[VE DAY WHITEHALL, LONDON 8 MAY 1945] [Allocated]

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  • Title: [VE DAY WHITEHALL, LONDON 8 MAY 1945] [Allocated]
  • Film Number: ARY 144
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: Mute, unedited, black and white RAF film showing massed crowds around Whitehall and Parliament Square and the Prime Minister Winston Churchill, London on V E Day (Victory in Europe Day) 8th May 1945
  • Description: Scenes of crowds in Parliament Square and Whitehall, London. High angle view looking down over massed crowds and very slow moving traffic in Parliament Square from the corner of Bridge Street and Parliament Street. View of car moving slowly through the crowds. Group of students marching and running through the crowd. Rising panning shot showing crowds, car, motorcyclist and mounted Policeman passing the corner of the Houses of Parliament. View of a crowded no 38 bus passing through the crowd. Rising panning shot of massed crowds waiting in Parliament Square looking towards St Margaret's Church, Westminster. Further panning shot over the stationary crowd including view of cars and people inside the courtyard of the Houses of Parliament. Further views of the massed crowd in Parliament Square. View of the Prime Minister Winston Churchill in standing in an open top car proceeding extremely slowly through the waving crowd in Parliament Square, with mounted Policemen trying to clear a passage for his car (making his way to the Houses of Parliament after his broadcast announcing the end of hostilities, noted by the cameraman as at 3.30pm). Further shots of Winston Churchill standing in the open top car waving back at the crowds, flanked by nine mounted Policemen and making their way through the massed crowd. Further shots of the Prime Minister Winston Churchill standing in the open top car with crowds pushing forward to get closer to him. The mounted Policemen lead the Prime Minister's car through the gate in to the courtyard of the Houses of Parliament where he is welcomed by a small group of people. High angle view looking down over a small group of soldiers and women dancing in circle and two men who have climbed up a sign-post. High angle panning shot over Parliament Square towards St Margaret's Church, Westminster and Westminster Abbey with large crowds standing and some people seated resting on the grass. Distant high angle view of a procession to Westminster Abbey. View of crowds starting to disperse with some people looking up and waving at at the camera (now aware of its location). Very dark night shots of the Winston Churchill waving from a floodlit balcony of the Ministry of Health building, Whitehall. Very dark night shots of Winston Churchill speaking in to a microphone on the balcony with a young boy at his side. Wider angle shot of Winston Churchill on the balcony with two other groups on nearby balconies. Daytime shot from looking down on moving crowds in Whitehall and The Cenotaph. Further close and distant dark night shots of Winston Churchill speaking in to a microphone on the floodlit balcony of the Ministry of Health building, Whitehall. Shot of the clock face of Big Ben at 10.37 pm. Further shots of Winston Churchill on the balcony waving his hat for the crowd. Shot of the clock face of Big Ben at 10.40 pm. Dark, indistinct shots of fireworks exploding in the night sky. Shots of mass bank of floodlights illuminating the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament and the face of Big Ben at 10.50pm
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: [B&W]
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: ARY 144
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: Attribution: © IWM (ARY 144)
  • Featured Period:
  • Production Date: 1945-05-08
  • Production Country:
  • Production Details: RAF Film Production Unit (Production sponsor) Waxman, Harry1912-04-031984-12-24 (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer (person)
  • Keywords:
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: [B&W] Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage 661 ft; Running time: 9 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    ARY 144

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:
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