Rent I Was a Fireman (1943)
3.7 of 5 from 54 ratings
3h 4min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Features three films from the man described by Lindsay Anderson as 'the only true poet of the English Cinema'.
Listen to Britain (1942)
A sublime documentary of the sights and sounds of Britain in the midst of war. Its 19 seamless minutes of images and sounds can be watched time and again for its beauty, connections and the economy with which it tells vast stories of the human spirit. Jennings shared the credits for the film with his editor Stewart McAllister.
I Was a Fireman (1943)This film, also known as Fires Were Started, about 24 hours in the work of a Fire Unit during the Blitz, should be as iconic to British cinema as Vigo's L'Atalante is to French. Its respect for the stories of ordinary people, its use of non¬professional actors and the poetry of its visual connections ushered in a realm of new cinematic possibilities in Britain.
Diary for Timothy (1945)
Set during 1944-45 in a nation so wearied by war that real triumph was impossible, this film diary for a newborn baby shows the world around him at that moment. There is a deep humanity here - Michael Redgrave captures the tone of E.M. Forster's commentary perfectly, and its final sequence is one of the most moving in all cinema.- Actors:
- Philip Dickson, George Gravett, Fred Griffiths, Johnny Houghton, Loris Rey, Leonard Brockington, Bud Flanagan, Chesney Allen, Myra Hess, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, William Sansom, John Gielgud, Frederick Allen, Bill, Elizabeth Jenkins, Elvin Jenkins, Timothy James Jenkins, Jennifer, Frank Phillips, Peter Robert
- Directors:
- Humphrey Jennings, Stewart McAllister
- Producers:
- Ian Dalrymple, Basil Wright
- Voiced By:
- Joseph Macleod, Michael Redgrave
- Narrated By:
- Michael Redgrave
- Writers:
- Humphrey Jennings, E.M. Forster
- Aka:
- Listen to Britain / Fires Were Started / Diary for Timothy
- Studio:
- Film First
- Genres:
- Children & Family, Documentary, Drama, Special Interest
- Collections:
- Top 10 Titles About the Golden Age of Radio
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Reviews (1) of I Was a Fireman
Amazing films, very well observed, excellent and historic. - I Was a Fireman review by ND
There are four films on this DVD, it is essential that you watch the last one first. It explains a great deal about how these films were made and why. Trust me!
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.