Description
Object description
Second World War British Ministry of Information newsreel trailer warning of the dangers of not properly extinguishing cigarettes and matches.
Full description
The film opens with a view of a photograph album with a picture of Henry Grimes at work at his lathe in a factory. The photograph changes to film of Henry at work in the small factory. The rhyming commentary describes his actions "This is the tale of Henry Grimes, who liked a cigarette at times, one day while at his war employment, he smoked one much to his enjoyment. Now Henry was a careful bloke, so when he had had his smoke, he flung the stub as many men do, a good long distance to the window. He saw it lying where it fell and thought of course that all was well". Henry throws the cigarette end across the factory and through an open window. He then looks out of the window to check that it is clear of the building. "But as it lay and smouldering there, a busy breeze came dancing through the air. It saw the stub with fiendish glee and sent it rolling rapidly. Along the ground it made a tour until it reached the warehouse door. The door was locked but then alack, beneath it was a half-inch crack, though which the stub made haste to roll just like the rabbit down a hole." Close-up shots of the cigarette end rolling along the ground and through the crack at the bottom of the padlocked wooden warehouse door. "Inside a heap of packing waste stopped its rush and checked its haste, close to about a thousand crates of air plane plywood from the states". View of stacks of boxes inside of the small warehouse. The commentary continues "The place was gutted and of course the plant was a total loss. All lives were saved but the destruction made quite a gap in war production and the material to replace made one more claim on shipping space". Close shots of a burning building and fireman fighting the fire. "The only thing to do with cigarettes and matches too, is not the toss the things about, until they are well and truly out". Shot of Henry Grimes standing outside of the gutted building lighting a cigarette and then ensuring that his discarded match is fully extinguished in a nearby puddle of water. "Its worth every time to spare that little bit of extra care". The film ends with film of a cigarette being crushed in to the ground by the sole of a man's boot.
Physical description
35mm