News on Screen

Series

Series Name

This Modern Age

Issue

Issue No.

7

Date Released

Apr 1947

Trade show

26 Feb 1947

Length of issue (in feet)

1886

Stories in this Issue:

• 1. Coal Crisis

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 1

Summary

BFI synopsis: Opening industrial shots whilst the commentary emphasises how much industry depends on coal. Other uses of coal are given including its use as an export. Shots of coal being loaded onto a cargo vessel. A balance sheet shows the deficit between the amount of coal produced and the amount needed. The secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers, Arthur Horner, speaks at a meeting of miners. Shots of Welsh and English mining landscapes. Commentary says how the coal industry has improved since public ownership under the National Coal Board. A board meeting is shown in session under the chairmanship of Lord Hyndley. Ebby Edwards is present, representing the miners. Shots of fields and drills excavating for coal measures below the earth. Commentary points out that Britain’s coal shortage is largely due to antiquated methods of mining: These methods are pinpointed - miners walking along distances from the shaft to the seam, having to crawl along crevices, only equipment is picks and hands, miners having to push trucks of coal to the shaft, pit ponies in use. At training centres, miners are taught to use mechanical cutters and loaders. Comparisons are made between hand and machine methods. The duck bill loading machine is shown in operation. Coal is put on a mechanical loader and taken by conveyor belt to the shaft. The uses of coal are enumerated. Commentary emphasises that despite advances in modern machinery, there will always be the need for the skilled miner. The dangers of mining are shown by an accident. Crowds watch as the bodies are brought out of the pit. Many miners remember the years of the Depression, when the miners stood idle around the streets, queued up at the Employment Exchange and gathered coal from the slag heap. Generally living conditions are still poor for the miner and his family. Emanuel Shinwell, M.P. speaks at miners’ meeting. A modern mine is then shown - modern machinery; showers provided, changing rooms, canteen transport, new houses for the family. At Nuneaton Staff College, trainees attend lectures. Final shots of a coal sorting machine whilst the commentary again emphasises the importance of coal.
Monthly Film Bulletin synopsis: A well-timed documentary which demonstrates the vital importance of coal to the future of Britain and examines the main problems facing the National Coal Board. Primitive methods of cutting and hauling coal are vividly contrasted with the modern machines, mechanical loaders and conveyor belts, haulage by Diesel engines that result in increased output and better conditions for miners. The training of skilled men goes side by side with the technical progress and the film shows the start made, before nationalisation, at Ashington and the Sheffield Training College. The facts are plainly stated and the film as a whole makes a brilliant contribution towards the wider recognition of the most urgent problem of the day.

Researcher Comments

This issue was made in association with Illustrated and with Edgar Anstey as joint producer. Trade shown on 26 February 1947.

Keywords

Industry and manufacture; Mining; Labour relations

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
Monthly Film Bulletin   Vol.14 No.160 April 1947, p57.
Documentary News Letter   Vol.6 No.56 April-May 1947, p89.
Enticknap, Leo. The Non-Fiction Film in Britain, 1945-1951 unpublished PhD thesis   p253.

Credits:

Editor

Bert Eggleston

Producer

Edgar Anstey

Support services

George Ivan Smith

Director

John Monck

Producer

Sergei Nolbandov

Production Co.

This Modern Age, Ltd.

Length of story (in feet)

1886

This series is held by:

Film Archive

Name

British Film Institute (BFI)

Email

For BFI National Archive enquiries:
nonfictioncurators@bfi.org.uk
For commercial/footage reuse enquiries:
footage.films@bfi.org.uk

Web

http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web

Phone

020 7255 1444

Fax

020 7580 7503

Address

21 Stephen Street
London W1T 1LN

Notes

The BFI National Archive also preserves the original nitrate film copies of British Movietone News, British Paramount News, Empire News Bulletin, Gaumont British News, Gaumont Graphic, Gaumont Sound News and Universal News (the World War II years are covered by the Imperial War Museum).

Series held

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