This film is part of Free
Report on Steel
Forging, casting, rolling, pressing, welding - men work around the clock to keep the furnaces ablaze: "steel is wanted everywhere!"
Overview
"Steel is wanted everywhere". The spectacle of steel production is beautifully captured in this industrial short, commissioned by the Central Office of Information as part of a wider campaign to set the wheels of industry turning in the aftermath of World War Two. Men are shown working around the clock in Corby, Northamptonshire, in a concerted effort to meet the high demand for steel at home and abroad.
This was the directorial debut of Michael Orrom, an underrated figure in postwar documentary, and prefigures his later triumphs in the industrial film genre. It was produced by the Documentary and Technicians Alliance (DATA), and bears many of the hallmarks of the pithy industry-themed Mining Reviews that became the mainstay of that unit's output. Malcolm Arnold's syncopated score and cinema atographer Wolfgang Suschitzky's arresting visuals heighten the sense of drama. 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
Pattern for Progress Pattern for Progress
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1948 42 mins Location: Ebbw Vale/Glyn Ebwy
The drama and spectacle of steelmaking at Ebbw Vale.
Steel Windows Steel Windows
Documentary 1970 7 mins
A window on to a futuristic vision of concrete, glass and steel.
Project Spear Project Spear
Industry sponsored film 1964 31 mins
At Rotherham a revolution in steelmaking has human consequences.
Consett Steel Consett Steel
Industry sponsored film 1967 26 mins Location: Consett
Sparks fly in an industrial film that captures the exciting visual drama of steel production in Consett.
The First Four Years The First Four Years
Industry sponsored film 1951 42 mins Silent
An industrial epic plays out in steelmaking South Wales.
End of a Line End of a Line
1975 13 mins Silent Location: Swindon
After a glorious history, Baldwin's iron and steelworks in Swindon, Staffordshire, faces closure.
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.