BOOKS FOR THE BRAVE [Main Title]

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  • Title: BOOKS FOR THE BRAVE [Main Title]
  • Film Number: NPB 14039
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: Second World War British Ministry of Information newsreel trailer appealing for books and magazines for the Forces.
  • Description: The film opens with a shot of a bored young soldier (played by Jimmy Hanley) reading a book entitled "Brief Blooming Flower of Passion". He is asked by another soldier (played by John Laurie) if the book is any good, to which he replies "brief blooming load of tripe". The other soldier walks over to a virtually empty bookshelf and turns to talk directly to camera "has nobody got a book fit to read?" The commentary asks "Haven't you got any books to give to the Forces? Good modern fiction is most urgently needed" over images of a male civilian selecting books from his bookshelf and men and women sorting large piles of books. The commentary continues "books we receive, together with new books bought by the Government, are sorted by experts into Field Institute Libraries which we want to establish wherever they are needed" over images of the selection and boxing of books and a close-up of a label for 'Welfare Officer, Gold Coast Area'. The commentary explains "75% are fiction, but also include current affairs, reference books, a dictionary, an encyclopedia and so on" with a shot of parcels of books being loaded on to a truck. The commentary continues "even the most isolated unit receives books" explaining that books are even sent by parachute or by submarine. "You haven't to go by parachute or submarine, all you have to do is to hand over as many books and magazines as you can to the Post Office. Don't just do it once, but keep it up regularly". Brief shot of the soldier played by John Laurie picking a very large book from a shelf and rushing off to read it followed by a shot of the younger soldier (Jimmy Hanley) engrossed in a book entitled 'The Hand of Fear' by Gerald Verner. Hanley then smiles at the camera and says "Thanks Chum!" The film ends with a close-up shot of part of a document which states, 'It is a good cause. Let your response be prompt and generous. August 1944' signed by Winston Churchill.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: NPB 14039
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period:
  • Production Date: 1944
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Ministry of Information (Production sponsor) Ministry of Supply (Production sponsor) Concanen (Production company) De Marney, Derrick1906-09-211978-02-18 (Production individual) Hanley, Jimmy (Production cast) Laurie, John Emilius1892-08-121983-01-10Served European War, 1914–18 (despatches 5 times, DSO and bar, Chevalier Légion d'Honneur); commanded 6th (Morayshire) Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 1918–19, and 2nd Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 1934–38; Comdr, Tientsin Area, British Troops in China, 1939–40 (despatches); 157 Inf. Bde, France, 1940 (CBE); 52nd (Lowland) Div., 1941–42; Combined Operations Training Centre, Inveraray; retired 1945; Col, Seaforth Highlanders, 1947–57 (Production cast)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer (person)
  • Keywords:
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 130 ft; Running time: 1 min 20 secs
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    NPB 14039

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