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!
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.