This film is part of Free
Britain's Noblemen
Follow a notorious forger from Nebraska to New York, see mutinous sailors stage a sit-down strike, and watch British noblemen find new ways to earn a living - not all of them ethical.
Overview
This issue blends intrigue, humour and topicality, as the March of Time cameras follow the US Secret Service on the trail of a cunning counterfeiter, before crossing the Atlantic for an admiring, if tongue-in-cheek, look at how increased death duties were bringing out the resourcefulness of the British nobility. Finally, the efforts of Joseph Kennedy to revive the moribund US Merchant Marine, show the tough-talking Senator up against an equally determined maritime union.
As so often with March of Time’s films about the UK, the tone of the ‘Britain’s Noblemen’ episode is affectionate with a hint of mockery: the sight of the caddish lord offering his services as an escort pokes fun at English snobbery with a refreshing wit. On the other hand, the sight of Baronet Sir Stuart Knill, selling his inheritance on an antiques stall in the old Caledonian Market in Islington, provides a sympathetic image of ‘dignity in adversity’. The ‘US Seamen’ episode caused a stir with its allegations of mutiny aboard the steamship ‘Algic’, leading to members of the National Maritime Union picketing Radio City Music Hall and crew members filing suits against March of Time, which were later dropped.
Related
Inside Nazi Germany Inside Nazi Germany
Documentary 1938 16 mins
A genuinely historic film, which caused much controversy at the time: the first commercially -released American motion picture to explicitly attack Hitler and Nazism.
Presidential Year Presidential Year
Documentary 1948 15 mins
‘Crisp and sincere’,‘carefully trained’ or ’resonant and vibrant’? Which voice would appeal to you if you had to pick the Republican candidate for the 1948 Presidential Election?
Great Britain Coronation Great Britain Coronation
Anthology 1937 24 mins
Weatherproof bunting, fog, clockwork dolls and a Hollywood exodus to London: this sideways look at preparations for the Coronation of George VI provides a wry American take on a very British ceremony.
Metropolis Metropolis
Documentary 1939 18 mins
This ode to New York from March of Time shows us how seven and half million people from every race and nationality in the world, live, work and play together in ‘the greatest metropolis of the New World’.
Irish Free State Irish Free State
Anthology 1936 23 mins
How Ireland turned herself into a self-sufficient powerhouse - plus a study of the "lunatic fringe" in US politics.
America Thinks It Over America Thinks It Over
Documentary 1939 17 mins
In a world on the verge of war, will America support the democracies of Europe, or turn inwards and embrace isolationism?
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archive’s role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.
Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels
Short documentary 2024 12 mins
Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI national archive, explores the origins of a series of comic travelogues, and Michael Powell's involvement in making them.