Other titles:PROMOTION ATLANTIQUE (French Title) [Alternative Title]
MARSHALL PLAN FILMS [Allocated Series Title]
Summary: The film opens at the NATO Defence College at the historic École Militaire in Paris, where high ranking officers and civil servants from the 14 NATO countries in their various classes and groups are working on the new and complex problems of building an international force of national armies. Understanding the other man's language and point of view, appreciating his ingrained national characteristics, are every bit essential as logistics and military tactics. We then join the group in their field training visits to Britain, Norway, the Netherlands and the French Zone of Germany covering airfields, docks, and military centres. A thorough and comprehensive training leads to qualification as international staff officers in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
Description: British, French and United States military officers walk to the NATO Defence College at the École Militaire in Paris. As they walk they discuss the difficulty of common understanding across languages. The developments of the École Militaire and of NATO are briefly described. Attending the college are representatives from all 14 NATO nations, who while possessing 10 different native languages, must be fluent in either English or French. The students of the college break in to smaller committee groups and plan for the cohesion of the national armies in to an international force. The college also hosts lectures on related political issues. Historian Arnold Toynbee is shown briefly describing comparatively the resonance of communistic propaganda. Paul-Henri Spaak (then President of the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community) lectures on the attraction of European integration. Admiral Lemonnier is shown, before a delegation from the college leaves for London. In London the delegation travels along the river through the Port of London, passing under Tower Bridge. The Royal Naval College and the Brunswick Wharf Generation Station are shown from the river. The cargo shop “SALAGA” appears. The delegation then travel to Farnborough airfield. Several different aircraft are shown, including the English Electric Canberra VX185 [record holder as first double translantic crossing by jet] and WN467 (flying with its bomb bay open), a de Havilland comet, Scottish Aviation Pioneer (G-AKBF), the Bristol Type 173 helicopter G-ALBN, de Havilland Vampire WZ429, a de Havilland DH.110, and the Avro 698 prototype Vulcan VX770. The delegation then travel by Bergen Line to Stravanger, Norway. Norway’s strategic importance in NATO is briefly described. As they arrive into port Lemonnier briefs the students. The conclusion of a military exercise is shown in montage. The delegation then travel to Oslo, visiting Kon-tiki Huset and the Oseberg ship of the Viking Ship Museum. The delegation leave Norway in a Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar. They visit the port of Rotterdam where various cargoes (including an elephant) are loaded on to vessels. A number of ships are seen, including “SOUTHSTAR”, “TOULOUSE”,“MAASDAM”, and HNLMS “KAREL DOORMAN”. They also spot the Soviet “IVAN TURGENEV” and the Israeli “DANIELA BORCHARD”. The delegation then move on to the French occupied zone of Germany to observe combined French – United States exercise [Exercise Equinox?]. Troops and supplies parachute to the ground, watched by photographers and observers, including General Ridgeway. Returning to Paris, Toynbee posits a view as to the purpose of NATO. The British, French and United States officers leave, joking about the need to return quickly to ensure that the ongoing cooperation is successful.
The French version of the film – PROMOTION ATLANTIQUE – is partially subtitled. While it is largely the same as the English version, some exchanges differ in length and Arnold Toynbee receives less focus.
Alternative Title:PROMOTION ATLANTIQUE (French Title) [Alternative Title]
MARSHALL PLAN FILMS [Allocated Series Title]
Colour:B&W
Digitised:Yes
Object_Number:NAT 138
Sound:Sound
Access Conditions:IWM NATO
Featured Period:
Production Date:1953
Production Country:
Production Details: Mutual Security Agency, Special Representative in Europe (Production sponsor)
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Production sponsor)
Mutual Security Agency, Special Representative in Europe (Production company)
Anvil Films (Production company)
Spiro, Julian (Production individual)
Spiro, Julian (Production individual)
Curtis, Jacques (Production individual)
Samuelson, Sydney W (Production individual)
Brusse, Ytzen (Production individual)
Van Der Horst, Herman (Production individual)
Ringelband, Eric (Production individual)
Bertrand, Jean (Production individual)
Cameron, Ken (Production individual)
Jambers, Micheline (Production individual)
Mills, Phyllis (Production individual)
Lutyens, Elisabeth1906-07-091983-04-14'LUTYENS, (Agnes) Elisabeth (Mrs Edward Clark)', Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U166564, accessed 23 June 2011]
(Production individual)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ()
Genn, Leo (Production individual)
Nadaud, Serge (Production cast)
Pessa (Production cast)
Personalities, Units and Organisations:
Keywords:
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 3
Footage: 2065 ft ; Running time: c. 23 mins
