Public Information Films of the British Home Front 1939-1945 (DVD)

  

Though there's more than a little 'Chumley Warner' about this collection, it's an absolute treasure trove of hidden gems from a time when folk seemed less cynical about 'doing their bit' and working for the good of all. And that's not a bad thing surely?

Running at over four hours in total it's as comprehensive a library of public information films from the war years (and post-war years) as you're ever likely to get your mitts on.
 
From a time before TV, running these films as local cinemas was one of the few ways that the Government and official bodies of the day could communicate with the masses. Whether it was about re-cycling your potato peelings (yes - there's nothing new about the recycling concept) or keeping mum about anything that might be of interest to 'Jerry', or keeping your blinds down during black-outs to post-war recruitment of workers willing to bring in the crops during their holiday period, this collection is chock a block full of a community spirit rarely seen these days.


 
Of course the very nature of the messages, mostly delivered in that frightfully clipped and earnest upper crust drawl, is simple to the point of patronising to our jaded modern ears, but these little pockets of history reveal much about the period from which they were borne.
 
There's no shortage of creativity either with some very imaginative animation, magic, special effects, and clever sloganeering revealing an age where sophisticated advertising may have been in its infancy but just about all the good ideas had been done before.


 
What's especially interesting is what was most important for this austere world lacking in resources. Advice on proper cooking to maintain the nourishment of vegetables, advice on mending clothes and saving energy, of helping Britain's forces get the resources they needed to do the job properly. Sneezers spreading diseases were frowned upon at a time when every able man, woman and child was expected to make a contribution to the war effort.



 'Dig for Victory', 'Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases', 'Loose talk costs lives' 'The Walls have Ears'  'and 'Look Out in the Blackout!' were all phrases that have their origins in the Ministry of Information, responsible for making these wonderful pieces of positive propaganda.

Celebrity was important then as it is now it would seem as famous faces (and voices) pop up again and again. Stars like Tommy Trinder, Cyril Fletcher, 'Cheerful' Charlie Chester, Old Mother Riley, Jimmy Hanley, Stanley Holloway, Arthur Haynes, Alastair Sim and many more are paraded here.



It's also interesting to note that 'shock tactics' are not a unique feature of our times. There are many examples here that are used to shock the viewer into positive action.

Amongst the most interesting of the films are a collection of post-war films included in the bonus features that include a child getting blown up whilst playing on a restricted area and a man blown up on his bike when he decides to take an unexploded bomb home as a souvenir of the war. There are also some terrific recruitment films that all seem to appeal to people's social conscience rather than their pocket; a refreshing approach for our selfish times perhaps.



The DVD set is like having a whole museum's collection in your own home and the distributors (a subsidery of Network I think) should be applauded for the time and effort they must have taken in pulling together such a comprehensive collection.



The films should be compulsory viewing for all school children studying WWII as they bring to life so much of the social history of the day.

A brilliant set that will be thoroughly enjoyed by anyone with enough imagination to allow themselves to be transported to another time. Recommended.