nocinema - interludes - Jerome Joy website

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!'''INTERLUDES ON BBC TELEVISION''' "Back in the 1950s the Interludes on BBC television were short films used to fill up gaps in the programme, during intervals in plays (yes there were actual intervals then!), or as a standby in case of a studio breakdown. They mainly consisted of tranquil scenes, such as '''Ploughing''', in which a horse-drawn plough would gradually work across a field, or a windmill, sails slowly turning. The interlude most fondly remembered is '''the Potters Wheel''', in which a potter's hands (the potter was not shown) would make various vase-type objects on the wheel, but never actually finishing any. The films were accompanied on the soundtrack by peaceful music or natural sounds. Three other programmes, not technically interludes, were also used to fill time on BBC television during the 1950s. They were two short items made by the BBC Film Unit, '''London to Brighton in Four Minutes''' and the '''BBC Suppressor Film'''. A longer programme, used as a last-minute substitute when the scheduled item was unavailable, was Journey Into The Weald of Kent, introduced by Sir John Betjeman. This film lasted longer and was made by the National Benzole petrol company; it was later also used as a trade test colour film. The following list, unfortunately not complete, comes mainly from a handwritten sheet copied out by Arthur Dungate in the early 1950s augmented by information from the BBC. Inevitably there are gaps in this list; additions and corrections will be most welcome! This list of BBC Television Interludes gives the title of the film, its length where known (films were seldom shown in full, however), where filmed (if known) and the accompanying music. It is assumed that most of these films were made by the BBC Film Unit. Read the list: {small}http://www.bvws.org.uk/405alive/info/prog_interludes.html {/small} '''London to Brighton in Four Minutes''', made by the BBC Film Unit in 1952, was a favourite of many viewers during the 1950s. In those days one never knew when it would be screened, but it often popped up when there was an unscheduled gap between programmes. Luckily, it has been repeated on BBC-TV several times recently. Apparently the journey on the Brighton Belle was filmed at 2 frames per second (fps). Thus at the normal projection speed of 24fps a speed of 60 mph becomes 720 mph. Some people say there were two versions of this film, can anyone confirm and explain? That is ignoring the subsequent remakes of this classic film. Incidentally, this film set the pace for several others in the same genre. First came London to Brighton at 900 MPH, which was a colour film sold on the 8mm format by Mountain Films. I guess this was made during the 1960s. British Transport Films made Let's Go to Birmingham (Paddington-Birmingham in five minutes) and more recently Inter City 1250 (Kings Cross-Peterborough at 1250 mph!). Also in recent times, the BBC remade London to Brighton but showed only sections of it, interleaved with the original, classic version. ''(Andy Emmerson and the British Vintage Wireless Society)'' ----
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