Man or Machine?

Series

Series Name

Point of View

Issue

Issue No.

9

Date Released

Jan 1941

Length of issue (in feet)

1800

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1Man or Machine?

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 1

Summary

NoS synopsis: Two sides argue about mass-production. First, craftsmanship, its products expressions of a man’s skill, the work a real satisfaction for the craftsman. Second, mass-production with its widespread provision of cheap goods for everyone, more leisure for the workers, but a stultifying and monotonous routine in its factory principles.
There is an interview with the two girls working in a mass production factory. One says she hates the job as it’s all routine. You don’t have to think! The other says she like the job as it’s all routine, you don’t have to think, and can talk or sing with the other girls.

Keywords

Arts and crafts; Industry and manufacture; Employment

Written sources

Documentary News Letter   Vol.2 No.1 January 1941, p9.
Today’s Cinema   29 May 1940, p15.

Credits:

Production Co.

Spectator Short Films

This series is held by:

Film Archive

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

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