This film is part of Free

Shipbuilders

Shipwrights, plate-fitters and riveters support the war effort as their ships take majestic shape in this tour of British shipyards.

Government sponsored film 1940 10 mins

Overview

Shipwrights, plate-fitters and riveters are busy at work in shipyards around Britain, but make time to talk to well-known newsreader, E.V.H. Emmett, about the nature and importance of their work - with the occasional dig at the expense of their colleagues. From Clydeside to the North East of England there's an intensive war effort underway and this propaganda film aims to "Let everyone know that we're building ships that we're proud of", as shipwright Charlie puts it.

E.V.H. Emmett was a household name as a result of his job as commentator for the contemporary newsreel Gaumont British News. Cinema newsreels were the key source of wartime information for millions across Britain, and Emmett's voice would have conveyed a sense of authority, here deployed with a characteristically buoyant, jokey aspect. Emmett also had an active sideline working in films of the 1930s-50s, usually as narrator.