Morning Paper

About the film

Morning Paper follows the production of an issue of The Times during the Blitz, from the daily editorial conference to the printing presses.

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Details

• Release year - 1942
• Director - Donald Carter
• Production company - G.B. Instructional
• Producer - H. Bruce Woolfe
• Cinematographer - Jack Parker
• Editor - Darrel Catling
• Running time (minutes) - 10 mins 35 secs

Original description

A British newspaper in tIme of war

'A description of how, in spite of air raids, a famous London Newspaper carries on. From the pre-war offices above ground, the scene shifts to the Press Room below; the pages are composed and checked, curved stereos are made to fit the rotary presses. Bombs may fall, but the newspaper comes out on time.'

(Films of Britain - British Council Film Department Catalogue - 1942-43)

Did you know?

• Though it is not explicitly stated in Morning Paper, it can be seen that the newspaper being printed is The Times. When Morning Paper was produced, The Times and The Sunday Times were entirely separate entities. Founded independently, they only came under common ownership in 1966.
• It is probable that Morning Paper was made due to the presence of Elizabeth Dilys Powell - newspaper journalist and film critic for The Sunday Times - on the British Council’s Film Committee, which made film production decisions for the British Council.
• The minutes of a 1941 British Council Film Committee meeting notes that members felt that Morning Paper had “too much war in it and not enough newspaper.”

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