Leslie Mitchell Conducts the News Pageant of Movietone. Eye-witness Commentary by Thomas Woodrooffe: Movietone Records Premier’s Great Speech

Series

Series Name
British Movietone News

Issue

Issue No.
519
Date Released
15 May 1939
Date submitted
10 May 1939
Stories in this Issue:

Story

Story No. within this Issue
1 / 5
Section Title
Leslie Mitchell Conducts the News Pageant of Movietone. Eye-witness Commentary by Thomas Woodrooffe
Summary
MOVIETONE CARD TITLE: Prime Minister at the Albert Hall. DESCRIPTION: Mr Chamberlain addresses the Womens’ Conservative Association at the Royal Albert Hall. During the speech he pledges support for Poland should it suffer from aggression. SHOTLIST: The Prime Minister makes a speech on the subject of Danzig to the Women’s Conservative Association. In this subject, scenes of Danzig were used to cover the Premier’s words. Only one shot of Danzig for use - the other has title superimposed. No exterior shots of the Albert Hall. No CU of Chamberlain. No general shots of the interior of the Albert Hall. Speech: "We ourselves have been through the whole gamut of emotions. Anxiety, listening until it became acute, the intense relief followed by renewed doubts and fears until now the people have settled down in to a mood of firm and fixed results. I seem in these days to be a target for a lot of rotten eggs, but I can assure you that doesn’t keep me awake. You have, I believe, approved our efforts strenuous and, up to now successful to keep Europe out of war. Well let me say now as I have said before that never has it entered our thoughts to isolate Germany, or to stand in the way of the natural and legitimate expansion of her trade. In Central and South Eastern Europe still less to prove some connection against her, with the idea of making War upon her. In many minds the danger spot in Europe today is Danzig. Our assurances to Poland are clear and precise and although we should be glad to see the differences between Poland and Germany amicably settled by discussion, although we think that they could and should be so settled. If an attempt were made to change the situation by force in such a way as to retain Polish Independence. By then that would inevitably start a general conflagration, ... this country would be involved."
Keywords
Organisations; Politics and government; Women; Foreign relations; Newsreels
Locations
Gdansk
Footage sources
Great Britain
Card file number
36747
Credits:
Commentator
Leslie Mitchell
Commentator
Thomas Woodroffe
Length of story (in feet)
204
Story extras:
Film clip

• The first time you use this link in a session, you will need to log on at the British Movietone website and then click this icon again to see the film. For the remainder of the session, this link will take you directly to the film.

This series is held by:

Film Archive

Name
AP Archive
Email
info@aparchive.com
Web
http://www.movietone.com
Phone
+44 (0)20 7482 7482
Series held
View all series held by AP Archive

How to cite this record

'Leslie Mitchell Conducts the News Pageant of Movietone. Eye-witness Commentary by Thomas Woodrooffe: Movietone Records Premier’s Great Speech', British Movietone News Issue No. 519, 15 May 1939. https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/newsonscreen/search/index.php/story/9966 (Accessed 31 Jan 2025)