London Can Take It!

"London Can Take It!" was a short film produced by the British government about the effect of the German blitz on London. It was directed by Humphrey Jennings and Harry Watt and featured only 3 cast members - Quentin Reynolds as the narrator (voice), King George VI as Himself (with bombed Londoners) and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother as Herself (with bombed Londoners).

The film opens with shots of the London streets in late afternoon, as people begin their commute home. The narrator reminds the audience that these people are part of the greatest civilian army the world has ever known, and are going to join their respective service before London's "nightly visitor" arrives. Listening posts are stationed as far away as the coastline and the "white fingers" of searchlights touch the sky.

Soon the Nazi air force arrives and begins its nightly work, bombing churches, places of business and homes, the work of five centuries destroyed in five seconds. But as soon as it is morning the British people go back to work the way they usually do, demonstrating the British "stiff upper lip" attitude. Joseph Goebbels is quoted as saying that the bombings are having a great effect on British morale. He is right, the narrator says, the British people's morale is higher than ever.

See also

*List of Allied propaganda films of World War II

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mXGy38xL5U Complete film at Youtube]
* [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/theartofwar/films/london_take.htm National Archives page]
* [http://www.britmovie.co.uk/genres/documentary/filmography/002.html Britmovie.co.uk page]
* [http://www.bfi.org.uk/nftva/catalogues/film/4/609/1079 British Film Institute page]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032723 Internet Movie Database page]