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Summary: Second World War British Ministry of Information newsreel trailer reminding the public to post early for Christmas.
Description: The film opens with a man (Richard Massingham) staring intently at a large knot in his handkerchief trying to remember the reason why he tied the knot. A cat sitting on his lap appears to have a knot tied in its tail. The man ties a knot in his tie and when lying in bed ties a knot in the bed sheet. All of the time he is trying to remember something. He suddenly jumps out of bed and shouts "I've got it! Post early for Christmas" and seated at his desk begins to write his Christmas cards and to address his Christmas parcels whilst repeating "parcels and packets by the 18th and letters and cards by the 20th". He runs out of the front door of his house and down the steps still wearing his pyjamas and then rushes back inside to reappear a moment later fully dressed saying to himself "must be on time - must not be late" and rushes along a small path grass between trees. A caption, made up of lighted candles reads, reads POST EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS, followed by captions with the letters made up from cotton wool (?) reading PARCELS BY DEC 18TH, LETTERS BY DEC 20TH. The film ends with a shot of a the top of a decorated Christmas tree and of the man seated reading, a cigarette in a long cigarette holder in his mouth, candles alight on the spread fingers and thumb of his right hand and a sign behind his head saying HE POSTED EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS. He lights his cigarette with the candle on his right thumb and carries on reading.
Production Details: GPO (Production sponsor)
Ministry of Information (Production sponsor)
Public Relationship Films (Production company)
Massingham, Richard (Production individual)
Massingham, Richard (Production individual)
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: 1
Footage: 134 ft; Running time: 1 min 20 secs