COI

Ernie tells Eric to ‘be wise’ and not drive home after their Christmas party.

In the middle of a six-week tour of the Indian sub-continent between January and March 1961, the Queen and Prince Philip visited Pakistan and East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.

Modern advice and old-fashioned values combine in this postwar animated health guide from the makers of Animal Farm.

An African tribe in the Eastern Nigerian village of Umana work to build a maternity hospital, with the aid of government officials, and against the opposition of some tribal members.

Warning children not to play near 'dark and lonely' water, a horror film style look and voice-over is used in this film to highlight the dangers.

A haunting fire prevention film about keeping matches out of the hands of children.

The Green Cross Code Man teaches kids how to cross the road safely.

On an English farm, six reckless children play at being a fierce band of Apache warriors, unaware of the many dangers to which they are exposed. (Public information short film produced on behalf of the British Government to warn children living in rural areas about the risks of playing near farm machinery.)

2-6 March 1961 saw the Queen and Prince Philip make their first and only state visit to Iran. Their host was Mohammed Reza Pahlavi (1919-80), the Shah of Iran, who had already made an official visit to Britain in 1959.

Britain and Turkey had not always enjoyed the ‘special’ friendship referred to in the commentary. Their armies were on opposing sides in the First World War and there had been disagreementt over the future of Cyprus in the run up to the settlement of 1960. In the 1960s relations improved and this reciprocal tour (the President of Turkey, Cevdet Sunay, had paid a state visit to the United Kingdom in November 1967) was regarded as a milestone in the bilateral alliance between the two countries. The camera affords the viewer a prime vantage point by which to marvel at the splendour of the pageantry and contemplate every nuance of gesture and sartorial detail. As we linger on the bejewelled Queen waiting patiently at the British Embassy in Ankara to greet her guests we wonder what it might be like to be in her shoes.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh undertook an official visit to the region in February 1966, as documented in this film. The destinations on this month long excursion included: British Guiana; Trinidad and Tobago; Grenada; St. Vincent; Barbados; St. Lucia; Dominica; Montserrat; Antigua; St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla; Tortola (Virgin Islands); the Bahamas; Jamaica. This rich and detailed Technicolor travelogue was the only film authorised by the Palace. Strict instructions were given prior to the production being given the green light, most notably that the royals could only be filmed when ‘engaged in a public function’. Unlike the more relaxed footage or interviews you might see with the royals now the film is visually very official in tone.

This film is a compilation of footage shot by Associated British Pathe, which covered royal events for its newsreels, and the company would have been ideally placed to use their footage to make short films for the COI. The varied life of the Queen depicted in the film encompasses duties such as making the first telephone trunk call in 1958, from Bristol.

While a mother busies herself with sewing, a clock counts down the last minute of her daughter’s life as we hear a chilling voiceover reminding us to keep watch over our children when they're near traffic.

A tribute to William Shakespeare devised by Geoffrey Buckland-Smith and made in connection with the quatro-centenary celebrations. Spoken extracts from Shakespeare's works (read by Stephen Murray) blend with visuals of scenes in Britain today which illustrate his references to countryside or childhood, and the sea or to the taverns and trades of London. Includes sequence of Olivier as Henry V and is accompanied by period music on the lute by Desmond Dupré.

A former Doctor Who returns to Earth to deliver a road safety message.

Part of BFI collection "Design for Today."

Queen Elizabeth's younger and only sibling, Princess Margaret, went on a 5-week tour of Mauritius and East Africa in September-October 1956.

The Green Cross Man helps a young boy cross the road safely.

This charming assessment of Britain's bicycle industry illustrates the popularity of cycling both as transport (for business or pleasure) and for sport in the 1950s. Part of BFI collection "On Yer Bike."

Even the most devout monarchist may feel uncomfortable watching this film - hindsight makes this a rather poignant experience. Although clearly intended as a hymn to royal life, with a panting narration describing the bliss Charles, Anne and Andrew are experiencing (the film was made three years before the birth of Edward), the images tell a different story - only a couple of shots feature the children smiling, while the first glimpse of Andrew as a baby, a spotlight shining on his face as photographers snap away, is a faintly sinister symbol of the royals’ lack of privacy from birth. The knowledge that a future of divorce and tabloid scandal would tarnish these children's adult lives adds irony to this snapshot of supposed utopia.