This film is part of Free
Bob in the Pound
Fun-filled singalong savings ad with a dangerously catchy theme tune.
Overview
Learn to save with this animated karaoke-style cinema ad! Featuring a cartoon character with the name Bob - the colloquial term for a pre-decimalisation one-shilling piece - the film was made to encourage the wartime public to invest in government savings bonds for a 'brighter' post-war future.
The voice speaking from the radio in comic interplay with 'Bob' belongs to Tommy Handley, the presenter of the BBC's hugely popular wartime radio comedy show It's That Man Again. ITMA, as it was affectionately known, involved an extensive and eccentric cast of characters - including charlady Mrs Mopp, who featured in a number of humorous cinema advertisements for Persil washing powder. These included Mrs Mopp Asks Why (1943), also available to view on BFI Player. This government film is a public record, preserved and presented by the BFI National Archive on behalf of The National Archives, home to more than 1,000 years of British history.
Related
Five Guineas a Week Five Guineas a Week
Musical 1956 33 mins
1950s song and dance revue set in a colourful world of boarding houses and coffee bars
Devil's Rock Devil's Rock
Drama 1938 51 mins Location: Bangor
Will new open-air microphone technology give Richard Hayward the chance to silence his critics? Watch as Cushendun and Bangor steal the show.
Shooting Stars Shooting Stars
Comedy 1937 32 mins
Black music hall stars Scott and Whaley perform stereotypical minstrel routines in blackface in this 1937 touring revue.
The Rise and Fall of Nellie Brown The Rise and Fall of Nellie Brown
Musical 1964 70 mins Location: Liverpool
An incredibly joyous TV musical about a young woman's search for her long-lost cousin.
Twinkling Fingers Twinkling Fingers
Musical 1940 11 mins
Pianists Charlie Kunz and Mark Hambourg tickle the ivories for our entertainment in this jolly musical short.
Song of Toledo Song of Toledo
Musical 1953 31 mins
This merrily musical short film takes a jovial trip across picturesque 1950s Spain aboard the Talgo Express
Laura Mulvey in Conversation Laura Mulvey in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 76 mins
Laura Mulvey in conversation, following her BFI Fellowship Award.
George Clooney in Conversation George Clooney in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 74 mins
George Clooney visited BFI Southbank to look back on his life and career.
Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 65 mins
The Oscar®- winning director of Nomadland discusses her unique approach to filmmaking and the inspiration behind the adaptation of Hamnet.
Edgar Wright on The Running Man Edgar Wright on The Running Man
Inside Film 2025 28 mins
The director talks to Mark Kermode about putting Stephen King's dystopian life-or-death gameshow thriller through its paces.
Richard Linklater Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Richard Linklater Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 69 mins
Richard Linklater discusses his remarkable and wide-ranging body of work, including Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague.
Daniel Day-Lewis Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Daniel Day-Lewis Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 73 mins
Daniel Day-Lewis, the ultimate actor’s actor discusses his career in conversation with Mark Kermode.