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Letter From Aldershot
''Letter from Aldershot'' (''Une lettre d'Aldershot'') is a nine-minute 1940 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the wartime '' Canada Carries On'' series. The film was directed by John Taylor and produced by Stuart Legg. ''Letter from Aldershot'' describes the observations in 1940 of a soldier from the First Division of the Canadian Active Service Force, stationed at Aldershot Garrison in England. Synopsis In December 1939, 16,000 soldiers of the First Division of the Canadian Active Service Force under command of General A.G.L. McNaughton, were deployed to Halifax, Nova Scotia to await embarkation on seven ocean liners. As the convoy of ships set out, the main British battle fleet, on alert because of the German battleship lurking in the Atlantic, took over escort duties. As they reached the shores of England, enshrouded in fog, the anxious troops wondered how they would be received. British officials, including the Se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Taylor (documentary Filmmaker)
John Elston Taylor (5 October 1914 – 15 September 1992) was a British documentary filmmaker. Early life Born in Kentish Town, London, on 5 October 1914, John Taylor had originally set his sights on a career in carpentry; however, shortly after finishing school he was offered a job by his sister's husband, documentary filmmaker John Grierson. Career Taylor started work as a film assistant at the Empire Marketing Board and in the years that followed he tried his hand at such jobs as camera operator, assistant director and production assistant. Along with working on Grierson's works, Taylor also had the fortune of working alongside some of his colleagues, such as Basil Wright ('' Song of Ceylon'', 1934), Robert Flaherty (''Man of Aran'', 1934) and Alberto Cavalcanti on several of his travel documentaries, such as ''Men of the Alps'' (1937). By the end of the 1930s, Taylor was directing films himself, including ''Smoke Menace'' (1937) and ''Londoners'' (1939). In the 1940s, Tayl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bren Light Machine Gun
The Bren gun was a series of light machine guns (LMG) made by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992. While best known for its role as the British and Commonwealth forces' primary infantry LMG in World War II, it was also used in the Korean War and saw service throughout the latter half of the 20th century, including the 1982 Falklands War. Although fitted with a bipod, it could also be mounted on a tripod or be vehicle-mounted. The Bren gun was a licensed version of the Czechoslovak ZGB 33 light machine gun which, in turn, was a modified version of the ZB vz. 26, which British Army officials had tested during a firearms service competition in the 1930s. The later Bren gun featured a distinctive top-mounted curved box magazine, conical flash hider, and quick change barrel. The name ''Bren'' was derived from Brno, the Czechoslovak city in Moravia, where the Zb vz. 26 was designed (in the Zbrojovka Brno Factory) and Enfield, site of the British Royal Small A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Letter From Camp Borden
''Letter from Camp Borden'' is a 17-minute 1941 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the wartime '' Canada Carries On'' series. The film was directed by Raymond Spottiswoode and produced by Stuart Legg. ''Letter from Camp Borden'' chronicles the experiences in 1941 of a number of soldiers training at the Canadian Army's Camp Borden during wartime. Synopsis During the Second World War, new recruits who signed up for the Canadian Active Service Force are sent to Camp Borden. Over 14,000 personnel are accommodated in an immense "city on its own" with barracks, administration centre, warehouses, hangars, classrooms, gasoline stations, department stores, even movie theatres set up at the camp. Constantly expanding, Camp Borden has become the most important wartime training base in Canada, with both army and air force training facilities. Three young recruits: Joe Cartwright, a graduate from a technical school, garage mechanic F. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Letter From Overseas
''Letter from Overseas'' is a 15-minute 1943 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of the wartime '' The World in Action'' series. The film describes the training and operational use of Canadian Army soldiers in 1943 during the Second World War. Synopsis In 1942, a Canadian soldier stationed in Britain sent an aerogram back home to his mother and father. A terse, and brief account of his recent activities was given. What is not in the letter are the details of the intensive training in which his platoon has been engaged. Once settling into their new barracks, Canadian soldiers have begun a strenuous daily regimen that includes physical exercise, field manoeuvres and becoming proficient with new infantry tactics, weapons and equipment. The Canadians in England include a detachment of the Canadian Women's Army Corps or WACs who are also playing their part in the overseas mission. The WACs are involved in medical, clerical, and othe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Famous Players Theatres
Famous Players Limited Partnership, DBA Famous Players, is a Canadian-based subsidiary of Cineplex Entertainment. As an independent company, it existed as a film exhibitor and cable television service provider. Famous Players operated numerous movie theatre locations in Canada from British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador. The company was owned by Viacom Canada but was sold to Onex Corporation-owned Cineplex Galaxy LP in 2005. History Beginnings Famous Players Canadian Corporation dates back to the early days of Famous Players Film Company (later Paramount Pictures), founded in 1912, as its earliest predecessor, though that company did not have any operations in Canada until 1920, when it bought Nathan Nathanson's Paramount Theatre chain, which Nathanson had established four years earlier.The Canadian "Paramount Theatre" chain was not affiliated with the American chain with the same name. Nathanson, along with being the 5th richest person in the world, became the first ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. The English- and French-language service units of the corporation are commonly known as CBC and Radio-Canada, respectively. Although some local stations in Canada predate the CBC's founding, CBC is the oldest existing broadcasting network in Canada. The CBC was established on November 2, 1936. The CBC operates four terrestrial radio networks: The English-language CBC Radio One and CBC Music, and the French-language Ici Radio-Canada Première and Ici Musique. (International radio service Radio Canada International historically transmitted via shortwave radio, but since 2012 its content is only available as podcasts on its website.) The CBC also operates two terrestrial television networks, the English-language CBC Television and the Frenc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Extracurricular Activity
An extracurricular activity (ECA) or extra academic activity (EAA) or cultural activities is an activity, performed by students, that falls outside the realm of the normal curriculum of school, college or university education. Such activities are generally voluntary (as opposed to mandatory), social, philanthropic, and often involve others of the same age. Students and staff direct these activities under faculty sponsorship, although student-led initiatives, such as independent newspapers, are very common. However, sometimes the school principals and teachers also bring in these activities in the school among the students. Benefits of participation A group study conducted by surveying school-age students in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health revealed that 70% of adolescents in the USA are involved in some form of extracurricular activities. Other studies have shown being involved in extracurricular activities reduces the likelihood of dropping out of school ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Basil Wright
Basil Wright (12 June 1907, Sutton, Surrey – 14 October 1987, Frieth, Buckinghamshire, England) was a documentary filmmaker, film historian, film critic and teacher. Biography After leaving Sherborne School, a well known independent school in the market town of Sherborne in Dorset, Basil Wright was the first recruit to join John Grierson at the Empire Marketing Board's film unit in 1930, shortly after he graduated from Cambridge University. Wright's 1934 film '' Song of Ceylon'' is his most celebrated work. Shot on location in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) the film was completed with the composer Walter Leigh at the GPO Film Unit in London. At the GPO, Wright acted as producer and wrote the script for ''Night Mail'' (1936) for which he received a joint directorial credit with Harry Watt. Wright had introduced his friend W. H. Auden to the film unit and the poet's verse was included in the film. Wright left the GPO to form his own production company, The Realist Film Unit (RFU) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Newsreel
A newsreel is a form of short documentary film, containing news stories and items of topical interest, that was prevalent between the 1910s and the mid 1970s. Typically presented in a cinema, newsreels were a source of current affairs, information, and entertainment for millions of moviegoers. Newsreels were typically exhibited preceding a feature film, but there were also dedicated newsreel theaters in many major cities in the 1930s and ’40s, and some large city cinemas also included a smaller theaterette where newsreels were screened continuously throughout the day. By the end of the 1960s television news broadcasts had supplanted the format. Newsreels are considered significant historical documents, since they are often the only audiovisual record of certain cultural events. History Silent news films were shown in cinemas from the late 19th century. In 1909 Pathé started producing weekly newsreels in Europe. Pathé began producing newsreels for the UK in 1910 and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Short Film
A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits". In the United States, short films were generally termed short subjects from the 1920s into the 1970s when confined to two 35 mm reels or less, and featurettes for a film of three or four reels. "Short" was an abbreviation for either term. The increasingly rare industry term "short subject" carries more of an assumption that the film is shown as part of a presentation along with a feature film. Short films are often screened at local, national, or international film festivals and made by independent filmmakers with either a low budget or no budget at all. They are usually funded by film grants, nonprofit organizations, sponsor, or personal funds. Short films are generally used for industry experience and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Propaganda Film
A propaganda film is a film that involves some form of propaganda. Propaganda films spread and promote certain ideas that are usually religious, political, or cultural in nature. A propaganda film is made with the intent that the viewer will adopt the position promoted by the propagator and eventually take action towards making those ideas widely accepted. Propaganda films are popular mediums of propaganda due to their ability to easily reach a large audience in a short amount of time. They are also able to come in a variety of film types such as documentary, non-fiction, and newsreel, making it even easier to provide subjective content that may be deliberately misleading. Propaganda is the ability "to produce and spread fertile messages that, once sown, will germinate in large human cultures".Combs, James. ''Film Propaganda and American Politics''. New York: Garland Publishing, 1994. p. 35 However, in the 20th century, a "new" propaganda emerged, which revolved around politica ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers. World War II was a total war that directly involved more than 100 million personnel from more than 30 countries. The major participants in the war threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. Aircraft played a major role in the conflict, enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and deploying the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II was by far the deadliest conflict in human history; it resulted in 70 to 85 million fatalities, mostly among civilians. Tens of millions died due to genocides (including the Holocaust), starvation, ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
