Learning on ScreenMovietone’s War Time News - Reported by Leslie Mitchell: The Tragedy of Athens
Series
- Series Name
- British Movietone News
Issue
Story
- Story No. within this Issue
- 1 / 1
- Section Title
- Movietone’s War Time News - Reported by Leslie Mitchell
- Summary
- MOVIETONE CARD TITLE: The Tragedy of Athens. DESCRIPTION: The latest pictures from Athens were mostly taken under difficult and dangerous conditions by Norman Fisher of Movietone. ELAS snipers were everywhere in the Greek capital and British troops continue to clear up pockets of resistance. General Scobie, the British Commander, worked untiringly to obtain a settlement and General Plastiras was summoned in the hope that he could influence the situation. From Athens Mr Churchill issued a statement that said it was clear to him there would have been a massacre in the city, if Britain had not intervened. SHOTLIST: Cut story - GV Sherman tank moves through street. British troops remove steel girders stuck in roads as obstacles. Bomb-hole filled with water. British snipers in buildings, etc. Officer & men stand in street, officer gives instructions (silent). Troops pass single file across road. Paratroops, mortar section firing. Paras cross road to Athens Gasworks, various shots marching through gasworks, gasholders in background. General Scobie leaves his HQ pan with him walking through street. CU walk into camera General Plastiras, Mr Papandreou leaves building. Field Marshal Alexander walks through street to armoured car, climbs into same. Greek civilians walk through battered streets, filled with bomb-holes etc., others scrubbing ELAS sign off wall. More civilians through streets. French Ambassador arrives at meeting plane, followed by Soviet Mission headed by General Popoff, & accompanied by Brigadier Smith-Dorrien (British Liaison Officer). Armoured lorry arrived. Churchill (in RAF uniform) is assisted out. CU Sentry coming to attention. Shot of flats with Greeks cheering Mr Eden, Alexander & Mr H Macmillan walk in grounds. Various of above in gardens including CUs Archbishop Damaskinos leaves meeting place, walks in grounds with Churchill, various of them. SCU Damaskinos & Major Mackaskie. CU Damaskinos on roof of building. Eden & Alexander watch fighting, Eden uses field-glasses. In street outside Athens Hotel, sappers clear sewer of dynamite laid there by ELAS, shots of cases, sacks, slabs & dynamite of German origin. Placing dynamite in lorries, various shots of same. British Airborne troops pass through the Acropolis. LS Monument Hill held by ELAS. British troops take up position on the Parthenon, firing Brens, rifles etc. Cautiously advancing through streets. Sherman tanks firing in streets, moving along roads, squares etc. ES of Typhoons firing rockets on the city, also diving very low. British paratrooper crawls through the Acropolis. ES shot of Athens.
- Keywords
- Politics and government; Buildings and structures; Vehicles; Weapons; Aviation; Foreign relations; Foreign aid; War damage; Riots; Prisoners of war; Military; Religion and belief
- Footage sources
- Rota
- Card file number
- 45401
- Credits:
-
- Commentator
- Leslie Mitchell
- Length of story (in feet)
- 412
-
Film clip
• The first time you use this link in a session, you will need to log on at the British Movietone website and then click this icon again to see the film. For the remainder of the session, this link will take you directly to the film.
This series is held by:
Film Archive
- Name
- AP Archive
- info@aparchive.com
- Web
- http://www.movietone.com
- Phone
- +44 (0)20 7482 7482
- Series held
- View all series held by AP Archive
Record Stats
This record has been viewed 117 times.
