London’s Time

Series

Series Name: Oil Review

Issue

Issue No.

Date Released

1951

Length of issue (in feet)

1023

Stories in this Issue:

Story

Story No. within this Issue

3 / 3

Summary

BFI Summary - a visit to behind the clock face of Big Ben
NFA synopsis: Shots of pigeons in Trafalgar Square. Big Ben. The River Thames. CU of Big Ben. Aerial shots of London from Big Ben. Shots of Parliament Square, the river, the Houses of Parliament. CU of Big Ben’s clock face, Interior of the clockroom showing the mechanism which controls the hands. Weights providing momentum are wound up three times a week. Workmen lubricate the mechanism with oil. CU of the bells. The mechanism starts up for striking noon. Panning shots of the river including the Shot Tower as the chimes begin. CU of the bells being struck. Noon strikes. People check their watches and children run to school.

Keywords

Children; Science and technology; Scenery and travel

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases
National Film Archive Catalogue Used for synopsis
Film User Vol.6 No.70 August 1952, p409.
BP Video Library Tape Details.

Credits:

Sponsor: Anglo-Iranian Oil Company
Production Co.: Greenpark Productions Ltd.
Producer: Humphrey Swingler

Length of story (in feet)

357

This series is held by:

Film Archive

Name: BP Video Library
Email: bpvl@bp.com
Web: http://www.bpvideolibrary.com
Phone: 020 7928 2097
Fax: 020 7928 2101
Address: c/o Metro
53 Great Suffolk Street
London SE1 0DB
Series held: View all series held by BP Video Library

Name: British Film Institute (BFI)
Email: For BFI National Archive enquiries:
nonfictioncurators@bfi.org.uk
For commercial/footage reuse enquiries:
footage.films@bfi.org.uk
Web: http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web
Phone: 020 7255 1444
Fax: 020 7580 7503
Address: 21 Stephen Street
London W1T 1LN
Notes: The BFI National Archive also preserves the original nitrate film copies of British Movietone News, British Paramount News, Empire News Bulletin, Gaumont British News, Gaumont Graphic, Gaumont Sound News and Universal News (the World War II years are covered by the Imperial War Museum).
Series held: View all series held by British Film Institute (BFI)

Record Stats