Plastics

About the film

The development and manufacture of plastics and their many uses in the everyday world.

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Details

• Release year - 1945
• Director - Ronald Haines
• Production company - British Foundation Pictures Ltd.
• Cinematographer - Cyril Knowles
• Narration - Frank Phillips
• Editor - R. Haines
• Music - De Wolfe
• Running time (minutes) - 20 mins 02 secs

Original description

The manufacture of plastics

'This film shows the processes of making plastics from the original powder to the rolling and moulding of the finished article. Plastics can be moulded or sawn into a vast number of articles. These new substances are strong, smooth, easily cleaned and can be dyed in bright colours.'

(Films of Britain - British Council Film Department Catalogue - 1946)

Did you know?

• The war effort had a huge boom effect on the plastic industry. As such, once the war had ended, there was a huge influx of plastic goods on the market.
• Pearly Kings and Queens - a pair of whom are seen at the beginning of the film - are a London-based charitable working class culture that is over a century old.
• The panning shot of a bridge and sheep at the 1:20 mark has been reused from another British Council Collection film - Border Weave - made in 1942 and filmed by Jack Cardiff. The shot of a mechanical digger shortly afterwards is also believed to be reused, though this time from Teeth of Steel, filmed by Geoffrey Unsworth in 1942.

All films are subject to the Creative Commons licence guidelines.

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