London Can Take It!

It was said that the most important fact of world history during the last century was that the United States of America and the United Kingdom spoke a common language. If so that is the underlying reason why this short subject narrated by war correspondent Quentin Reynolds resonated with the American public.

With funny accents these people are just like us and we could imagine, New York, Chicago, etc. the subject of nightly bombing raids and the fire department on 24/7. The title borrowed from Winston Churchill was the voice of defiance telling Mr. Hitler and Mr. Goering to do their utmost worst.

Although the royal family could have left, the King and Queen chose to stay in London, in Buckingham Palace and the place was hit a few times. It was calculated and courageous decision showing their subjects that their rulers were undergoing the same hardship they were. Footage of George VI and Elizabeth visiting and inspecting London were tremendous morale boosters.

A wonderful short subject about some bad times.

The GPO Film Unit was set up in 1933 with the principal aim of producing short documentary films publicising the work of the British General Post Office; the famous "Night Mail" is perhaps their best-known such film. During the thirties, however, they also made a number of documentaries on other subjects, such as "North Sea" about the fishing industry. After the outbreak of war in 1939 the Unit's main purpose was to make propaganda and information films about the war effort; after 1940 it was renamed the Crown Film Unit, emphasising the fact that it was no longer primarily concerned with the GPO.

"London Can Take It!" was one of the last films the unit made under its original name, and deals with the German "Blitz" against London in the autumn and winter of 1940. (The term "Blitz" is, strictly speaking, a misnomer deriving from a misunderstanding of the German term "Blitzkrieg", or "lightning war", but it is the name by which the German strategic bombing campaign has become universally known in Britain). It was made with two purposes in mind. The first is to uphold British morale by demonstrating that the bombardment was having no effect other than to strengthen the British people's determination to fight. (The unit made another, similar, film around the same time, "The Front Line", about the will to resist of the people of Dover, the English town closest to the European coastline and a frequent target for German bombing or shelling). The second was to influence public opinion in the still-neutral USA, where the film was widely distributed. An American journalist, Quentin Reynolds, was chosen as the narrator; the film- makers clearly felt that American audiences would respond more favourably to a commentary in a familiar accent.

This is not "atrocity propaganda" concentrating on the suffering of the innocent and the supposed bestial cruelty of the enemy. There was a backlash against that sort of propaganda in Britain following its over- use in the First World War, even though the Nazis seemed to be doing everything in their power (far more, in fact, than did the Kaiser's armies) to justify the old "Beastly Hun" slogans of 1914-18. The film opens with scenes of Londoners commuting home in the evening, and then concentrates on the work of the British air defences and emergency services in responding to the German attacks. It is far more a celebration of British courage and resilience than it is a denunciation of Nazi barbarism.

The film did not, of course, persuade America to enter the war; it took Pearl Harbor to do that. In some respects, however, it can be seen a highly successful propaganda. It was directed by two of the Unit's most experienced directors, Humphrey Jennings and Harry Watt, and provides a series of vivid and unforgettable images of the Blitz- the "white fingers" of the searchlights against the night sky, the fire engines racing to put out the blazes, the people sheltering in the tube stations. It was images like these which helped to strengthen British morale by reinforcing the 'stiff upper lip' self-image of a proud and indomitable people.

Timeless,.impersonal semi-propaganda documentary short marked by advanced editing.

The dispassionately toned narrative by the 'independent' correspondent underlying a poetic cascade of remarks imposed on stirring real footage and sound, makes for an engrossing dive into people like us drawn together by unimaginable circumstance. London Can Take it enjoyed wide distribution in the states and was said to have influenced the United States decision in entering World War II.

My rating, 5 out of 5.

London Can Take It! (1940)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

WW2 era short talks about how the people of London prepare for a possible attack by the Nazis. This is a pretty interesting short that shows up the people train themselves and in some cases plan to fight back. There's nothing too special here but it's still interesting for the time.

You have several viewing options for this one including it being shown on TCM countless times a year and Warner has also released it in their James Cagney Collection.

It's a propaganda piece from wartime British government. It's probably mostly intended for the American audience. Its main goal is to rally support and show the resilience of the people in the face of overwhelming force. It's narrated by war correspondent Quentin Reynolds who gives the tone of an old fashion cigar chomping reporter. The main question is whether this actually worked. It probably was very effective in creating sympathy for the British side in America. That is all that matters at this time.