Night Mail

Night Mail 1936

6.13

This documentary short examines the special train on which mail is sorted, dropped and collected on the run, and delivered in Scotland on the overnight run from Euston, London to Glasgow.

1936

Rainbow Dance

Rainbow Dance 1936

6.10

Rainbow Dance is a 1936 British animated film released by the GPO Film Unit. This is Lye's second film. It uses the Gasparcolor process.

1936

Trade Tattoo

Trade Tattoo 1937

5.90

Trade Tattoo went even further than Rainbow Dance in its manipulation of the Gasparcolor process. The original black and white footage consisted of outtakes from GPO Film Unit documentaries such as Night Mail. Lye transformed this footage in what has been described as the most intricate job of film printing and color grading ever attempted. Animated words and patterns combine with the live-action footage to create images as complex and multi-layered as a Cubist painting. Music was provided by the Cuban Lecuona Band. With its dynamic rhythms, the film seeks (in Lye’s words) to convey “a romanticism about the work of the everyday in all walks of life."

1937

Daily Round

Daily Round 1937

1

“Catching up with gossip, inspecting new ducklings, clambering over gates, walking across meadows - the life of a postman appears idyllic, but this Devon postie has some startling ideas about improving efficiency... The inimitable Richard Massingham, a doctor turned actor and filmmaker, co-directed this film, and appears in it as the testy Mr Proctor. This film was produced by John Grierson, often hailed as the father of British documentary. It was made for the General Post Office (GPO) Film Unit, one of the most remarkable creative institutions that Britain has produced. It provided a springboard for many of the best-known and critically acclaimed figures in the British Documentary Movement.” - BFI

1937

The Song of Ceylon

The Song of Ceylon 1934

6.20

Ambitious documentary chronicling the cultural life and religious customs of the Sinhalese and the effects of advanced industrialism on such customs.

1934

Message from Genova

Message from Genova 1936

1

This expository film shows the mood of European society on the eve of the Second World War while promoting the values of international cooperation. Using the Swiss office of the BBC as an example, the film describes the functioning of radio and presents the possibilities opened by mass communications. After the advent of sound film, Cavalcanti promoted experimentation with sound, and in this connection he was interested in the communicational, organizational, and social aspects of radio.

1936

The Glorious Sixth of June

The Glorious Sixth of June 1934

1

How news of a general reduction in GPO charges was finally brought to parliament and the people, despite attempts by the country's enemies to prevent the announcement...

1934

Coal Face

Coal Face 1935

6.10

1935 documentary about the hard working life of Welsh coal miners.

1935

Granton Trawler

Granton Trawler 1934

4.90

Documentary following an Edinburgh fishing trawler, the "Isabella Grieg".

1934

London Can Take It!

London Can Take It! 1940

6.65

A tribute to the courage and resiliency of Britons during the darkest days of the London Blitz.

1940

Britain at Bay

Britain at Bay 1940

1

Wartime morale-boosting propaganda short, looking at the greatness of Britain and the efforts of all to preserve her power and integrity.

1940

Love on the Wing

Love on the Wing 1939

6.00

Animation featuring dancing black and white shadows.

1939

The Coming of the Dial

The Coming of the Dial 1933

1

A film made by the British General Post Office (GPO) in 1933, promoting the automation of telephone exchanges.

1933

Book Bargain

Book Bargain 1937

5.00

Shows the production of the London telephone directory.

1937

The King's Stamp

The King's Stamp 1935

1

The production of King George V's Silver Jubilee (1910-1935) special postage stamp, and a brief dramatised history of the development of the penny post.

1935

Post Haste

Post Haste 1943

1

A brief documentary about the history of the Royal Mail.

1943

Health in War

Health in War 1940

1

The organisation of medical services in Britain during the Second World War.

1940

Pett and Pott: A Fairy Story of the Suburbs

Pett and Pott: A Fairy Story of the Suburbs 1934

5.00

The film, made to advertise domestic telephone sets, is based around two very different families. The Petts are conventional, happy and have children; the Potts are unconventional and unhappy, without children.

1934

John Atkins Saves Up

John Atkins Saves Up 1934

1

Combining a whimsical romantic tale, practical information about the Post Office Savings Bank, and a gently experimental film-making technique, this film entertainingly depicts some of the prospects opened up by having a savings account.

1934