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The Lion Has Wings (1939) is a documentary style British propaganda film. Made at the outbreak of World War II it was made and released to cinemas very quickly and helped convince the government of the value of film in the propaganda battle as well as in spreading information. Michael Powell film-maker. ...
Sir Alexander Korda (September 16, 1893 - January 23, 1956) was a film director and producer, a leading figure in the British film industry and the founder of London Films. ...
Actress Merle Oberon in Berlin Express (1948) Merle Oberon (February 19, 1911 – November 23, 1979), born Estelle Merle OBrien Thompson, was a film actress, known for her sultry looks. ...
Sir Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 - 10 October 1983) was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, did their best to make the transition to film. ...
Duprez (centre background) with costars Barry Fitzgerald (left) and Walter Huston (right) June Duprez (May 14, 1918 – October 30, 1984) was a British film actress. ...
Richard Addinsell (January 13, 1904 - November 14, 1977) was a British composer, best known for his Warsaw Concerto and film music. ...
Harry Stradling Sr. ...
November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 58 days remaining. ...
See also: 1938 in film 1939 1940 in film 1930s in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events Movie historians and film buffs often look back on the year 1939 as the greatest year in film history. ...
1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
It has been suggested that Propaganda in the United States be merged into this article or section. ...
Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II...
The Story
The film is in various "chapters" with a linking story showing Ralph Richardson as a senior R.A.F. officer and his wife and family. Sir Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 - 10 October 1983) was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, did their best to make the transition to film. ...
The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ...
It opens with a newsreel style documentary comparing life in Britain to life in Nazi Germany. Narrated by E.V.H. Emmett in the jokey style common with such newsreels in Britain. This mainly uses existing newsreel footage with some additional footage shot especially for this film. It includes scenes from Fire Over England with Queen Elizabeth I giving her speech to the troops at Tilbury about repelling invaders. A newsreel is a documentary film that is regularly released in a public presentation place containing filmed news stories. ...
National Socialism redirects here. ...
Fire Over England is a 1937 film drama produced by London Film Productions. ...
Elizabeth I (7 September 1533–24 March 1603) was Queen of England, Queen of France (in name only), and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. ...
Tilbury is located on the north bank of the River Thames, in the borough of Thurrock in England, at the point where the river suddenly narrows to about 800 yards/740 metres in width. ...
The second chapter shows an early bombing raid on German Warships in the Kiel Canal. Mainly recreated in the studio and with special effects it also includes some footage of the real bombers and their crews returning from the raid. Diagrams of first and third rate warships, England, 1728 Cyclopaedia. ...
The Kiel Canal (in German Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, formerly Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal) is a 98 kilometre long waterway linking the North Sea at Brunsbüttel, Germany to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau, Germany. ...
Special effects (abbreviated SPFX or SFX) are used in the film, television, and entertainment industry to create effects that cannot be achieved by normal means, such as depicting travel to other star systems. ...
The third chapter shows an attack by Luftwaffe bombers and how that is repelled by the R.A.F. with assistance from the Observer Corps and the barrage balloons. The Deutsche Luftwaffe or (German: air force, literally Air Arm or Air Weapon, IPA: [luftvafÉ™]) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ...
The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was, until stood down in 1991, a part of the UK Ministry of Defence. ...
US Marine Corps barrage balloon, Parris Island, May 1942 A barrage balloon is a large balloon used as a defence against aircraft. ...
The Production At the outbreak of war, there were fears that all film production would be halted and cinemas closed, like they were in World War I. Alexander Korda was close friends with Winston Churchill and was very aware of current events. As soon as war was declared, Korda pulled staff from other productions to fulfil his promise to Churchill that he would have a feature propaganda film ready within one month of the outbreak of war. Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total of dead: 8 million Military dead: 4 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total dead: 7 million The First...
Sir Alexander Korda (September 16, 1893 - January 23, 1956) was a film director and producer, a leading figure in the British film industry and the founder of London Films. ...
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was an English politician and author, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ...
The speed of production and the multiple directors does show, it's not the most elegant of films. But it is effective. It was all shot in 12 days and completed in about 4 weeks and cost just £30,000.
Like many propaganda films, it doesn't tell the whole truth but there are many elements of truth in it. They couldn't mention radar as a defensive measure, it was still a secret. So they show the bombing raids as first being reported by spies then confirmed by the Observer Corps. It shows the Luftwaffe bombers trying to attack London but being completely turned back by the barrage balloons. It shows R.A.F. fighters attacking the bombers at night. It claims that Britain had plenty of planes and were quite ready to fight. All of these things are exaggerations. This long range radar antenna, known as ALTAIR, is used to detect and track space objects in conjunction with ABM testing at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein atoll[1]. Radar is a system that uses radio waves to detect, determine the distance of, and map, objects such...
As it was made before the attacks on Britain had started it all had to be put together with existing footage of fighter planes, many of which were obsolete by 1939. The footage of a German bomber taking off is actually a German airliner, but at least it has the correct markings.
External links
The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about actors, films, television shows, television stars, video games and production crew personnel. ...
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