The charming poem night mail was written in 1936 to accompany the documentary film of the same year and the same title. The last tpo trains ran on the night of 9th january 2004. Night mail remastered and restored british universities. It is not, however, a feature film but a documentary, only 25 minutes long, about an everyday subject, the journey of the mail train from london to scotland. Watt then joined the gpo film unit where he made his reputation as a documentarian with night mail 1936 which received much acclaim.
Bringing together the creative talents of harry watt, basil wright, wh auden and benjamin britten, the film gave john griersonas documentary school its first popular success. By 1936, film output at the gpo film unit was divided between the production of relatively routine. Night mail 1936 remains one of the most popular and instantly recognised films in british film history, and was one of the most critically acclaimed films to be produced with the british documentary film movement. Made by the general post office film unit gpo, who were known for a surprisingly daring experimental style and put a lyrical spin on what. The serious impulse behind entertaining musical fantasies like the fairy of the phone 1936 was an attempt to find new ways to communicate with the public. In 1936 watt became a director for the london unit of the american newsreel series march of time, where his films included englands tithe war 1936. 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. In 1986 the post office commissioned night mail ii complete with an updated verse by blake morrison and music by james harpham. Night mail 1936 is one of the bestloved and bestknown films in the canon of british documentary cinema. Most notably, it contains the poem written and spoken by writer w. Special programme featuring the 1936 film night mail with an updated version of the film made in 1986 with music by james harpham and poetry by blake morrison. The grierson school, evincing a middleclass disdain for the popular and low arts, sought instead to purify the sullied medium of cinema by importing extracinematic prestige. At the end of the film the poem was read by auden to the accompaniment of music composed by benjamin britten. Night film is a mystery thriller by marisha pessl, published by random house.
Thus one job of the gpo film unit was to find ways to bridge the gap between the stern norms of communication in the civil service and popular understanding. With arthur clark, john grierson, stuart legg, robert rae. A documentary about the train that carried scotlands letters around the country overnight. Night mail 1936 directed by harry watt, basil wright.
Night mail is still a famous film 75 years after it was made in 1936. Auden was written for it, used in the closing few minutes, as was music by benjamin britten. 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. The economist it may be true, as the opening scene of the novel says, that everybody has a story about cordova. Albert finney 9 may 1936 7 february 2019 was an english actor who worked in film, television and theatre. Night mail, about the london to glasgow postal train, is a classic of the 1930s british documentary boom, with contributions from auden and britten. In the documentary night mail 1936, john grierson narrates the opening scene with wh audens poem of the same name, night mail. Wright then turned his attention to producing under his realist film unit. It is far more than a film about a train or a poem about moving mail from a to b. It shows the run from london to glasgow, picking up post on the way, sorting it on the train and dropping off at lineside collection points, all at speed.
The film was directed by harry watt and basil wright, and narrated by john grierson and stuart legg. A critically acclaimed pioneering realistic english social film documentary. We have neglected a great many great talents on our journey through the last century of film. Auden was written for it, used in the closing few minutes, as was the music by benjamin britten.
It is perhaps the bestremembered of a series of films produced by the gpo film unit publicising the work. It is almost always cited as a seminal film, but its influence on modern documentary form is close to nil. Night mail 1936 is a black and white, syncsound british documentary which follows a mail train along its route from london to glasgow, scotland. Pessl handles cordovas menace superbly, keeping readers in thrall. Audens famous poem read by himself and the music by benjamin britten are the superb icing on a cake that was always an intersting and dramatically paced documentary about the overnight anglo scottish mail train. Night mail is a 1936 documentary film about a london, midland and scottish railway lms mail train from london to scotland. 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. Night film is an engrossing yarn, full of twists and cliffhangers. The gate film club, a new film society founded by two young short. Night mail 1936 was one of the most critically acclaimed films to be produced within the british documentary film movement. One of the most critically acclaimed and bestloved films produced within the british documentary movement, night mail tells the fascinating story of the travelling post office from euston to glasgow and the men who worked on it.
Night mail 1936 was produced by john grierson with verse by w h auden. Night mail the flagship of the gpo film units output and a cornerstone of british documentary, featuring music by benjamin britten and the verse of w. Directed by harry watt and basil wright for the gpo film unit, and with grierson and stuart legg providing the commentary, the film transforms the dry statistics. As wayne himself has noted that there were many films he worked on but could not remember, the count may well exceed 200. This is the night mail crossing the border, bringing the cheque and the postal order. It was also among the most commercially successful, and remains the film most commonly identified with the movement. Night mail, the gpo film units 1936 paean to the british railbased mail delivery system, occupies an ambivalent place in documentary history. Narrated by john grierson and stuart legg, the film ends with a verse. And although the film has been much praised and often damned, until now it had not to my. Night mail is a 1936 documentary film about an lms mail train from london to scotland, produced by the gpo film unit.
Digitally remastered edition of the classic documentary night mail 1936 produced in partnership between the bpma and the bfi. The film concerned a london, midland, and scottish railway lms mail train traveling from london to scotland. In place of an individual hero struggling with issues of conscience and societythe premise of many of his postwar filmskurosawa here. 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. May 29 fritz lang s first hollywood film, fury, starring spencer tracy and bruce cabot, is released.
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. By 1936, film output at the gpo film unit was divided between the production of relatively routine films promoting post office services, and more. 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 responsibilities. This short, acclaimed blackandwhite british documentary from the 1930s centres on a mail train travelling from london to scotland to drop and collect mail. Dont miss the w h auden poem night mail toward the end of the film. 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. The film was around twenty four minutes and was named as night mail. Mar 22, 2017 the film was produced for a modest budget of.
Dec 12, 2011 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 and the girl next door. Mar 27, 20 this feature is not available right now. The film was directed by harry watt and basil wright and funded by the general post office film unit. The best movies of 1936 picked by critics and filmmakers and sorted by rank. The first mail special a train used solely for carrying mail, was introduced in 1885. This early documentary showed the postal specials nightly run from london to scotland. Night mail is an account of the operation of the royal mail train delivery service, and shows the various stages and procedures of. 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.
I like this film, because it is a glimpse of days long past when the gpo ran the the night mail train. This song contains samples from the 1936 movie night mail about the london, midland and scottish railway lms mail train. Blake morrison marvels at night mail books the guardian. In the mid1930s wright directed song of ceylon 1934 and night mail 1936, with words by w. Its part of the movie night mail, a 1936 documentary film about a lms london, midland and scottish railway mail train. Why we fights prelude to war prelude to war was the first film of frank capras why we fight propaganda film series, commissioned by the office of war information owi and george c. It is not to be confused with the 1936 documentary night mail. But its hard to imagine any one that would be better than night film. Aug 03, 2010 the films themethe necessity of complete selfsacrifice to the nationwas in harmony with the repressive state ideology of kokutai, but it was not an idea that kurosawa personally believed in. Shows the special train on which mail is sorted, dropped and collected on the run, and delivered in scotland overnight. February 15 first republic serial, darkest africa, is released.
Through the first half of the 1930s, the use of sound took many forms, often furthering the principles of collage through contrapuntal and nonsynchronous forms in the song of ceylon 1934, night mail 1936, vertovs enthusiasm. This government film is a public record, preserved and presented by the bfi national archive on behalf of the national archives, home to more than 1,000 years of british history. The following is an overview of 1936 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths. Night mail is one of those odd oneoffs that everyone remembers for wh audens line. 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. He attended the royal academy of dramatic art and worked in the theatre before attaining prominence on screen in the early 1960s, debuting with the entertainer 1960, directed by tony richardson, who had previously directed him in the theatre. Night mail holds an iconic place in british culture. Night mail is a short 25 minute black and white documentary made in 1936. British postal employees collect and sort mail on a night train from england to scotland. 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 was produced by gpo film unit, directed by harry watt and basil wright, and narrated by john grierson and. Dec 01, 2007 night mail, about the london to glasgow postal train, is a classic of the 1930s british documentary boom, with contributions from auden and britten. His poem night mail was written to be a commentary for a documentary film made in 1936.
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