Summary: An impression of the work involved in getting newspapers out of London to newsagents, a service that continued throughout the 'Blitz' ("even during the worst raids they never failed").
Description: As a tribute, the film recreates (relying heavily on stills, stock shots and animated illustration) a particularly bad night: bomb-damage necessitates 3 changes of railway station loading point, and a consequent 4 hour delay; even then the train is strafed by a low-flying enemy plane, but the papers do get through. Film ends with a sequence in which a newsagent sends a newspaper editor a bullet found in a stack of papers from the train.... "Accurate objective newspapers will help us all play a part in shaping events in the better world we can and must build."
Production Details: Ministry of Information (Production sponsor)
Realist (Production company)
Lye, Len (Production individual)
Meyer, Ernst H (Production individual)
Jeakins, A E (Production individual)
Bland, William S (Production individual)
Hunter (Production individual)
Mueller, Merrill (Production individual)
Mueller, Merrill (Production cast)
Personalities, Units and Organisations:
Keywords: economics, British national - trade: newsagents (object name)
journalism and record, British - press: newspapers (object name)
transport, British civilian - rail: newspaper train (object name)
propaganda (concept)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Subtitle language: None
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Running time: 7 mins
