Summary: An impressionistic portrait of life in Britain behind the scenes of imminent victory.
Description:'Timothy' is a baby born on the fifth anniversary of the outbreak of war: the film is a record of the following six months, in which the vulnerability but good fortune of the baby counterpoint the growing success but continuing sufferings of Britain at war. The image of war presented concentrates on the home front: battlefield news arrives over the radio, but is scarcely illustrated at all. People at war are typified by a farmer, an engine driver, a convalescent fighter-pilot and above all by a Welsh miner who is injured about Christmas time and whose convalescence parallels the pilot's. Other images include the clearing of Britain's coastal mine-fields and defences; replacement of black-out with 'dim-out'; a Myra Hess concert; Civil Defence workers at a V-weapon 'incident', Gielgud as Hamlet; Christmas festivities; house-building etc. The miner's injury initiates reminiscences of the failures and shortcomings of Britain after the First World War, and Forster's commentary closes emphasising the burden placed on 'Timothy' - to determine whether the story will be the same again, or the world will be made a different place.
Alternative Title:
Colour:B&W
Digitised:Yes
Object_Number:UKY 730
Sound:Sound
Access Conditions:IWM
Film: IWM
Featured Period:1939-1945
Production Date:1945-1945
Production Country:GB
Production Details:Crown Film Unit (Production Company)
Jennings, Humphrey (Production individual)
Wright, Basil (Production individual)
Forster, E M (Production individual)
Gamage, Fred (Production individual)
Cameron, Ken (Production individual)
May, Jock (Production individual)
Osbiston, Alan (Production individual)
Hutt, Jenny (Production individual)
Buck, Dusty (Production individual)
Pine, Diana (Production individual)
Warren, Richard (Production individual)
Addinsell, Richard (Production individual)
London Symphony Orchestra (Production individual)
Mathieson, Muir (Production individual)
Redgrave, Michael (Production cast)
Hess, Myra (Production cast)
Gielgud, John (Production cast)
Personalities, Units and Organisations:
Keywords:
Physical Characteristics:Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Technical Details:Footage: 3487 ft; Running time: 40 mins
