About the film
Chronicling London during the midst of World War II, 'London 1942' illustrates the changes in daily life brought about by the pressures of war.
Details
- Release year
- 1943
- Director
- Ken Annakin
- Production company
- Greenpark, in association with Verity Films
- Producer
- Ralph Keene
- Cinematographers
- A. T. Dinsdale, John Havinden
- Composer
- David Moule Evans
- Narration
- Robert Speaight
- Editor
- Peter Tanner
- Sound recording
- Al Rhind
- Musical director
- Muir Mathieson
- Running time (minutes)
- 13 mins 46 secs
- Music Played by
- London Symphony Orchestra
Original Description
A Picture of Wartime London
‘A picture of London in 1942 showing a cheerful though bomb-scarred city. The streets are full of British and Allied servicemen. In the parks there are allotments; tomatoes grow on roof tops. The film shows Londoners in the Home Guard and Civil Defence. It ends with scenes of London after dark.’
(Films of Britain - British Council Film Department Catalogue - 1942-1943)
Trivia
- A uncredited young Bill Owen, most famous known for his portrayal of the character 'Compo' in ‘The Last of the Summer Wine’, can be seen at 08:45, performing a cabaret act that he toured music halls with in order to pay for acting classes. This is the second-oldest known footage of him, following a Ministry of Information short. After the war, he would go on to find roles in feature films.
- The Ministry of Information censored a shot of Auxiliary Territorial Service (A.T.S.) personnel manning an anti-aircraft gun, as the predictor shown on the gun was still on the ‘secret list’.
