• One Company (Edward Black, producer for Central Film Library; John Harlow) / bw-10m / January 1943 (filmed '42)

• Out And About (for Board of Education- Stanley Irving) / bw-10m / December 1941

• Paperchain (James Hill) / bw-10m / 1946

• Pathfinders Of The Peace / bw-20m / 1948

• Paving The Way / bw-10m / March 12, 1943

• Petroleum (Frank Bundy) / bw-10m / 1940

• Plan For Living (for Gas Council- Donald Carter; camera: George Pocknall; hosts: Julian Huxley & Kenneth Lindsay) / bw-10m / 1938

• Power In The Highlands (Paul Rotha) / bw-10m / May 5, 1936

• Precious Fluid / bw-10m / November 1934

• Primitive Peoples (Australian Aborigines) (Donald Carter, producer) / bw-33m / December 1949

• Proud Canvas: Sailing To The Cape (Audrey Singer; camera: Brendan J. Stafford) / bw-20m / August 5, 1949

• The Queen's Navy (Derek Mayne) / bw-20m / May 21, 1954

• Ratepayer's Money (George Sturt' camera: Jack Parker) / bw-15m / 1948

• The Red Army (Andrew Miller Jones; camera: Jack Rose; narrator: Howard Marshall) / bw-10m / June 24, 1936 Profiles bed-bugs. Revised 1940 as Anybody's Bugbear (edited by Alex Bryce)

• Remember 1948 / bw-1 reel / January 1949

• The Right Way And The Wrong Way ( GB Screen Services) / bw-1 reel / February 1943

• A Ring For The Rajah (Frank Wells, producer) / bw-20m / January 6, 1950 (filmed '49)

• The Road To Health (for British Social Hygiene Council- Brian Salt) / bw-12m / 1938

• Royal New Zealand Journey (Castleton Knight, producer for the New Zealand Film Unit; Oxley Hughan) / color-20m / February 1954

• Royal Symphony (Castleton Knight, producer; Malcolm Sargent) / color-26m / March 2, 1954 (filmed '53) Distributed by United Artists in the United States

• The Royal Tour Of South Africa / bw-2 reels / February 1947

• The Royal Visit To Fiji And Tonga (Castleton Knight, producer for the New Zealand Film Unit; Oxley Hughan) / color-30m / January 1, 1954

• Sailors Do Care (Lewis Gilbert) / bw-10m / 1944

• Sam Pepys Joins The Navy (GB Screen Services; Francis Searle) / bw-1 reel / December 1941

• Sands Of Time (Derek Mayne) / bw-20m / January 14, 1949

• Scotland For Fitness (for Films of Scotland [John Grierson]- Brian Salt; narrator: Sir Iain Colquhoun) / bw-11m / May 5, 1938

• Searchlight On Japan (Cinesound Productions Ltd; Ken G. Hall) / bw-21m / March 18, 1949

• Searchlight On Steel (camera: Jack Parker) / bw-20m / April 20, 1949

• The Second Battle Of London (Castleton Knight, producer; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-1 reel / December 3, 1944 Features Frederick Alfred Pile

• The Sewerman (Malcolm Stewart) / bw-10m / November 1947

• Shipbuilders (Leon Schauder; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-10m / November 14, 1940

• Shipcraft / bw-10m / May 5, 1936

• Shipyard (for Orient Shipping Line & Vickers Armstrong; John Greirson & Paul Rotha) / bw-20m / October 19, 1935

• Singapore: A Study Of A Port (Brian Salt) / bw-10m / 1951 Mostly marketed in 16mm. Uploaded on the Travelarchive channel

• A Slice Of Life (for Exclusive) / bw-20m / June 1951

• Sons Of The Air (Castleton Knight, producer) / bw-40m / October 1944

• Sound Advice (Alan Izod; camera: Frank Bundy) / bw-10m / January 1937 (filmed '36)

• Southern Rhodesia: Is This Your Country (Donald Carter, producer writer: Alastair Scobie) / bw-21m / June 1946

• Starbrite Rust And Acid Resisting Steel (Darrel Catling) / bw-10m / 1938

• Steam Engine (for British Council) / bw-11m / 1948

• Steel (Paul Rotha) / bw-10m / September 24, 1934

• The Steam Turbine (for British Council) / bw-11m / 1948

• The Steel Works (John Elder, producer) / bw-20m / December 1949

• Storm At Sea / bw-20m / December 19, 1952 Filmed 1949. Covers a ship at peril.

• The Story Of Wool (Philip Leacock) / bw-10m / 1940

• Streamline / bw-10m / May 5, 1936

• Student Nurse (GB Screen Services for British Council- Francis Searle; writer Harold Goodwin; narrator: Joseph MacLeod) / bw-1 reel / January 26, 1945

• Sure And Steadfast (Malcolm Stewart; camera: Jack Parker) / bw-30m / 1942

• Take It Away (narrator: Jon Pertwee) / bw-20m / April 7, 1950 Covers sewage disposal

• Tea Growing In Assam (for Tea Bureau- G.J. Cons) / bw-20m / 1950

• The Ten Year Plan (for Iron & Steel Confederation- Lewis Gilbert) / bw-17m / March 2, 1945

• They Keep The Wheels Turning (GB Screen Services for Ministry of Transport- Frank Searle; camera: Walter Harvey) / bw-1 reel / November 1942

• They Stand Ready (Frank Wells, producer; Frank Bundy) / bw-20m / April 6, 1956

• They're Everywhere (Darrel Catling) / bw-10m / 1946

• Tobacco Growing (Donald Carter, producer) / bw-13m / 1949 Filmed in Rhodesia

• Under The Surface (Frank Wells, producer for National Coal Board- Derek Mayne; camera: Jack Parker) / bw-10m / November 21, 1952

• Unemployment And Money (Mary Field, producer; Michael Polyani) / bw-10m / 1940

• Unwanted Guests / bw-10m / December 1943

• Voice Of The Vintage (Mary Field; narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-20m / April 20, 1939 About port wine

• A Voyage Of Discovery / bw-10m / December 15, 1937

• War Without End (GB Screen Services for Exclusive release; Francis Searle) / bw-30m / 1937 (estimated release year) Portrait of a modern hospital. Filmed in 1936, but widely distributed in 1939

• Water (Mary Field; camera: Jack Parker) / bw-10m / December 1942

• Water Power (Stanley Hawes) / bw-12m / 1937 Likely made for 16mm market

• What To Do In An Air Raid (GB Screen Services for Ministry of Home Security) / bw-1 reel / May 30, 1940

• Wheatlands Of East Anglia (Farming In East Anglia) (Mary Field; camera: George Pocknall) / bw-20m / June 22, 1934

• Wimbleton Championships Of 1949 / bw-7m / July 1949

• Winged Citadel (Darrel Catling) / bw-28m / June 1952 Covers Malta

• Winged Messengers (for Central Film Library; Mary Field; camera: Frank North) / bw-10m / June 9, 1941 Covers enlistment of pigeons for the war effort

• Wonder Ship / bw-20m / June 1936

• World Economic Geography: Iron And Steel Supply Of The World (narrator: Frank R. Phillips) / bw-12m22s / 1949 View here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rg5vctokvw

• World Economic Geography: Tobacco Supply Of The World / bw-13m / 1949

 

[Jlewis]

Rank General Distribution:

 

 

Look At Life (listed in alphabetic order for easier searching)

 

By March 1959, the Gaumont British newsreel was folded and replaced by this delightful weekly series of “human interest” reels filmed in Eastmancolor. Rank Special Features was the company identified, with George Grafton Green as producer (later executive producer).

The series ended exactly ten years later in the very same month (March 1969) that British Pathé ended its own Pictorial, a series that had staggeringly been produced nonstop since March 1918! (That series tentatively used sound in 1930, but was exclusively black and white until it went all-color practically overnight in January 1955.) Quite a few of both series can be seen on YouTube.

These are listed in A to Z order for a change, so it is easier to match titles with what you uncover online.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Look_at_Life_(film_series)

 

 

• The Abbey Backstage (narrator: John Westbrook) / 11m / March 1966

• Action This Day (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1961 Royal Marine Commandos

• After Harold Fell (narrator: Tim Turner except one) / 9m / May 1966

• After The Queen’s Visit (narrator: Duncan Carse) / 9m / February 1969 Royal visit to Chile

• Against The Clock (narrator: Raymond Baxter) / 9m / February 1961

• Air Hostess (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / February 1960 Features Pat Rossiter

• Air Lift (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1966 The RAF aids Zambia

• Air Umbrella / 9m / November 1960 Features the F104 Starfighter

• All In A Day's Work (narrator: Duncan Carse) / 9m / October 1968 How airlines help careers

• All Their Own Work (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1960

• All Through The Night (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1960 Trunk roads with the “artic” night lorries

• Alpine Rescue (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / September 1959 In Switzerland

• Amphibian (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1962 DUKW and other amphibious military craft

• And So To Bed (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1961 All about the mattress

• Any Old Iron? (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1962 Salvage steel

• Anything To Declare? (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / November 1965

• Ark In The Sky (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1967

• Art Is A Business (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1961

• As Good As Gold (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1963

• At The End Of A Rope (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1962 How rope is made

• Away From The Blackboard (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / January 1966

• Back-Room of the Sky (narrator: Raymond Baxter) / 9m / June 1963 Aircraft tests at Boscombe Down

• The Ball At His Feet (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / August 1961

• Battle Of The Bulge (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1961

• The Beach (narrator: Peter Duval Smith) / 9m / July 1966

• Beating The Racket (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1965

• Beauty And The Rest / 8m / December 1962 Features Margaret Bradmen & Jackie White

• Behind The Ton-Up Boys (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1964 British motorcycle problems

• Behind The World Cup (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / January 1966

• The Big Blow (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1961

• The Big Sell (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1968

• The Big Take-Off (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1966 More on British aircraft

• Birdmen (narrators: Tim Turner & Paul Rogers) / 9m / January 1963 At the De Havilland Aeronautical Technical School

• The Black Arrows / 9m / September 1959 Acrobatic team does aerial maneuvers

• The Black Watch (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1962 Visit by the Queen Mother on banks of the Tay

• Blood And Fire (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / January 1965

• Blue Streak (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1962

• Bookies At The Crossroads (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / August 1964

• Booming Good Wishes (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1967

• Bottle Party (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1960 Pre-recycle problems of glass

• The Box On The Wall (narrators: Tim Turner & Paul Rogers) / 8m / February 1963

• Boxes Of Tricks (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1966 Modern teaching machines

• Boys Without Girls (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1965

• Brain Dead (narrator: Martin Jarvis) / 9m / December 1967 Questions a shortage of scientists

• Brains Unlimited (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1960

• Breaking Cover (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1960

• Breaking The Ice (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1966 Aiding travel in frozen waters

• Bronze, Silver And Gold (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / February 1969

• Bullfighter (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1959

• But Not On Sunday (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1965

• By Bread Alone (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / January 1965 New advances in baking

• The Call From The Wild (Call Of The Wild) (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1962 Rhodesia national parks

• Calling The Tune (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1964

• Can You Read This? (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / January 1969

• The Car Has Wings (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1963 Traveling the Forth Road Bridge

• A Car Is Born (narrator: Michael Brooke) / 9m / June 1959

• Cats Of The Sea (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1965 Sailing catamarans

• Caught In The Cold (narrators: Tim Turner & Paul Rogers) / 10m / February 1963 Winter traffic conditions

• Cause For Alarm (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1959

• Ceremonial Soldier / 9m / September 1959 With the sentries at Buckingham Palace

• Chairbound (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / January 1964

• Change At The Tower (narrator: John Witty) / 9m / August 1967

• The Changing River (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1962 Touring the Rhine River

• Channel Tunnel / 9m / November 1959 Shows the science of building tunnels

• Char and Wad / 9m / October 1961 International work of NAAFI

• Chasing the Dragon (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1962 Drug traffic in Hong Kong

• The Cherry-Pickers (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1965 Following the 11th Hussars from Hanover to Coburg

• Chickens In The Mill (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1961

• Chinatown (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / October 1967 Britain's Asian population

• The Churchill Pilgrimage (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1966

• Cinema Steps Out (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1962

• City Dogs (narrator: Martin Jarvis) / 9m / July 1968

• City Of All Nations (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1966 São Paulo in Brazil

• City Of Crisis / 9m / October 1961 Berlin at the time the wall started

• City Of Sailors (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1965

• City Of The Air (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1964 London airport

• The City's Built For Shooting (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1963

• The City's For Living In (Joe Mendoza; narrator: Ann MacEwan) / 10m / September 1968 How Bath and Norwich combat traffic

• Cleaning People (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / February 1967 Mostly dry cleaning services

• Clearway For Ships (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1966

• Coffee Bar (narrator: Michael Brooke) / 8m / June 1959

• Collectors' Pieces (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1967

• Coming Of Age (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / August 1968 More about India

• Coming To Terms (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1967

• Coming, Sir! (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1961 Hotels in profile

• Common Market (narrator: John Snagge) / 9m / October 1962

• Constant Hot Water (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1964 Visiting the volcanic zone of New Zealand

• Controlled Landing (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / August 1961

• Cool Cats (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1965

• Counting Heads (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1961

• The Cover Story (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / March 1966 Paperback book sales

• Cricket On Test (narrator: Richie Benaud) / 9m / August 1965

• Crisis In The Cathedral (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1965

• Crossing The Channel (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / October 1964 Latest English Channel swimmers

• Crowning Glory (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / March 1963

• The Curtain Changes (narrator: John Snagge) / 10m / December 1965 Comparing east and west Europe

• The Dance Of Life (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1961

• The Deer Hunters (narrator: Derek Newark) / 9m / November 1968

• Derby Day / 9m / July 1959

• The Destroyers (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / May 1963 Insect pests

• Digging Up The Past (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1963

• The Divided City (narrator: Tim Turner) / 15m / June 1959 Visiting Berlin

• Do It Yourself (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1964

• Doctor On Call (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1964 Filmed in Kuala Lumpur

• The Doctor Suggests (narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / 10m / March 1959

• A Dog's Life (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1959 London through canine eyes

• Donkey Work (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1964

• Down in the Dumps (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / September 1965 Car refuge

• Down In The Forest (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1962

• Down London River (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1959

• Down On The Farm (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1959

• Down To Earth (narrator: John Witty) / 9m / July 1966 WRAF girls trek into the jungle

• Down Town (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / July 1965

• Draw The Fires (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1963 Final departure of the Flying Scotman on the tracks

• Driving Test (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1959 Not just cars but also buses

• Drummers of the Queen (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1964 Junior Guardsmen's Company

• Dustman's Day (narrator: Sidney James) / 7m / November 1959

• Eagle’s Nest (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / January 1962 Berchtesgaden, in the Bavarian Alps

• Early Starters (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1964

• Earning Their Keep (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / February 1962

• East Of Suez (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / August 1966 The military in Borneo

• Eating High (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1966

• The End Of The Polish March (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1966 Britain's Polish culture

• Escape Into Riches (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / November 1968 India culture

• Europe Grows Together (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / December 1963

• Evening Paper! (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1966

• Everything Stops For Tea (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / November 1961

• Eyes Of The Law (narrator: Raymond Baxter) / 9m / February 1962 Traffic control in West Germany includes the Hammersmith Flyover

• The Face Lift (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1966 Cleaning up London and Paris

• A Fair Cop (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / January 1966

• Fairs Please (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / October 1960

• Farming For Fashion (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1962 Mink farming

• Farming For Fish (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1965

• Figure It Out (narrators: Tim Turner & Paul Rogers) / 8m / February 1963 Sixties computers

• Fings Are Getting Smaller (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1964 Reducing products

• Fire Over London (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / March 1966

• Fish And Ships (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1961

• Flags Over The Temples (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / July 1961 SEATO in Thailand

• Flight Deck (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1960 Aboard the carrier Hermes

• A Flight Of Fancy (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1962

• Flight On A Cushion (narrator: Christopher Cockerell, Peter Lamb & Tim Turner) / 9m / August 1959 Saunders Roe discusses a hovercraft voyage in July 1959

• Flood Tide (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / April 1961 Combating the sea with warning systems

• The Flying Soldier (narrator: Tim Turner) / 11m / August 1965 British army helicopter training

• Flying To Work (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1964

• Follow The Stars (narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / 8m / March 1959 Telescope at Jodrell Bank

• For Crying Out Loud! (narrator: Tim Turner) / 16m / June 1964

• For The Record (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / September 1961 Shows how Helen Shapiro's 1961 hit "Walkin' Back To Happiness" was recorded

• Forging New Links (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / August 1963 History of Ulster

• Forward March (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / February 1964 British Army infantry men

• Four Man Down (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / March 1960

• Free Fall (narrator: John Witty) / 9m / June 1967 The Falcons team

• Frontiers Of Medicine (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / April 1965

• Funny Business Is No Joke (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1967 Features Eric Morecombe, Ernie Wise, Coco the Clown, Osbert Lancaster, Ray Galton & Alan Simpson

• G.H.Q. Middle East (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / June 1962 A mixture of the old and the new: a look at G.H.Q. middle east at Aden

• The Ganges Might Lead Anywhere (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 10m / August 1968

• Garden Of Tomorrow / 8m / July 1959 Chelsea Flower Show

• Gardens To Order (narrator: Roy Hay) / 9m / June 1967

• Getting A Move On (narrator: Sidney James) / 8m / February 1962

• Getting Wet (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1962

• Gibraltar’s New Day (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1960 Profiles the sea port

• A Girl's Best Friend (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / January 1962

• Girls Ahoy! (narrator: John Witty) / 9m / May 1961 Women's Royal Naval Service

• Girls Of The Air (narrators: Tim Turner & Paul Rogers) / 9m / January 1963 Profiles WRAF

• The Givers (narrator: Anthony Bilbow) / 9m / August 1966 Britain’s National Blood Transfusion Service

• Glamour Gets A Passport (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / July 1963

• Glamour Girls (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / May 1960

• Glorious Mud (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / January 1964

• Going Places Under Water (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / August 1964 Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro

• Going To Blazes (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / April 1961

• The Golden West (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / May 1964

• Golden Wings (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1962 Aircraft like the Blackburn monoplane, the Sopwith Pup and the Hart

• Goodbye Piccadilly (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1967

• The Greatest Of These (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / March 1963

• Gun Dogs (Kenneth Fairbairn; narrator: John Stockbridge) / 10m / February 1968

• Gypsy Holiday / 9m / August 1963 Pilgrimage to the Camargue – the wild corner of France where the Rhône meets the Mediterranean

• The Hair Set (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1966

• Harvest Of Hops (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1959 A family holiday in Kent

• The Hat Trick (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / April 1962 David Nixon examines ladies' hats

• Having A Baby (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1964 Nurseries today

• Healing Hands (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1959

• The Hidden Strength (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / January 1967

• Hidden Treasure (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / July 1967

• High And Dry (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1966

• High Living (narrator: Martin Jarvis) / 9m / April 1968

• High Rise (narrator: John Witty) / 7m / October 1961

• High Tension (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1961

• High, Wide And Faster (narrator: Tim Turner) / 18m / November 1963 Roadway construction

• Holiday Camps (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / November 1963

• Holiday With Pay (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1960

• Home Is Tibet (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / September 1968 With the Dalai Lama

• Home Tomorrow (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 8m / June 1966

• Hopping Along! (narrator: Martin Jarvis) / 9m / September 1967 Kent hop pickers

• Horse-power Riders (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / August 1960 Demonstrated by the Royal Corps Signals

• Hot History (narrator: George Scott) / 10m / September 1968

• How Do You Swing? (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1964

• A Hundred Thousand Oarsmen (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / August 1961

• Hyde Park Corner (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1960

• I Protest (narrator: Tim Turner) c-6m-(DC: Look At Life)-July 1960

• Ice Age (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / June 1961 How ice is utilized

• In For A Fast (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / March 1967

• In Gear (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / March 1967 Covering the groovy shopping fashions of “pretty young things”. Great retro “mod” appeal here.

• In Good Shape (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / October 1962

• In The Honours List / 9m / March 1969

• In The Kart (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / October 1963

• In The Livery (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1965

• In The Shadow Of The Wall (narrator: Tim Brinton) / 9m / November 1968 In Berlin

• In The Swim (narrator: Kay Hammond) / 7m / February 1960

• Incas In Bowler Hats (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1966 Bolivia tour

• Inside Jobs (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / February 1966

• Inside Russia No. 1: Fifty (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 10m / November 1967

• Inside Russia No. 2: The Heiress (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 10m / November 1967 Women workers in Russia

• Inside Russia No. 3: Childhood (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 10m / November 1967

• Inside Russia No. 4: The Woken (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 10m / November 1967 Life in Siberia

• Instant Homes (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / February 1964

• Island At The Cross Roads (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1962

• An Island Awakens (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1966 Sardinia tour

• Island of Men (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1959 Visiting Fair Isle

• Island Refuge (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / September 1963

• It's A Clean Sweep (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / August 1962

• It's A Gamble (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1963

• It's Odds On The Fish (narrator: John Westbrook) / 9m / September 1968

• James Bond’s Island (narrator: Peter Hawkins) / 9m / April 1965 Jamaica tour

• Jazz All The Way (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1963

• The Jet Folk (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1964 United States Third Air Force

• Jobs For The Dogs (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / January 1966

• Jobs Where You Like (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1966

• Jobs With A Thrill (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / September 1961

• Jumping For Joy / 9m / September 1968

• Jumping Jets (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1965 The revolutionary vertical take-off capacity of the RAF Kestrel.

• Jumping To Aintree (narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / 7m / April 1959

• Just An Accident (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1967 Highway fatalities

• Keeping Clean (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1963 New mechanized techniques

• Keeping Fit (narrator: John Langham) / 7m / October 1960

• Keeping In Touch (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1964

• Keeping Tabs On Space (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1967 Britain’s first spacecraft, UK3

• Key To The Door (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / September 1963 New scientific education centers

• Kings Of Speed / 7m / August 1959

 

 

[Jlewis]

Look At Life: Part 2 (listed in alphabetic order for easier searching)

 

• Lady By The Sea (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1964

• Lady Of Japan (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / July 1961 Tour of Tokyo

• The Last Battleship (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1962 HMS Vanguard

• Laying The Table (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1965

• Let's Go Dancing Dustman's Day / 7m / November 1959

• Letting Off Steam (Vernon Greeves; narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / April 1959 British Railways phases out of coal-powered steam

• Lighter Than Air (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1967 Hot air balloon ride

• Lights Up (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / November 1961

• The Limit (narrators: Tim Turner & Paul Rogers) / 9m / January 1963

• Link-Up (narrator: Tim Brinton) / 10m / January 1969

• The Little Menace (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / December 1961 Medical research

• Little Orphan Annie (Ray Browne; narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / December 1967

• Living On A Volcano (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1967 Visiting Ascension Island

• Living On Skis (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / June 1965

• Living On Smoke (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1966

• Living With Cars (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1964

• A Load of Pheasants (narrator: Duncan Carse) / 9m / January 1969 Following intercontinental deliveries by lorries that travel through Britain's ferry ports.

• Loads For Roads (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1966

• Look – No Hands! (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1966

• Look At The Isle Of Man (narrator: Martin Jarvis) / 9m / February 1969

• Looking For Nothing (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / July 1961

• Making A Meal Of It (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / December 1960 Foods of this past century

• Making An Effort (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / August 1959

• Malta Milestone (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / January 1965

• Man Into Fish (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1961

• Man Of The Desert (Robert Spencer; narrator:) / 9m / June 1968 History of Tunisia

• The Maple Has New Leaves (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1962 An English family migrates to Canada

• Market Day (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / May 1963

• Market On The Danube (narrator: Roger Wesson) / 9m / June 1966 Touring Hungary

• Market Place (narrator: Sid James) / 9m / May 1959 Street markets compete with grocery stores

• Marrakesh / 9m / March 1959 First episode of the series makes a visit to this Morocco city

• A Marriage Is Arranged (narrator: E.V.H. Emmett) / 9m / April 1959 Steel + plastic

• Match Makers (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1961

• Meet The Mayor (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / July 1962

• Members Only (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / May 1965

• Men Against The Sea (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1965 Holland delta plan

• Men In The Mode / 7m / October 1961

• Men Of The Snowy (narrator: Tim Turner) / 11m / May 1964 Snow River in Australia

• Men Of The Woods (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1963 Berchtesgaden woods men

• Men Under Pressure (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1963 Showing construction of a tunnel

• Men With Ideas (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / July 1961 Inventions are patented

• Millions On The March (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / November 1962

• Mini And Mod (narrator: John Westbrook) / 8m / March 1968

• Model Girl / 9m / December 1968

• Model World / 7m / January 1960

• Money In The Slot (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / January 1965

• Money Talks (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / July 1959

• Moving Day (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1967 NATO re-stationed in Belgium

• Murder Bag (narrator: Tim Brinton) / 9m / August 1967

• Muscle Men (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / June 1961

• Music By The Mile (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1966

• Mystery Of A Fish (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / September 1961 Salmon of River Axe in Devon

• The Needles Point The Way (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1965

• The New Australians (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1964

• A New Deal For Deer (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1965

• New Hands On The Farm (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1965

• New Roads For Old (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1959 Preston By-Pass motorway

• A New Shade of Red (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / August 1968 Crisis in Czechoslovakia

• New Universities (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1963

• No Place Like Home (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / October 1966

• North Sea Commuters (narrator: Martin Jarvis) / 9m / May 1968

• Off The Sheep's Back (narrator: Tim Turner) c-18m-(DC: Look At Life)-June 1964 Sheep hearding in Australia

• Oil Aboard (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / November 1963 Covers oil tanker crews

• The Old School Tie (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1964

• On Tape For Tomorrow (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / February 1966

• On The Map (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1961

• On The Meter (narrator: Martin Jarvis) / 8m / August 1968

• On The Scent (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1967

• On Top Of The World (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1966 Scandinavian geography

• Once Upon A Time... (narrator: John Witty) / 9m / June 1967 Visiting Denmark

• One For The Road (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1964

• One Horse Power (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1962

• One In Six (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / August 1966 Touring Luxembourg

• Operation Noah's Ark (Robert Hawkins) (narrator: Robert Hawkins) / 9m / June 1959 A Zambia dam causes havoc on the wildlife

• The Other Film World (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1965 Motion picture technology

• Out For A Catch (narrator: Anthony Bilbow) / 8m / November 1960

• Out Of A Bombsite (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / August 1965

• Out Of The Bush (narrators: Tim Turner & Paul Rogers) / 9m / January 1963 African nationhood examined

• Out Of The Inn (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / January 1968

• Out Of The Rainbow (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1966

• Out Of The Sun (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1962 Immigration from the West Indies

• Over And Under (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1960 Profiles the Forth Bridge

• Over My Shoulder (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / November 1963

• Over The Sticks (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / March 1966

• Painting People (George Russell; narrator: Noel Johnson) / 9m / August 1968

• People Of Power (narrator: Anthony Bilbow) / 9m / June 1963 Berkeley Nuclear Power Station

• Pick Of The Bunch (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1963 French and German wine

• Pictures Tell The Story (narrators: Tim Turner & Paul Rogers) / 9m / January 1963

• A Piece Of Cake (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / May 1960 The Parachute Regiment

• Pilot Aboard (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / July 1963 Britain's pilotage services

• A Pinch Of Salt (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / October 1963

• Pipeline (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1961

• Pipeline To Plenty (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / December 1966 Tour of Kuwait

• Playing Trains (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1967

• Plumbing the Depths (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / July 1962 Ocean survey teams

• A Policeman's Lot (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / June 1965

• Pony Tale / 7m / October 1959

• Power For Africa (narrator: Tim Turner) / 6m / September 1960

• Power Needs No Passport (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / June 1964 Europe's electric lines

• Press-Button Age (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / January 1961 Automation

• Press-Button Farms (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / April 1967 New farm technology

• The Price Of Valour (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1964 Those honored with the Victoria Cross

• Prison On Wheels (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / June 1961

• A Problem Of People (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / November 1961 Modern Pakistan

• Pulling The Strings (narrator: Tony Britton) / 9m / June 1967

• Pushing The Bike (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1967

• Put Out The Flags (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1967

• Put To The Test (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / May 1967

• Putting More Beef Into It (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1965

• Putting On An Act (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1965

• Putting Up A Show (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1967

• Queue For Gardens (narrator: John Westerbrook) / 7m / July 1968

• Queue For The Tee (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1963

• Racing To The Start (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / April 1967

• Rag Time (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1963

• Rebirth Of A City (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / August 1960

• Relax! Relax! (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / January 1962

• Rendered Safe (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1962 A bomb disposal squad at work

• Report On A River (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1963 River Thames

• Return to Arms (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / June 1960 West German army

• Riding It Rough (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / July 1962

• Ringing The Changes (narrator: John Langham) / 9m / November 1960

• Rising To High Office (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1963 Shell Centre and other new London buildings

• The Rocket-Age Lancers (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / October 1960 9th Queen's Royal Lancers today

• Rockets Away! (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / December 1961

• Roll Out The Barrel (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1966

• Rolling Home (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1963

• Rolling Out From Rio (narrator: Tim Turner except noted) / 9m / February 1961 Brasilia in Brazil

• Roman Invasion (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / December 1960 Food service two thousand years ago

• Room At The Top (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 10m / August 1965

• Roses All The Way / 8m / October 1961

• Rules Of Racing (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / January 1964

• Running Dry (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / January 1960

• Safe In The Boat (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / May 1960

• Sailing The Sky (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1959 Features glider pilot Ann Welch

• Salute The Engineer (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1964

• Saturday Fever (narrator: Cliff Michelmore) / 8m / November 1960

• Saturday Special (narrator: Deryck Guyler) / 9m / February 1969

• Saving A Heritage (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1964

• Saving Face (narrator: Michael Brooke) / 9m / June 1959 Cosmetics industry

• School For Skymen (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1966 RAF College at Cranwell

• Scooter Commuter (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / March 1962 Featuring Corgi style bikes

• Scrambling For It (narrator: Eamonn Andrews) / 9m / April 1967 Motor sports

• Sea Horses (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1962 The tugboats

• Sea Riders (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1966

• Seaway (narrator: Tim Turner plus others listed) / 9m / August 1959 The opening of the Saint Lawrence seaway

• Second Chance (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / August 1963 Helping the handicapped

• See How They Jump (narrator: Wynford Vaughan Thomas) / 10m / December 1962

• Shape Of A Ship (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / January 1960 New liners built in Canberra

• The Shape Of Things (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1966

• Shares In Tomorrow (narrator: Anthony Bilbow) / 9m / March 1961 Stock exchange

• Shelling Out (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1961 Oysters, mussels, scampi

• Shopping By The Ton (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / September 1960 Markets in London

• Shopping For A 'Queen' (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / October 1959 About the Queen Elizabeth Ship

• Should We Kill The Seals? (Robert King; narrator: Bill Vaughan) / 9m / February 1968

• Signposts Of The Sea (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1963

• Silent Change (narrators: Tim Turner & Paul Rogers) / 9m / January 1963

• Silver's New Shine (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1964

• Singapore Is Youth (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1964

• Single-Handed Sailor (narrator: Duncan Carse) / 9m / Sep1968

• The Sinking City (narrator: Martin Jarvis) / 9m / September 1968 Tour of Venice

• The Six Come Closer (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1966 European common market examined

• Ski Fever (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / April 1961

• Skimmin' Thro' The Sixties (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1966 Revisiting the Hovercraft

• The Sky's The Limit (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1963 RAF aerobatics

• Slippery Customers (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / December 1967

• Smashing Through (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / July 1960

• Snow (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1964

• Snow Business (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1962

• So Much Flattery (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1964 Tacky arts, plastic flowers, painting reproductions

• So Much Hot Air (narrator: John Witty) / 9m / September 1967

• So They All Hover Now (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / September 1962 Shows shipyards of Clydeside adapting to SR.N2 and other advances

• Soldier Abroad (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1959 Stationing at HQ of the Third Royal Tank Regiment in Detmold, West Germany

• Solent Saturday (narrator: Wynford Vaughan Thomas) / 7m / October 1960

• Some Of My Best Friends Are People (narrator: Neil Landor) / 9m / May 1968

• Something New Under Everest (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 10m / June 1968 Nepal tour

• Sound Of A City (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / March 1964

• Southern Miracle (narrator: Martin Jarvis) / 9m / December 1968

• Space For Adventure (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1966

• The Spirit Of Brooklands (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1965 Surrey motor racing

• The Spoilers (narrator: John Witty) / 9m / September 1967

• Spuds Galore (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1964 Profiles the potato

• State Occasions (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / January 1962

• Stone Age (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / August 1964

• The Straights Of Dover (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1967

• Student Nurse / 9m / February 1960

• Submarine (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1960

• Sugaring The Pill (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1965

• Survival / 9m / June 1961 Learning survival techniques with Peter Whittingham and RAF expert Jock Wishart

• Swedish Patterns (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / May 1966

• The Sweet Life (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1965

• Switch On At Seven (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / September 1968

• Tails Of The Law (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / March 1965

• Taking The Waters (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1966

• Talking Of Coaches (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / August 1959 A boy named Eric tours Blackpool and Italy

• Target The Stadium (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / August 1962

• Tax Haven (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1964

• Taxi! Taxi!! (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / February 1960 Training for “The Knowledge”

• Test Pilot (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / November 1961 RAF Lighting as a watchdog

• Testing Time (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / August 1960

• Their Lifeline- The Nile (Robert Tyrrell; narrator: Duncan Carse) / 10m / December 1968 Aswan High Dam

• There Ought To Be A Law (Norman Cohen; narrator: Brian Hewitt-Jones) / 9m / May 1968

• They Learn As They See (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1963

• Things Out Of Space (Michael Ingrams) (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / June 1966

• The Things They Sell (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1965

• Thrills For Sixpence (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / January 1968

• Through Glass (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1962

• Throwaway Society (David Eady; narrator: John Stockbridge) / 9m / April 1968

• Thunder In Waiting (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1960 Covers the Vulcan Bomber

• Ticket To Tokyo (narrator: E.V. Emmett) / 9m / April 1959 Aboard the Britannia Airline

• Tide On The Turn (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1964 How foreigners invest in Ireland

• Tin Pins Down (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / May 1960

• Top Chef (John Paddy Carstairs) / 9m / April 1968 Eugene Kaufeler, head chef at London's Dorchester Hotel

• Top People (narrator: Tim Turner) c-6m-(DC: Look At Life)-June 1960 New high rises in London

• Topping Out (narrator: Roger Wesson) / 9m / June 1966

• Tower Of Babble (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1965

• Towns By Design (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / October 1960

• Trade Winds Blow (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1963 The industrial Northeast English coast

• The Trail Leads Upwards (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / June 1962 A family lives by Niagara Falls

• Treading On The Gas (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1965 Following the ships that come from the Sahara Desert bringing methane gas.

• Treasure Houses (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / January 1962

• Trouble On Oily Waters (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1962 Pollution along the coasts

• Trouble-Shooters (narrator: John Witty) / 11m / May 1964 The Royal Marines in Sarawak

• Tulip Town (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / June 1961

• Turn Of The Wheel (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / April 1964 Old trains and bus replacements

• Turning Blades (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1962 Helicopters including Belvedere to the experimental Rotodyne VTOL craft

• Under One Umbrella (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1964 The MOD fighting unit

• Under The Hammer (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / May 1960 Auctions and auctioneers

• Under The Rocket (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / December 1959 At a rocket range in Woomera, Australia

• Under The Skin (narrator: Anthony Bilbow) / 7m / August 1965

• Under Your Feet (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / July 1962

• Underwater Menace (narrator: Duncan Carse) / 10m / November 1968 Hazardous leftovers from the second world war

• Up To Scratch (narrator: Sidney James) / 8m / January 1961

• Ups And Downs (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1964

• Village Of Violins (narrator: Tim Turner plus others listed) / 9m / August 1959 Mittenwald in the Bavarian Alps

• The Village Sleeps Again (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / September 1962 Features Transport Minister Ernest Marples

• Vintage Models (narrator: Raymond Baxter) / 8m / June 1963 Includes the National Motor Museum of Beaulieu

• Volunteers For Service (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1965

• The Wall (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / July 1962 Hadrian's wall in Northumberland

• Watch On The Coast (narrator: Tim Brinton) / 9m / November 1968

• The Way Of Reckoning (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / September 1964

• Way Out West (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1966

• Wealth Under the Sea (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1964 North Sea oil drilling

• Weather Advisor (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / March 1965 How ships maintain weather watch

• What A Pet! (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / April 1961 Focuses on the budgerigar

• What Price Ideas? (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / January 1967 New inventions

• What Price Safety? (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1965 Curbing road accidents

• What's On The Roof? (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1964

• Wheel Power (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / September 1960

• When The Debs Come Out (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / November 1965

• Where Do You Leave Your Boat? (narrator: John Witty) / 9m / August 1967

• Where Have All The Butterflies Gone? (narrator: Martin Jarvis) / 9m / September 1968

• Where No Tide Flows (narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / August 1963 Canals as tourist attractions

• White Water Craft (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1967

• Who Needs Eel Pie? (narrator: Michael Ingrams) / 9m / March 1967

• Who Wants A Statue? (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1964

• Why All The Rush? (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / August 1961

• Why Drown Yourself? (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / September 1965

• Will Taps Run Dry? (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / July 1965 British water shortages

• The Wind Of Change (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1960 African social and cultural developments

• Winning The Hard Way (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / May 1964

• Winter Blossoms (narrator: John Westbrook) / 9m / March 1968 Algarve coastline views

• With The Lions (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / June 1966

• Women At Sea (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / March 1965 New jobs in the military

• Women In Green (narrator: Anthony Bilbow) / 10m / December 1960

• Women Power (narrator: Tim Turner) / 8m / April 1961

• Women With Leisure (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / January 1964

• A Year For A Day (narrator: Tim Turner) / 7m / June 1960 Christmas rush

• You Can't Catch Much From A Fish (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1963 Covers effects of 6 months quarantine of dogs and cats

• You're Under Fire (narrator: Tim Turner) / 9m / October 1965

 

[Jlewis]

Other J. Arthur Rank Releases

 

Country Pride

UK-shot travelogues produced by Drummer films with Martin Harris as producer. Not sure how many utilized Paramount's VistaVision format, but I have indicated some known titles. All in color... I think. Please correct me. Ian K. Barnes is credited as director. Running time is about 15-20 minutes each. Most were released in the United States between 1958 and 1965 by Lester A. Schoenfeld Films.

 

• Buckinghamshire (narrator: Eamonn Andrews) / July 1, 1953 Distributed by GFD (pre-Rank)

• A Flying Visit / January 27, 1956 (filmed '55) Co-distributed by Republic Pictures

• Kent (narrator: Eamonn Andrews) / June 1, 1956

• June In January (narrator: Robert Beatty) / July 27, 1956

• The Oyster And The Pearl (narrator: Robert Beatty) / 16m / January 11, 1957 (filmed '56)

• And So Go Forth / VistaVision / January 11, 1957 (filmed '56)

• Battlefield (narrator: Robert Beatty) / February 22, 1957

• Mountain Holiday (narrator: Robert Beatty) / 16m / November 1, 1957

• Four Million Acres (narrator: Robert Beatty) / December 1957

• Capital City (narrator: Robert Beatty) / March 7, 1958 London tour

• The Isle And The Pussycat (narrator: Robert Beatty) / VistaVision-15m / December 1958

• Cuckoo Land (narrator: Robert Beatty) / VistaVision-15m / December 1958

• Wrecker's Coast (narrator: Robert Beatty) / VistaVision-15m / March 1959

• The Channel Queen / VistaVision-16m / March 1959

• In The Beginning (narrator: Robert Beatty) / VistaVision / April 1959

• The Smugglers (narrator: Robert Beatty) / VistaVision / August 21, 1959

 

 

Rank Organization Short Films

These color instructionals had limited release, mostly in the 16mm market

 

• System 4 (for English Electric; Joe Mendoza; narrator: Donald Morley) / 22m / 1965

• Exploring Chemistry- The Nuffield Approach To The Teaching Of Chemistry (Robert Parker; narrator: Frank Duncan) / 20m approx / 1966

• Getting Your Share (Jeff Inman) / 23m / 1966 With Bob Monkhouse

• Rulers Of The Elements (Joe Mendoza) / 23m / 1966

• Best Of Both Worlds (Robert Parker) / 6m / 1967

• The Customer And You: Getting The Decision (Jeff Inman; camera: Stewart Grant) / 20m approx / 1967

• Just Routine (for Central Office of Information- Jeff Inman; narration: John Gregson) / 30mm / 1967 With Patrick Jordan & Peter King

• Revolutions For All (for Churchmans- Jeff Inman) / 26m / 1967 With Denis Norden, Peter Eyre & Harry De'ath

• The Customer And You: Controlling The Interview (Jeff Inman) / 20m approx / 1968

• The Customer And You: Dealing With Objections (Jeff Inman) / 20m approx / 1968

• The Customer And You: Selling The Benefits (Jeff Inman) / 20m approx / 1968 With John Alderman

• The Customer And You: The Interview (Jeff Inman) / 20m approx / 1968

• Jim's Milk (Robert Parker) / 21m / 1968 Jimmy Edwards learns about the Milk Marketing Board

• Looking At Paperwork (Robert Parker; narrators: Glynn Edwards & Stanley Morgan) / 18m / 1968

• The Mass Spectrometer (Robert Parker; narrators: Glynn Edwards & Stanley Morgan) / 22m / 1968

• Contagallo (Jeff Inman) / 22m / 1969

• A Matter Of Convenience (for Bachelor Foods- Robert Parker; narrator: Richard Bebb) / 10m / 1969

• Talkback (Anthony Pelisser) / 18m / 1969

• Fault Analysis (Robert Parker; narrator: Richard Bebb) / 14m / 1970

• Portrait Of A People – Impressions Of Britain (for Central Office of Information- Anthony Pelisser; camera: Peter Pver & Gerald Moss) / 28m / 1970

• Fairview (for Fairview Estates- David Williams; narrator: Graham Turner) / 20m / 1971

• Handling Graphic Communications (Andrew Holmes; narrator: Gerald Sim) / 12m / 1971

• The Manager In Action: Listening (for Rank Aldis Industrial Services- Anthony Pelisser) / 14m / 1971

• Oil: The Two Way Benefit (for Petroleum Films Bureau- Barrie Joll; narrator: John Stockbridge) / 7m / 1971

• Talking About Co2 (Andrew Holmes; camera: Nobby Smith) / 22m / 1971

• Bacteria (for Unilever- Robert Parker) / 14m / 1972

• Communication With A Group (for Rank Aldis Industrial Services- John Krish) / 23m / 1972

• Handling Customers' Complaints (Jeff Inman) / 25m / 1973

• I Know What I Like (for Brewers Society- James Allen) / 19m- / 1973 With Bernard Cribbins

• A Matter Of Confidence (for Rank Aldis Industrial Services- Anthony Pelisser; narrator: Denis Norden) / 21m / 1973

• The Challenge Of Objections (Jeff Inman) / 26m / 1974 With John Alderton & Richard O'Sullivan

• A Reason To Buy (Jeff Inman) / 24m / 1974 With John Alderton & Richard O'Sullivan

• Time Well Spent (Jeff Inman; camera: Geoffrey Mulligan) / 26m / 1974 With John Alderton & Richard O'Sullivan

• Goya Effect (Ian Latimer, producer for Rank Aldis- Michael Tuchner) / 20m / 1975

 

This Modern Age

It was blatantly obvious that J. Arthur Rank absolutely adored Louis and Richard de Rochemont's The March of Time series and spent plenty on this knock-off series of two reelers (all roughly 17-20 minutes). Sergei Nolbandov produced these for GFD release alongside the Gaumont-British Instructional, Universal-International imports from the United States and anything else distributed by the Rank empire. Hardly “newsreels”, these were in-depth looks at British life.

 

• No. 1: Homes For All / September 17, 1946

• No. 2: Scotland Yard / September 17, 1946

• No. 3: Tomorrow By Air / November 18, 1946

• No. 4: Fabrics Of The Future / December 30, 1946

• No. 5: Thoroughbreds Of The World / January 10, 1947

• No. 6: Palestine / February 26, 1947

• No. 7: Coal Crisis / February 26, 1947

• No. 8: Sudan Dispute / April 22, 1947

• No. 9: Development Areas / May 28, 1947

• No. 10: Rape Of The Earth / July 8, 1947

• No. 11: Home And Beauty / August 8, 1947

• No. 12: Antarctic Whalehunt / September 5, 1947

• No. 13: Will Britain Go Hungry? / October 1947

• No. 14: Jamaican Problem / October 28 1947

• No. 15: Land Short Of People / December 1947

• No. 16: The British- Are They Artistic? / February 13, 1948

• No. 17: Ceylon The New Dominion / March 2, 1948

• No. 18: The Future Of Scotland / April 16, 1948

• No. 19: Challenge In Nigeria / May 21, 1948

• No. 20: Fate Of An Empire / July 16, 1948

• No. 21: Shadow Of The Ruhr / August 26, 1948

• No. 22: Women In Our Time / October 6, 1948

• No. 23: Lancaster's Time For Adventure / November 3, 1948 Covers textile industry

• No. 24: Harvest For The Wilderness / December 8, 1948 In Tanganyika

• No. 25: The Struggle For Oil / January 26, 1949

• No. 26: Europe's Fisheries In Danger / February 28, 1949

• No. 27: Education For Living / April 20, 1949

• No. 28: Will Europe Unite? / June 14, 1949

• No. 29: Gambling / June 30, 1949

• No. 30: Fight For A Fuller Life / August 16, 1949

• No. 31: India And Pakistan / October 4,1949

• No. 32: Trieste, Problem City / November 15, 1949

• No. 33: When You Went Away / January 1950 British holiday recreation

• No. 34: Report On Hong Kong / March 1950

• No. 35: The Riddle Of Japan / April 1950

• No. 36: Where Britain Stands / June 1950

• No. 37: Looking At Sculpture / September 1, 1950

• No. 38: Life In New Zealand / September 22, 1950

• No. 39: The Future Of One Million Africans / November 1950

• No. 40: The Fight In Malaya / December 5, 1950

• No. 41: Turkey- Key To The Middle East / December 5, 1950

 

 

The World Of Ours... and some other Drummer Films travelogues

Full color (mostly Eastmancolor, but also Technicolor) travelogues produced by Martin Harris for Drummer Films. He also produced the Country Life series (qv). Directors listed in ()

 

• City After Dark (Ian K. Barnes) bw-20m approx. / November 4, 1955

• Westward The Islands (Ian K. Barnes) / 17m / January 24, 1958 Released in the U.S. by Lester A. Schoenfeld (April 1964)

• Belgium (Ian K. Barnes) / 20m approx. / September 19, 1958

• Severn's Vale (Ian K. Barnes) / 16m / October 30, 1958 Released in the U.S. by Lester A. Schoenfeld (November 1964)

• The Awakening (Ian K. Barnes) / 20m approx. / 1959

• It's All Greek To Me (Ian K. Barnes; narrator: Robert Beatty) / 29m / April 1961 Released in the U.S. by Lester A. Schoenfeld (June 1964)

• Fourteen Hundred Zulu (Ian K. Barnes) / 31m / March 1966 With the Royal Naval defense (not Africa)

• Shadows Of The Past (Ian K. Barnes; narrator: Robert Beatty) c/Scope-10m / March 1966

• The Buccaneers (Ian K. Barnes) / 30m approx. / April 1967

• Study In Depth (Peter Ferris; narration: Richard Baker) / 20m / 1968 Made for the Ministry of Defense

• No Breezes Blow (Peter Ferris; narrator: Gordon Henry Davies) / 27m / 1969 Made for the Ministry of Defense

• Racing To Nowhere (Philip Owtram; narrator: Robert Beatty) / 25m / 1969

• Wonders Will Never Cease / 24m / January 1971

• Polaris: A Promise (Peter Ferris; narrator: Gordon Davies) / 23m / March 1971 Covers the submarine fleet

• House And Home / 14m / December 1972

• Istrian Interlude / 11m / May 1973

• Fable Island / 24m / June 1973 Tour of Isle of Mann

• South To Montenegro / 24m / June 1974

• Fish Patrol / 22m / April 1975

• Viking Island / 25m / August 1975

• The Angelos Incident / 23m / May 1977

• Adriatic Adventure / 25m / November 1978 Yugoslavia tour

• Balkan Journey (Gil Whelan; narrator: Bob Holness) / 25m / January 1980 (edited '79)

 

An assortment of others released by Rank after 1955

 

In color unless noted with a “bw”

 

• Palace Of Romance (Gardner Film; Frank Gardner) / 8m / July 1, 1955

• Love Me, Love My Dog (Gateway; Barbara Woodhouse; narrator: Frank Phillips) / bw-2 reels / August 1955

• A London Symphony (Scenario; Peter Lambert; music: Freddie Curzon) / bw-17m50s / November 18, 1955

• Strange To Relate No. 1 (Paul Barralet; narration: E.V.H. Emmett) / bw-2 reels / November 18, 1955 Hodge-podge of unusual odds and ends

• Lives Of Their Own (Doulton; narration: Jean Metcalfe) / bw-2 reels / December 2, 1955 Profiles Royal Doulton potteries

• On Such A Night (Screen Audiences; Donald Wynne, producer; Anthony Asquith) / 37m / February 1956 (filmed May-June '55) Opera with Sesto Bruscantini and Sena Jurinac.

• Across Great Waters (British Films; Andrew Buchanan) / bw-31m / March 29, 1956

• 48 Hours (Connaught Productions; Patrick Young; narrator: Robert Beatty) CinemaScope-18m / April 6, 1956 (filmed '55) With Ginette Jeane & Peter Prowse

• Easy To Fly (Gardner Films; Frank Gardner) / bw-9m / April 6, 1956

• The Perfume Country (Heritage; camera: Shaw Jones; narrator: William Symon) / bw-2 reels / April 6, 1956 (filmed '55) French Riviera

• Song Of The Grape (W&A Gilbey-Stewart Films; John R.F. Stewart) CinemaScope-20m / April 6, 1956 Portugal travelogue released in the United States by Universal March 21, 1957

• Gently Brother (Patterson Reid) / 2 reels / June 1, 1956 Profiles the making of Doulton's bone china

• Tangier- Gateway To Africa (World Mirror; Syd Sharples; camera: Geoffrey Williams) CinePanoramic-20 approx. / July 1956

• Boat People (Moray Grant) / 2 reels / July 27, 1956

• King Of Birds (Rankin; Niall Rankin; narrator: James McKechnie) / bw-5m / July 27, 1956

• Strange To Relate No. 2 (Paul Barralet; narration: E.V.H. Emmett) / 2 reels / January 1957

• Royal Visit To Leith (Greory, Hake & Walker-Religious Films; Norman Walker; camera: Frank North) / 2 reels / February 1957

• A Watch From France (Zichy; Theordore Zichy) / bw-2 reels / March 1957 Drama with Anthony Page, Peter Sinclair & Michael Murray

• Life In The Orkneys (Campbell Harper Films; Alan Harper; narrator: Moultrie Kelsall) / bw-17m / April 1957

• Sledges South (Pacific; Sir Edmund Hillary) / 2 reels / May 1957

• Flight To The Sun / 2 reels / August 1957

• Watching Points (Paul Barralet) / 2 reels / October 4, 1957 Covers railways in Sweden and Norway

• Wings On Her Shoulder (Crown/Central Film Office of Information) / 2 reels / November 1, 1957

• Ireland (Rank Screen Services; Don Kelly) / 2 reels / 1957 With Sean Kelly, Bonnie Murphy & Art Martin

• Summertime In Tenerife  (narrator: John Witty) / 2 reels / January 10, 1958 Tour of the Canary Islands. Released in the U.S. by Lester A. Schoenfeld Films

• Interlude In The Tyrol (De Lane Lea) / 2 reels / March 7, 1958

• Lovely Weekend (Mancunian Film; Tom Blakely) / 2 reels / March 7, 1958 (filmed '57) With June Peters, Marlene Nelson & Diedre Clear

• Man Who Invented St. Patrick (Grainne; Eamonn Andrews) / 8m / March 7, 1958

• Dog's Eye View (Tunnel Film; Walter Stanley) / 2 reels / May 1958

• Gaucho Country (Little King; narration: Neal Arden) / 3 reels / June 1958

• The Queen's Musick (Paragon) / 30m / September 5, 1958 Kneller Hall School of Music

• Grantchester (Stewart Films; John R.F. Stewart) / 2 reels / December 1958

• Patterns And Places (Doulton) / 2 reels / 1958

• People Of The Congo (Rankin; Niall Rankin) / 16m / January 1959

• Ten Men In A Boat (Editorial Film; Sydney Latter; writer: James Mellor) / 20m / March 6, 1959 Travelogue of Accra involving the collection of cargo

• Down A Country Lane: Maytime (Paul Barralet/Rank) / 2 reels / March 1959

• Weekend Sailors (Rank Special features) / 8m / August 21, 1959

• A Walk In The Forest (James Hill) / 10m / August 27, 1959

• Honeymoon Island / 30m / September 1959

• World Without Shadows (Rank Screen Services/New Realm) / 2 reels / February 1960

• Wedding In Springtime (narration: Wynford Vaughan Thomas) / 20m / April 1960

• Where Borders Meet (Heritage Pictures; William Symon; camera: Cyril Gray) / 15m / October 1960

• A Man Of Certain Glory (Edward Baxter & John Baxter; Robert Hawkins) / 2 reels / January 1961 Reconstructing David Livingston's exploration of Africa

• Call Me Captain (Star Cinemas; Al Brown; narrator: Pete Murray) / 2 reels / April 1961

• The River Of Life (Independent Artists; Julian Wintle & Leslie Parkyn, producers; John Taylor; narrator: Stephen Murray) / 2 reels / April 1961

• Sea Sanctuary (Selwood & Independent Artists; Ralph Keene; camera: John Taylor; narrator: Stephen Murray) / 2 reels / May 1961

• White Rose Wedding (camera: Peter Cannon; narration: Wynford Vaughan Thomas) / 2 reels / September 1961

• Highway Holiday (Hammer Film; Michael Carreras, producer) / 24m / December 1961

• Storm Cone (Lifeboat Story / Green Stars) (Independent Artists/Rank-Stephen Clarkson; camera: Michael Reed) / 30m / March 1962

• New World Holiday (Athos; Henry Sandoz) / 27m / September 21, 1962

• Sunshine Islands (Athos; Henry Sandoz) / 26m / December 1962 Tour of Bermuda and Barbados

• New Face For Britain (World Wide; James Carr, producer; ; narrator: Duncan Sandys) / 17m / 1962

• Wedding Of The Year (Rank Special Features; camera: Bob Paynter; narration: Wynford Vaughan Thomas) / 19m / April 1963 Involving Princess Alexandra & Mr Angus Ogilvy

• A New Deal For Merseyside Dock Workers (Rank Special Features; Anthony Barrier, producer; narrator: Tim Turner) / 12m / February 1964

• Asian Crescent (World Wide; James Carr, producer; ; Peter Hopkinson; narrator: Davide de Keyser) / 23m / June 1964 Covers racial integration in Malaysia

• Return To The Island (George Fleischmann) / 27m / August 14, 1964

• Bristol Fashion (Rank/Associated British- Eric Fullilove; narrator: Michael Redgrave) / 29m / December 1964

• Naturally, It's Rubber (World Wide; James Carr, producer; ; Peter Hopkinson; narrator: Gordon Davies) / 24m / December 1964

• The Open Door (Rank Special Features- narrator: John Snagge) / 20m / 1964

• Sign Of The Fish (Rank Special Features; Anthony Barrier, producer; camera: Peter Cannon & Ronald Granville; narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / 1964

• Ten Foot Tall (Rank Advertising Films/Central Office of Information- Joe Mendoza; narrator: Michael Collins) / 2 reels / 1964

• The Hunt Is On (Rank Special Features- narrator: Tom St. John Barry) / 15m / May 1965

• The Queen Sees Germany (Rank Special Features- camera: Red Coast & Albert Waring; narrator: Tim Turner) / 10m / May 1965

• All In A Day's Flying (Puritan; Robert M. Angell, producer; Anthony Squire; narration: Johnny Morris) / 27m / February 1966

• The National Youth Orchestra Of Great Britain (Anvil; Antonin Dvorak) / 10m / March 1966

• The World Still Sings (Howells; Jack Howells) / 38m / March 18, 1966

• The Fight Of The Century (Rank Special Features; George Grafton Greene, producer; narrator: Tim Turner) / 19m / June 3, 1966

• Full Ahead Rhine (Beacon Productions; K. J. Richards; narrator: Michael Aspel) / 17m / 1966

• Traveling Through Time (Rawlings; Donald Rawlings; narrator: Phil Brown) / 14m / 1966 Study of clocks and time. Part animated

• Life For The Soil (Celtic; narrator: Percy Thrower) / 20m / December 23, 1966

• The Changing Forest (Pilot; Patrick Carey; narrator: John Slater) / 27m / March 17, 1967

• The Ferret (Rank Special Features/Central Film Library; Bill Lenny; camera: Peter Cannon; narrator: Tim Turner) / 27m / April 1967 Two army scout cars tour Europe

• No Parents Allowed (Donwin; Donovan Winter) / 11m / August 1967

• The Tay Road Bridge (Campbell Harper/ESSO; Alan J. Harper & Henry Cooper; narrator: Tom Fleming) / 30m / August 1967

• The Algarve (Partnership; narrator: Johnny Morris) / 25m / November 1967

• The Bank Of England At Work (Wessex; Ian Dalrymple, producer; Julian Spiro; animation: W. Larkins) / 21m / December 1967 Part animated

• The Demanding Sea (Random; Peter Mills, producer; Shirley Cobham) / 30m / December 1967 King Goeorge's Fund for sailors

• Centenary (Vickers; Leslie Sansom, producer; John Edwards; narrator: Anthony Quayle) / 16m / January 1968 A century at Vickers

• Loch Lomond (International Film Associates; Laurence Henson; narrator: Alec Clunes) / 29m / May 1968

• The Post Office Tower Of London (Rank Special Features; Bob Osborne) / 20m / June 1968

• Work's World (Rank Special Features/Central Film Library; Pamela Jones; camera: Peter Cannon) / 21m / November 1968

• The Pipeliners (Gordon Bradley; camera: Donald Young; narrator: Patrick Allen) / 30m / January 1969

• The First And The Fastest (Anthony Barrier; narrator: Jack Hedley) / 25m / May 1969

• A Persian Fairy Tale (Ilchester Productions; Ann Todd) / 31m / 1969 Travelogue of Middle East

• The Prospect Of Ireland (Rank Special Features) / 29mm / 1969

• A Man Who Shook The World (Rank Special Features; George Grafton Greene, producer;) / 17m / April 1970 Biopic on Lenin

• Safari Shores (Athos; Peter Bucknall, producer; Kenneth Fairbairn; camera: Ricky Briggs; narrator: Paul Rogers) / 22m / April 1970 Tour of Mauritius

• The Saints Went Marching Out (Rank Advertising Films; narrator: Tom St. John Barry) / 27m / April 1970

• Our Country Is The World (Film Image; narrator: Anthony Quayle) / 30m / August 1970 Profiles British Airways

• Using The Telephone / 18m / 1970 Features David Jason

• The Maharajah In Your Life (Air India; nost: Bob Monkhouse) / 7m / November 1970

• Latitudes Of Leisure (Athos; music by Christopher Gunning) / 24m / September 1971

• The Highlands (Ogam; Oscar Marzaroli; narrator: Maurice Roeves) / 30m / February 1972 (edited '71)

• Prelude (Rank Advertising Films- Michael Robson; narrator: Dick Graham) / 26m / March 1972

• New York (Athos; Peter Bucknall, producer; Anthony Squire; camera: Roger Barlow) / 22m / October 1972

• Talk Of The Devil (Illustra; Douglas Kentish, producer; Douglas Hickox) / 18m- / April 1973 Features Hugh Griffith, Edward Judd, Clive Francis, Paul Whitsun-Jones

• Three To Go (Anthony Barrier; David Williams) / 18m / June 1973 Shows mechanized sorting of letters

• The Greatest Thing (Gerard Holdsworth; narrator: Ralph Richardson, Micheal Redgrave & Bernard Miles) / 25m / July 1973 Discusses the importance of sea trade

• Cities Of Spain (Threshhold; Joseph Ryan; narrator: Gordon Davies) / 18m / 1973

• Action At Dog Island (Telstar; Harry Field) / 30m / July 1974

• Location North Sea (Project North Sea) (Now Pelican; John Armstrong; narrator: Patrick Barr) / 15m / November 1974

• All Together Now, Lads (Charles Barker; Jean Waldow [co-p], Jean Herbert) / 27m / April 1975

• Janus (James Garrett & Partners; Anthony Wilkinson; host: Norman Rodway) / 37m / July 1975

• Thunder Of Light (Turner; Tom Taylor) / 29m / August 1975

• A Whole New World Of Colour (Illustra; Douglas Hickox) / 17m / November 1975

• Wurzelfield (GM) / 29m / September 1976

• Festival (Robert Giles; camera: Clive Tickner; narrator: Frank Duncan) / 37m / May 1977 Features Bournemouth, New Philharmonia and BBC Symphony Orchestras

• The Great Pram Race (James Hill; narrator: Peter Sellers) / 23m / August 1977

• Mad Dogs And Cricketers (Nicholas Parsons; camera: Ernest Parsons) / 31m / June 9, 1979 Shows Lords Traverners' trip to Corfu

 

 

 

[Jlewis]

British Instructional Films Ltd., revived company under Associated British Pathé

As mentioned in my introductory post here...

In 1933, Harry Bruce Woolfe merged his British Instructional Films with Gaumont and took his popular “Secrets of Nature” series with him, changing the name to “Secrets of Life” since British Pathé, his most recent distributor, retained the rights to the original series name. Soon consolidating under a new name of Associated British Pathé, the company reissued many of the pre-1933 titles through the next two decades, often with new soundtracks. Then, around 1945, a decision was made to reboot a second “British Instructional Films” and have new material to offer. The company had already been flourishing with features and documentary shorts, especially their excellent “Pictorials” and newsreel items, so this wasn't an absolute necessity for them. Yet there was a post-war boom in school films and enough were in circulation for a brief period of about five years or so.

Since 2011, British Pathé has uploaded the bulk of them for our YouTube viewing pleasure and it is high time I attempted to catalog as many titles as possible despite scant references online.

It is interesting to note that over half of these are silent films for classroom movie projectors, including a fascinating series made in conjunction with the London Zoo that was loosely marketed in periodicals as “Nature Studies”. Each of these ran a mere 2-3 minutes and simply showed a familiar mammal or bird close up and in action so that artists learning to draw, animators looking for movement studies and children learning “what is a zebra” could enjoy a good examination without a human lecture or music interfering. While this may not have been the most novel of concepts, it was still a novelty that would successfully be repeated in 1971 by Encyclopædia Britannica Films with Jane & Peter Chermayeff's “Silent Safari” series that did add the animal sounds recorded in the field and, thus, weren't silent.

 

 

All in black & white, with minutes and seconds indicated by “m” and “s” per YouTube lengths. Directors, if I know them, are indicated in ().

 

• Air Journey (Irene Wilson) / (silent) 7m46s / 1947 Made with support of B.O.A.C.

• Alpine Farm / (silent) 7m33s / 1945

• Antelopes / (silent) 3m54s / 1947

• Apes (Miss H. Dunt) / (silent) 3m44s / 1947

• Apple Growing / (silent) 9m32s / 1949

• Bears (David Welsh) / 3m3s / 1947

• Bison (Miss H. Dunt) / (silent) 3m30s / 1947

• Blast Furnace / 9m29s / 1949

• Books / (silent) 6m28s / 1949

• Boots And Shoes (David Welsh) / (silent) 6m39s / 1947

• Bricks For Houses / (silent) 4m13s / 1947

• Building A House (Irene Wilson) / (silent) 9m36s / 1947

• Butter Making (Irene Wilson) / (silent) 10m51s / 1948

• Camels / (silent) 4m25s / 1947 (?)

• Cape Buffaloes (Miss H. Dunt) / (silent) 3m17s / 1947

• Casting In Iron / 11m43s / 1949 Made with the Council of Ironfoundry Associations and R. & A. Main, Ltd

• Cement / (silent) 7m15s / 1949

• Chalk (David Welsh) / (silent) 8m8s / 1947

• The Chameleon / (silent) 2m41s / 1949

• Cheese From Milk / (silent) 10m7s / 1948

• China Clay / (silent) 10m47s / 1949

• Cows (The Cow Family) (Miss H. Dunt) / (silent) 3m / 1947

• Creatures Of The Rock Pool / (silent) 5m53s / 1949

• Cuckoo-Spit Frog Hoppers / (silent) 8m3s / 1947

• Deer / (silent) 2m58s / 1947

• The Dog Family (Miss H. Dunt) / (silent) 8m57s / 1947

• Drifting / 10m27s / Aug 16, 1949 Covers fishing off the British coast, mostly East Anglia

• East Anglian Harvests / (silent) 8m30s / 1946

• Egypt (Irene Wilson) / (silent) (1R) / 1948

• An Egyptian Village (Irene Wilson) / (silent) 8m58s / 1947

• Electricity / (silent) 20m / 1949

• Elephants / (silent) 3m22s / 1947 (?)

• The Engine Driver / (silent) 8m29s / 1947

• Fibre From Flax / 10m17s / August 16, 1949

• Fibres To Fabrics / (silent) 10m42s / 1949

• Find A Word No. 1-6 (J. Turner) / (silent) 6 shorts (3m each) / 1947

• The Fireman / (silent) 11m7s / 1947

• The Forge (David Welsh) / (silent) 4m33s / 1947

• Giraffes (Miss H. Dunt) / (silent) 3m46s / 1947

• The Glass Makers / (silent) 8m7s / 1947

• Gold Beating / 5m56s / 1951

• Grinding Corn (David Welsh) / (silent) (1R) / 1947

• Harvest Time (David Welsh) / (silent) (1R) / 1947

• Horses / (silent) 7m25s / 1946 (?)

• How Cotton is Grown In Egypt / (silent) 8m48s / 1949

• How Fibres Are Spun / 10m12s / August 16, 1949

• Husky Dogs (Miss H. Dunt) / (silent) 3m5s / 1947

• Lace Making (J. Monkman) / (silent) 7m35s / 1947

• Lions (Miss H. Dunt) / (silent) 3m / 1947

• Lithography (Irene Wilson) / (silent) 8m29s / 1947

• Llamas / (silent) 2m10s / 1947

• Maize Harvest (Irene Wilson) / (silent) 3m46s / 1947

• Mare And Foal / (silent) 3m2s / 1948

• Margarine From Oil / 8m10s / 1949

• The Mint (Irene Wilson) / (silent) 8m58s / 1946

• Modern Bakery (David Welsh) / (silent) 5m48s / 1947

• Modern Dairy / (silent) 6m49s / 1948

• Monkeys / (silent) 2m55s / 1947 (?)

• Newspaper Story / (silent) 13m35s / 1948

• Newsprint / (silent) 21m / 1945

• Nigeria: Its People And Produce / 10m58s / 1951 Co-produced with J. Bibby & Sons Limited

• Nile Irrigation / (silent) 10m18s / 1948 Segments reissued: Sakia, The Shaduff & The Archimedean Screw

• Oil From Nuts / 9m34s / 1947

• Oranges / (silent) 8m35s / 1950

• Ostriches (Miss H. Dunt) / (silent) 2m33s / 1947

• Owls / (silent) 2m24s / 1947

• Pelicans / (silent) 2m30s / 1947 The Pathé site dates this to 1946 (likely filming date) but its release date in The New Era in Home and School is listed as September 1947, being the first of this “Nature Study” series.

• Penguins (David Welsh) / (silent) 3m / 1947

• Port Of London / (silent) 10m38s / 1946 (?)

• Postcard To Devon / (silent) 10m11s / 1946

• The Postman (J. Monkman) / (silent) 10m28s / 1947

• Pottery Without A Wheel (David Welsh) / (silent) 9m39s / 1947

• School Puppets (V. Brann & lrene Wilson) / (silent) 6m7s / 1947 (?)

• Science And The Farmer / 10m42s / 1949 Made for J. Bibby & Sons Limited

• Sea Harvests / 10m29s / 1949

• Sea Lions (Miss H. Dunt) / (silent) 3m56s / 1947

• Seals / (silent) 5m24s / 1948

• Sheep And Lambs / (silent) 3m33s / 1948

• Shellfish / (silent) 8m11s / 1950 Covers lobster, cockles & oysters

• Sights Of London / 11m29s / 1951

• Silk From Mulberry / (silent) 10m42s / August 16, 1949

• Skins From Seals / (silent) 8m36s / 1948

• Slates / (silent) 6m7s / 1948

• Some Flowering Plants: Dicotyledons / 8m18s / 1950

• Some Flowering Plants: Monocotyledons / 6m33s / 1950

• Spinning Flax / 10m48s / 1949

• Stained Glass / 9m49s / Aug 16, 1949

• Stockholm Story / 11m10s / 1951

• Strange Sea Creatures / (silent) 9m2s / 1950 Covers turtles, sand worms, electric eel, sea horses & octopus

• Swan And Cygnets / (silent) 3m20s / 1948

• Suez Canal (Irene Wilson) / (silent) 8m9s / 1947

• Sugar Cane Harvest (Irene Wilson) / (silent) 3m50s / 1947

• Summertime Meadow / (silent) 8m54s / 1946 (?)

• Summing Up: A Quarterly Chronicle of Current Events No. 1 (Peter Baylis) / 20m approx. / December 1946 Compilation of British Pathé material. The others were released accordingly: No. 2 (April 1947), No. 3 (July 1947), No. 4 (October 1947), No. 5 (December 1947)

• Tern, Plover & Coot / (silent) 6m8s / 1949

• The Thames (Irene Wilson) / (silent) 8m30s / 1947

• They Bring You Fish / (silent) 9m37s / 1948 (?)

• Tigers (Miss H. Dunt) / (silent) 2m49s / 1947

• Timber For Houses / (silent) 8m42s / 1948

• Tin Mining / (silent) 10m55s / 1949

• Ti t-Mouse The Weaver / (silent) 5m47s / 1949

• Tower Bridge / (silent) 4m53s / 1946

• Trawling / (silent) 10m14s / Aug 16, 1949

• Tree To Paper / (silent) 10m39s / 1949

• Underground Journey / 4m26s / 1945 Shows girls on a subway in London

• Village Bakery / (silent) 5m32s / 1947 Cresswells' Bakery in Braintree, Essex

• Village Blacksmith (David Welsh) / (silent) 5m10s / 1947

• Village Children Of South China / 8m50s / 1951

• A Visit To A Farm (Irene Wilson) / (silent) 5m36s / 1947

• Weaving Linen (David Welsh) / (silent) 4m30s / 1947

• Whaling / (silent) 7m34s / 1948 Filmed off South Africa

• What Happens Next? Finish The Story No. 1 / 3m / December 1946 (U.S. release for this and the subsequent titles: September 14, 1951) As the title suggests, a partial story is shown and children must guess “what happens next”

• What Happens Next? Finish The Story No. 2-7 / remaining 6 shorts all 3m each / March 1947

• Yaks (Miss H. Dunt) / (silent) 3m10s / 1947

• Zebras (Miss H. Hunt) / (silent) 2m40s / 1947

 

In 1959, an attempt was made to create “Secrets of Nature”, the TV series. Unfortunately just a pilot show was produced:

 

 

[Jlewis]

The other threads:

Paramount

http://forums.tcm.com/topic/78341-a-shortie-checklist-paramount/

Warner Brothers

http://forums.tcm.com/topic/81033-a-shortie-checklist-warner-bros/

MGM

http://forums.tcm.com/topic/81165-a-shortie-checklist-mgm/

RKO & Pathé

http://forums.tcm.com/topic/96727-a-shortie-checklist-rko-and-path%C3%A9-and-fbo/

Fox & Educational Pictures

http://forums.tcm.com/topic/98056-a-shortie-checklist-fox-20th-century-fox-and-educational-pictures/

Columbia

http://forums.tcm.com/topic/99364-a-shortie-checklist-columbia-pictures/

Universal

http://forums.tcm.com/topic/99365-a-shortie-checklist-universal-post-1928/

An assortment of culinary delights (United Artists & others)

http://forums.tcm.com/topic/114972-a-shortie-checklist-an-assortment-of-culinary-delights/

Charles Urban

http://forums.tcm.com/topic/181849-a-shortie-checklist-charles-urban/

Jam Handy & Wilding

http://forums.tcm.com/topic/258577-a-shortie-checklist-jam-handy-wilding-inc/