This song contains samples from the 1936 movie night mail about the london, midland and scottish railway lms mail train. Night mail 1936 is one of the bestloved and bestknown films in the canon of british documentary cinema. Night mail is a 1936 documentary film about an lms mail train from london to scotland, produced by the gpo film unit. Night mail 1936 was one of the most critically acclaimed films to be produced within the british documentary film movement. In the editorial statement of the first issue of rhythm, john. Blake morrison marvels at night mail books the guardian. Night mail by w h auden famous poems, famous poets. Pat jackson workers of the travelling post office workers of the l. One of the most critically acclaimed and bestloved films produced within the british documentary movement, night mail, made in 1936, tells the story of the travelling post office from euston to glasgow and the men who worked on it. In 1936 britten and the poet w h auden, also briefly employed at the film unit. Dont miss the w h auden poem night mail toward the end of the film. It was also among the most commercially successful, and remains the film most commonly identified with the movement. Auden and benjamin britten, the film gave john griersons documentary school its first popular success.
Deutsch stream german night mail ist ein kurzer 25 minuten schwarzwei. The 24minute film documents the nightly postal train operated by the london, midland and scottish railway lms from london to glasgow and the staff who operate it. Narrated by john grierson and stuart legg, the film. Its collectivist politics and its peculiarly modest brand of modernism is as redolent of. Night mail, about the london to glasgow postal train, is a classic of the 1930s british documentary boom, with contributions from auden and. By 1936, film output at the gpo film unit was divided between the production of relatively routine films promoting post office services, and more ambitious ones experimenting with the use of sound, visual style, narrative and editing technique. It tells the story of the special postal express train collecting, sorting and delivering mail as it travels overnight from london to glasgow. Night mail ii maintained the momentum and pace of the original night mail with aerial shots of the north east tpo proudly sporting the new royal mail letters red and yellow livery with corporate typeface. Night mail, about the london to glasgow postal train, is a classic of the 1930s british documentary boom, with contributions from auden and britten. This was the year when nazis came into power in germany and politics became a. The post office commissioned it as an informationcumpublicity film for its employees to show what happened to the mail on its journey to scotland. Bringing together the creative talents of harry watt, basil wright, w.
Night mail is a 1936 english documentary film directed and produced by harry watt and basil wright, and produced by the general post office gpo film unit. Night mail was never meant to be a work of art but thats what it became. The film is about the crew of a wellington bomber partaking in a bombing mission over germany. Opening the night mail train set by graham farish duration. Target for tonight or target for tonight is a 1941 british documentary film billed as filmed and acted by the royal air force, all while under fire. This was made by the gpo film unit gpo being the general post office which was the interface between governmentauthority and the man in the street. British postal employees collect and sort mail on a night train from england to scotland. Special programme featuring the 1936 film night mail with an updated version of the film made in 1986 with music by james harpham and. The way to the sea uk, 1936 features verse by auden and music by britten spotlight on the night mail uk, 1948 thirty million letters uk, 1963 night mail 2 uk, 1986 updated version of night mail featuring poetry by blake morrison fully illustrated booklet with essays by author blake morrison, film composer miguel mera and more. A documentary about the train that carried scotlands letters around the country overnight. Night mail is a 1936 documentary film about a london, midland and scottish railway lms mail train from london to scotland, produced by the gpo film unit. Night mail is a short 25 minute black and white documentary made in 1936. Made by the general post office film unit gpo, who were known for a surprisingly daring experimental style.
His 1959 film the siege of pinchgut was entered into the 9th berlin international film festival. By 1936, film output at the gpo film unit was divided between the production of relatively routine. By 1936, film output at the gpo film unit was divided between the production of relatively routine films promoting post office services. It was directed by harry watt for the crown film unit. Night mail is a 1936 documentary film about a london, midland and scottish railway lms mail train from london to scotland. It is almost always cited as a seminal film, but its.
Auden was written for it, used in the closing few minutes, as was the music by benjamin britten. Harry watt 18 october 1906 2 april 1987 was a scottish documentary and feature film director, who began his career working for john grierson and robert flaherty. Night mail, the gpo film units 1936 documentary, seemingly had everything going for it from the start from its directors harry watt and basil wright, narrators john grierson and stuart legg to the poem that wh auden wrote especially for it and the music score composed by a 23yearold benjamin britten the gpo film unit, set up by john grierson in 1933, to take on the. The film won an honorary academy award in 1942 as best documentary by the. The carriage numbers were 80365, 80422, 80320, 80362, 80421, 80363 and brake 80868. This is the night mail crossing the border, bringing the cheque and the postal order, letters for the rich, letters for the poor, the shop at the corner, the girl next door. With arthur clark, john grierson, stuart legg, robert rae.
Auden was written for it, used in the closing few minutes, as was music by benjamin britten. Harry watt and basil wrights study of the down postal express stands as a beacon for john griersons original purpose for documentary to make the working man the hero of the screen. This short, acclaimed blackandwhite british documentary from the 1930s centres on a mail train travelling from london to scotland to drop and collect mail. It shows the special train on which mail is sorted, dropped and collected on the run, and delivered in scotland on the overnight run from euston, london to glasgow. One of the best loved films of the british documentary movement, night mail follows the travelling post office from euston to glasgow, and the men who worked on it. Night mail 1936 directed by harry watt, basil wright. Shows the special train on which mail is sorted, dropped and collected on the run, and delivered in scotland overnight. In the documentary night mail 1936, john grierson narrates the opening scene with wh audens poem of the same name, night mail. In 1936 britten and the poet w h auden, also briefly employed at the film unit, collaborated on night mail, probably the most celebrated of all 1930s documentary films. Narrated by john grierson and stuart legg, the film ends with a verse. Night mail is a british 25minute short film from 1936, so this one has its 80th anniversary this year and is still in blackandwhite of course.
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