THE WOMEN'S LAND ARMY [Main Title]

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  • Title: THE WOMEN'S LAND ARMY [Main Title]
  • Film Number: IWM 480
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: British recruiting film for the Women's Land Army, 1917.
  • Description: The film uses acted material to show two "ladies of leisure" riding in Rotten Row, contrasted with the "women of action" of the Land Army practising drill. The two ladies decide to join the Land Army after receiving a letter from the brother of one of them, serving in France, who urges them to contribute to the war effort. They journey to the Department of National Service, where they are enrolled in the Land Army by Lady Crewe and her assistant, Miss Violet Markham. Wearing Women's Land Army uniform they go out with other members of the Land Army from their hostel to work on a farm. "Weeds, like U-Boats, must be exterminated." The line of women workers weeds one field, and turns over mulch in another while the farmer uses a horse-drawn reaper. The women have lunch in the shade of a tree. Some cover hay ricks while others feed chickens. Others stack hay bales onto a wagon, drive cattle, lift milk churns and feed piglets. The result of their efforts is a field of grain, with 'ghosts' of the women working appearing on it. In the same way an empty baker's window fills with loaves of bread which are then bought. The handbell recalls the women to their hostel at the end of the day. The ghost-figure of Britannia, appearing on a field of corn, blesses the Women's Land Army for its efforts.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM (IWM 480)
  • Featured Period: 1914-1918
  • Production Date: 1917-08
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Department of Information (Production sponsor) Broadwest Films (Production company) Hopson, Violet (Production cast) Close, Ivy (Production cast)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Crewe (Lady) (person) Markham, Violet Rosa (person) Women's Land Army (regiment/service) Ministry of National Service (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: propaganda, British - practical: recruitment (Women's Land Army) (object name) recruitment, British civilian: Women's Land Army (object name) buildings, British - institutional: Ministry of National Service (object name) agriculture, British - arable (object name) agriculture, British - animal (object name) animals, mammals: cow (object name) animals, mammals: pig (object name) society, British - sustenance (object name) society, British - domestic (object name) 31/3(41) (event) GB, England & London, SW <Rotten Row & Ministry of National Service> (geography) GB, England (geography) (concept) Class (concept)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: English Subtitle language: English
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 852 ft; Running time: 15 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Notes: Remarks: a nicely-made film. The camera tricks are attractive, if the use to which they are put seems slightly absurd. But it is difficult to know at whom the film was aimed. The Women's Land Army was by no means recruited exclusively or even largely from the very small leisured class which appears to be its target
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    IWM 480

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