Films

When the Empire Marketing Board ceased producing films in 1932, the film unit moved to the GPO. This provided an opportunity to bring the work of the GPO to public view. Over 64 GPO Film Unit films were made. The master copies are looked after by the British Film Institute (BFI). We now, however, have access to digital copies of most of the films.

Film-makers such as John Grierson, and later Alberto Cavalcanti, created films showing the diverse nature of the Post Office's organisation and work. By commissioning the leading talents of the era, the GPO Film Unit produced a significant number of highly-regarded films between 1933 and 1940.

In 1940 the GPO Film Unit became the Crown Film Unit and part of the Ministry of Information. The Post Office continued to commission new films to promote and inform the public, as well as to train staff in best practice, health and safety and procedure.

Night Mail (1936)

Night Mail is the most well known of all GPO documentaries. It is also probably the film most responsible for putting the British documentary on the map.

Night Mail tells the story of the overnight Travelling Post Office (TPO) from Euston to Glasgow. W H Auden's poem of the same title was written especially for the film. The rhythm reflects that of the noise of the train. The film is accompaied by music by Benjamin Britain.

View a clip from 'Night Mail' (QuickTime format - 413KB)

N or NW? (1937)

This information film was made to stress the importance of using the correct postal district code.

After a lovers' tiff, a young girl is expecting a letter of apology from her fiancé. She is about to break off her engagement when the wrongly-addressed letter finally arrives and all is well again. 

The film was directed by Len Lye with supervision from Calvalcanti.

View a clip from 'N or NW?' (QuickTime format - 333KB)

Trade Tattoo (1937)

Trade Tattoo was directed by Len Lye. Len Lye famously made films without using a camera, by drawing or scratching directly onto the film, working in response to music. This film combined live action footage, animation and music to encourage people to 'post early in the day'.

View a clip of 'Trade Tattoo' (QuickTime format - 422KB)

Britain Can Take It! (1940)

Quentin Reynolds, an American journalist, recorded this programme as a film despatch from London.

It is a shortened version of London Can Take It. The latter gave President Roosevelt the kind of material he needed to swing American popular opinion behind Britain’s war effort in the Second World War. The film is a propaganda film that shows the courage with which the population of London faced the blitz.

View a clip from 'Britain Can Take It!' (QuickTime format - 259KB)

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