This film is part of Free
Plums That Please
Learn to gauge your gages with the Empire Marketing Board, in pursuit of plums that please
Overview
Consistency of product was the aim of this campaign to establish a brand, the National Mark, which could bypass time-consuming checks at market. The film shows the idyllic, blossoming orchards between Pershore and Evesham, where fallen petals lie like snow and the boughs are laden with luscious fruit. Following the Victorias and the Purple Pershores on their journey to auction in Worcester and on to the great market at Covent Garden, this beautifully made piece is replete with low camera angles, showing a clear influence from the best Russian filmmakers.
At a time when standardisation of produce has become so prevalent as to be controversial, it's interesting to see the beginnings of this process. Clearly the Empire Marketing Board saw this as a great advance. The film was one of a series made by a talented team of filmmakers with very few resources but a passion for the latest cinematic techniques. 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
7 Towns 7 Towns
Amateur film 1967 58 mins Location: Evesham
Worcestershire's historic towns: a heritage at risk from 1960s progress.
A Spring Holiday A Spring Holiday
Home movie 1935 9 mins Silent Location: Evesham
A leisurely holiday to the South West of England via Evesham and Weston Super Mare.
Charity Ferret Walk Charity Ferret Walk
News 1972 5 mins Location: Evesham
Has raising money 'for old people' ever been more uncomfortable? Nicky Roberts plans to walk 13 miles with two ferrets down his trousers. He's surely risking more than a few nips!
Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion
Short documentary 2026 22 mins
Filmmaker Andrea Luka Zimmerman and curator Matthew Barrington discuss Frederick Wiseman’s High School with Sandra Hebron.
Hard, Cracked the Wind Hard, Cracked the Wind
Horror 2019 17 mins
A haunting with words is the lure between life and death for a young Cornish poet.
A Last Resort A Last Resort
Comedy 2022 17 mins
Rose is desperate to celebrate her 60th birthday in style, but her daughter Genevieve is struggling to ignore some recent tragic news about her mum.
The Walk The Walk
Drama 2023 12 mins
Adeel Akhtar portrays a man on a weekly trek to his nearest JobCentre, entering a state of purgatory through barriers put in place by the system.
Seagull Seagull
Horror 2022 6 mins
Seagull is a recovering drug addict who is about to have a very strange night on The English Riviera.
Octopus Octopus
2021 13 mins
Upon returning to her home town for a funeral, a young woman reconnects with the friends she left behind.