A to Z OF BBC2 TRADE TEST COLOUR FILMS

by
Malcy B

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y

ACROSS THE STREET, ACROSS THE WORLD

Rank Organisation Special Features Division

Duration: 30 minutes

First Showing: 18^th January 1964

Final Showing: 17^th April 1964

This film shows the work of the British Red Cross at home and at its overseas branches in Hong Kong, Kenya and Uganda

Commentary by Tony Bilbow

Made in1963

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AFRICAN AWAKENING

World Wide Pictures. Sponsored by Unilever

Duration: 36 minutes

First showing: 11^th January 1964

Final showing: 11^th April 1964

Developments in science, education and technology taking place in the independent West African nations of Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone

Made in 1962

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ALGERIAN PIPELINE

A BP / Greenpark Production

Duration: 38 minutes

First showing: 9^th February 1970

Final showing: 14^th August 1973

A typical industrial type film showing the construction of the Algerian pipeline laid across the Sahara desert land in the late 1960s

Made in 1967

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AMONG THE PELICANS

A BP Film

Duration: 17 minutes

First showing: 22^nd December 1969

Final showing: 16^th September 1970

A look at the pelicans in Rumania

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AMSTERDAM

A film by Herman van der Horst. Contemporary Films.

Duration: 21 minutes

First showing: 27^th January 1969

Final showing: 26^th August 1970

The flavour and character of Amsterdam in the 1950s. It has no commentary. The sounds of the church bells and the hurdy-gurdy music make this film a little gem!

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AN ACT OF FAITH

A BBC Film

Duration: 23 minutes

First showing: 13^th December 1962

Final showing: 27^th November 1963

A film version of a BBC programme about the story of the new cathedral at Coventry. Starting with the blitz that destroyed the mediaeval church, it moves through all the stages of rebuilding and visits the studios of the artists concerned.

Commentary by Leo Genn
Directed by John Read

Made in 1962

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ANCIENT MONUMENTS 1

Public Announcement Film Unit

Duration: 7 minutes

First showing: 7^th November 1968

Final showing: 14^th February 1970

A selection of shorts pieced together focusing on Ancient Monuments around the British Isles:
Conway Castle in North Wales
Rievaulx & Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire
Framlingham Castle in Suffolk

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ANCIENT MONUMENTS 2

Public Announcement Film Unit

Duration: 12 minutes

First showing: 30^th October 1972

Final showing: 31^st May 1973

A further selection of shorts pieced together showing Ancient Sites around the British Isles:
Netley Abbey in Hampshire
Caerphilly Castle in South Wales
Furness Abbey in Cumbria
Mount Grace Priory in North Yorkshire
Castle Acre Priory in Norfolk

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ATLANTIC PARKS

A National Film Board Of Canada Film

Duration: 17 minutes

First showing: 29^th August 1968

Final showing: 9^th April 1973

A surreal film focusing on Canada’s National Parks

Made in 1967

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BEAUTY IN TRUST

Random Film Production for National Benzole. Part of “Our National Heritage” series of films.

Duration: 21 minutes

First showing: 8^th November 1962

Final showing: 3^rd August 1971

Sir John Betjeman narrates this and its sister film, ‘A Journey Into The Weald Of Kent’, with his usual intimate style. It’s a splendid documentary looking at National Trust properties. Some of the places and properties visited include:
Pentire Point, North Cornwall
Claydon House, near Aylesbury, Bucks
Wicken Fen, near Cambridge
Laycock, Wiltshire
Brandelhow, Lake District, Cumbria
St. Michael’s Mount, Cornwall
Ickworth House, Suffolk
Avebury, Wiltshire.

Made in 1959

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BEHIND THE SPACEMAN

United States Information Agency

Duration: 16 minutes

First showing: 17^th April 1972

Final showing: 16^th May 1973

A look at the American space missions.

Produced and Directed by William C. Jersey

Made in 1967

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BIRTH OF A RAINBOW

New Zealand Film Unit

Duration: 18 minutes

First showing: 9^th July 1968

Final showing: 8^th August 1973

The story of Rainbow Trout on the fish farms in New Zealand.

Music by Bill Hoffmeister

Made in 1967

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BLOOD CAN WORK MIRACLES

A Shell Film

Duration: 12 minutes

First showing: 25^th November 1967

Final showing: 14^th December 1967

Whilst appealing to all in normal health to act as regular blood donors, this films shows the ways in which blood is used to save life in accident surgery; open heart surgery; childbirth emergencies, etc.

Made in 1961

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BORGO A MOZZANO

A Shell Italiana Film

Duration: 25 minutes

First showing: 11^th March 1968

Final showing: 20^th March 1968

A record of an experiment in agronomy devised and executed by Shell Italiana, centred on the community of Borgo a Mozzano, Tuscany, which comprises a small town and 16 outlying hamlets. A jeep, carrying two men drives along a Tuscan road. One is the designer of a forthcoming agronomic experiment, the other, later to be known by the villagers as "il dottore", will have the task of persuading the peasant community to use new and better methods of farming, etc

Made in 1958

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BOTH WAYS TO BALLYMENA

A British Travellers’ Association Film. Telstar Productions

Duration: 13 minutes

First showing: 6^th November 1969

Final showing: 24^th July 1971

A scenic tour of Ireland. The film shows Northern Ireland as a peaceful place for a motoring holiday.

Made in 1969

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BRITAIN

A B.O.A.C. Film

Duration: 26 minutes

First showing: 25^th August 1969

Final showing: 22^nd August 1973

A travelogue of Great Britain

Music by Herbert Chappell

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BULONG AND BOLA

A Shell Film

Duration: 16 minutes

First showing: 24^th August 1969

Final showing: 21st August 1973

A film showing the Iban people of Sarawak in Western Borneo, S.E. Asia. Bulong, a Sarawak farmer, takes his produce to market by river with his son, Bola. With an outboard motor they can make more journeys and more money, gradually improving their standard of living, whilst the mobile clinic brings medical aid to all.

Music by Gus Steyn

Made in 1964

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CANADIANS CAN DANCE

National Film Board of Canada

Duration: 21 minutes

First showing: 23^rd January 1968

Final showing: 9^th September 1971

From a festival of folk dances at the Canadian National Exhibition, a selection of dances by some of Canada's amateur groups.

Made in 1966

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CANTAGALLO

A Rank Short Films Group presentation for B.P

Duration: 21 minutes

First showing: 29^th March 1971

Final showing: 24^th August 1973

Located between Milan and Rome in Italy is Cantagallo a busy motorway service station where we see a glimpse of everyday life in the hustle-bustle of the 1970s.

Produced by Ray Elton
Written and Directed by Jeff Inman
Music by Kenny Graham

Made in 1969

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THE CAPTIVE RIVER

A Shell Film

Duration: 28 minutes

First showing: 9^th November 1962

Final showing: 7^th April 1970

A film about the building of the Kariba Dam, its effect on the people and animals of the Zambezi Valley, and the rescuing of the animals.

Made in 1960

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CASE HISTORY

New Zealand Film Unit

Duration: 15 minutes

First showing: 4^th March 1968

Final showing: 2^nd May 1970

Apples galore! A film about the growing, picking, processing, packing and exporting of New Zealand apples.

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THE CATTLE CARTERS

A BP/Greenpark Production

Duration: 28 minutes

First showing: 3^rd May 1971

Final showing: 13^th August 1973

The story of an Englishman named Wal Featherstone who travels to a town in Western Australia in the hope of finding a job. He meets up with a character called Brocky and their adventures begin….

Music composed by Don Banks
Played by The Sinfonia of London conducted by Marcus Dodds
Theme sung by Frank Ifield

Made in 1962

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THE CHOICE

A Millbank production for I.C.I.

Duration: 25 minutes

First showing: 24^th May 1971

Final showing: 21^st August 1973

I.C.I. commissioned this thought-provoking documentary in the early 1970s which examined our environment, and raised concerns about the preservation of a healthy, clean world in which to live.

Directed by Ronnie Whitehouse
Produced by Gordon Begg
Music by Johnny Scott

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CLEAN AIR

A Shell Film

Duration: 21 minutes

First showing: 15^th November 1962

Final showing: 16^th March 1967

Deals with clean air, and the action taken to fight against smoke in big cities.

Made in 1962

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THE COACH TRAVELLERS

A Shell Film

Duration: 20 minutes

First showing: 10^th May 1967

Final showing: 9^th September 1967

This film promotes travel by coach by showing a cross section of passengers who explain in their own words why they use this method of transport in preference to other.

Made in 1965

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COLOUR

An I.C.I. Film

Duration: 13 minutes

First showing: 7^th July 1969

Final showing: 31^st December 1970

A film about various aspects of colour, its uses and impact on our interaction with the world in which we live.

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COLOUR TELEVISION

A Mullard Film

Duration: 15 minutes

First showing: 4^th December 1967

Final showing: 27^th July 1968

TV manufacturer, Mullard, produced this film about the construction and technical aspects of assembling colour television sets as a forerunner to the more user friendly “It’s The Tube That Makes The Colour”. Not to be confused with “The Colour Receiver Installation Film” which was 12 minutes of animation narrated by Michael Aspel, and shown three times a day!

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THE CONTROLLERS

A Central Office of Information Film

Duration: 25 minutes

First showing: 8^th February 1964

Final showing: 18^th April 1964

Looking at air traffic controllers in the control rooms at Prestwick and London airports, this shows the intricate workings of co-ordinating the movements of civil and military aircraft over Britain, as well as the emergency procedure used when an unscheduled landing is necessary.

Music by Wilfrid Josephs

Made in 1963

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COUPE DES ALPES

A Shell Film

Duration: 36 minutes

First showing: 5^th November 1962

Final showing: 7^th November 1968

This film follows the progress of the 1958 Alpine Cup rally across southern Europe. It was scheduled to be the final Trade Test Colour Film ever shown at 3.30pm on Friday 24^th August 1973. But due to cricket coverage starting earlier at 3.05pm, that accolade went to 'Giuseppina' at 2.30pm instead.

Music by Malcolm Arnold

Made in 1958

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CRANWELL

A Central Office of Information Film

Duration: 27 minutes

First showing: 4^th January 1964

Final showing: 6^th April 1964

A film about the life and training of an air force cadet at the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell.

Made in 1961

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CROSSROADS OF CIVILISATION

A Shand Pictures Production

Duration: 19 minutes

First showing: 25^th January 1971

Final showing: 20^th August 1973

A Film about Cyprus. Starting in 8000 BC at Khirikitia, the film tells the story of the history of the island to the present day, and traces the various civilisations that contributed to mould the Cypriot character.

Made in 1968

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CROWN OF GLASS

A Shell Film

Duration: 15 minutes

First showing: 11^th April 1968

Final showing: 17^th August 1973

The design and construction of Liverpool’s Roman Catholic Cathedral. The co-operation between artists ,John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens and the architect and engineer is shown, and also the use of an industrial epoxy resin to bond the glass.

Music by Misha Donat

Made in 1967

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THE DAIRY INDUSTRY

New Zealand Film Unit

Duration: 14 minutes

First showing: 15^th November 1971

Final showing: 21^st August 1973

A look at the dairy industry in New Zealand, showing the butter production and

the co-operative farming and milk production.

Made in 1970

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