I found the stock footage of this semi-plotted documentary of life in England and other parts of war-torn Europe in 1939 to be fascinating, whether showing daily activities of the common man or public speeches and public appearances. King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, princesses Elizabeth (the future queen) and Margaret and other assorted British political and public figures of the time are spotted, with the royal family doing an amusing hand dance where the narrator says that the more you do it, the more difficult it is. Then, there's footage of Hitler, some shots of weapons being prepared for battle and a view of what's going on in wartime factories in preparation as well.
I caught the British print of this film, narrated through the commanding voice of E. V. H. Emmett (with Lowell Thomas doing the narration for the American release), and was far more interested in the documentary being shown rather than newly filmed dramatic footage featuring Ralph Richardson, Merle Oberon and June Duprez. The propaganda division of the British film community can only reveal so many truths so this only tells part of the story, and it does so well even though the agenda is clear. It's a lot to take in with just 75 minutes of running time. The Korda Brothers rushed this out as a necessity, and it shows but that doesn't diminish its importance.
I caught the British print of this film, narrated through the commanding voice of E. V. H. Emmett (with Lowell Thomas doing the narration for the American release), and was far more interested in the documentary being shown rather than newly filmed dramatic footage featuring Ralph Richardson, Merle Oberon and June Duprez. The propaganda division of the British film community can only reveal so many truths so this only tells part of the story, and it does so well even though the agenda is clear. It's a lot to take in with just 75 minutes of running time. The Korda Brothers rushed this out as a necessity, and it shows but that doesn't diminish its importance.