All Films

Their Majesties Lambeth Way

1940 • 1 min • United Kingdom

During the war, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) would often make morale-boosting visits throughout the UK.

Finland kallar Nordens ungdom

1940 • 9 min

Short propaganda film encouraging swedish aid in the Winter War.

Dog in war

1940 • 22 min • Soviet Union

A film about military service dogs and their use in air signal, guard, medical and communications services.

Themis

1940 • 4 min • United States of America

Against a background of bluish light, several objects appear: a square, a circle, and a set of rods. As the background color occasionally varies in shade between blue and rose, the objects move around, forming various patterns.

They Also Serve

1940 • 10 min • United Kingdom

Short World War II documentary showing how the everyday work of British housewives aided the war effort.

Symphony in F

1940 • 17 min • United States of America

Film inspired by Ford's "Cycle of Production" exhibit at the 1939-40 New York World's Fair. At the Rouge plant in Dearborn, Michigan, Ford assembly line employees do their jobs to the accompaniment of an orchestra. "From the earth come materials to be transformed by Ford men, management and machines," begins the narrator as animated purchase orders stream from the corporate headquarters. Puppets transport raw materials to Ford's Rouge plant, where the fantasy switches to live action. The company's 28 millionth car is built to Edwin Ludig's Symphony in F, with "F" standing for Ford.

They Do Come Back

1940 • 17 min

Young man of "Everytown" has an oral hemorrhage which subsequent examination and tests show was caused by tuberculosis. He goes to sanitarium for treatment and extensive bed rest. Epidemiological investigation reveals source of infection was lip contact with his fiancée. The importance of occupational therapy and aptitude tests is demonstrated during the patient's recovery and rehabilitation. Scenes include: sputum and blood samples, enlarged tubercle bacilli, tuberculin test, X-ray, pneumothorax surgery, and patient drafting in occupational therapy.

Preventing the Spread of Disease

1940 • 11 min • United States of America

Health film using unusual imagery and metaphors to impart lessons in hygiene.

Mysterious Doctor Satan: Doctor Satan's Man of Steel

1940 • 16 min

Copperhead is caught in the crushing grip of The Robot.

Christmas in Sweden

1940 • 13 min

Holiday traditions celebrated in Sweden

Why Willie Was Willing To Wash

1940 • 9 min

Dirty Willie learns about why nobody wants to play with him. He has a dream that he is working and is fired for being dirty. Then we learn about germs.

Galičnik

1940 • 11 min • Yugoslavia

This ethnographic and historical silent 16mm cinematic jewel was filmed in 1940 by Sifrid Miladinov – a professional photographer and amateur filmmaker from Kumanovo, a man with eclectic range of interests. In 16 short but precious minutes you will see what the village of Galichnik, the famous Galichnik wedding and our ancestors looked like 80 years ago – in color! – very unusual at that time. Maybe some of you will recognize your great-grandfather, great-great-grandmother, old family house, alley, tree, entrance door. Sifrid Miladinov’s film is a rare opportunity to look back in the past through authentic, original archive footage. We thank the descendants of this film enthusiast, the Miladinovi family from Zagreb, for depositing the film in our national film archive – the Cinematheque – several years ago.

Seductio Ad Absurdum

1940 • 24 min • United States of America

A surreal 1940 film by an amateur cineaste Cynthia Childs about a woman's infidelitous evening out on the town. Added score composed and performed by Stephen Horne in 2020.

Indian Life

1940 • 18 min • United Kingdom

A motorist's excursion captures a world made by hand in the environs of Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi.

Reel 3: Guatemala - 1940

1940 • 11 min

A home movie filmed by Carry Wagner during a trip to Guatemala.

The Banff-Jasper Highway

1940 • 11 min • Canada

A travel film showing the magnificent scenery of the Rocky Mountains as seen from the highway linking Banff and Jasper National Parks.

Ministry of Food Cookery Hints No. 3 - Potatoes

1940 • 6 min • United Kingdom

A short film made by the Central Office of Information about how to cook Potatoes, with narration from Max Munden.

Northern Outpost

1940 • 16 min

Fishing and agriculture, transport, the archaeology and scenery of the Shetland Isles.

Model School

1940 • 10 min • United States of America

Behind the scenes at a local model school.

Night on Bald Mountain

1940 • 8 min

At Walpurgis Night (the Witches' Sabbath), Chernabog, God of evil, emerges from the peak of Bald Mountain (in reality Mount Triglav, in Slovenia) to summon all of his minions, including ghosts, vultures, demons, hags, and harpies, who dance furiously as he throws them into the mountain's fiery pit.

The Yugoslav Library

1940 • 5 min • Yugoslavia

The first Slovenian advertisement. Advertisement for the Yugoslav Bookstore, which was located in the premises of today's Dom at 5 Ciril Metod Square in Ljubljana.

How Wet Was My Ocean

1940 • 7 min • United States of America

A timid pig tries to go swimming at the beach, but somehow he keeps getting tangled up with Sourpuss's fishing line.

Loops

1940 • 2 min • Canada

An experimental film in which both sound and visuals were created entirely by McLaren drawing directly upon the film with ordinary pen and ink. The titles are in eight languages. Rereleased with multilingual titles in 1949.

Flying Stewardess

1940 • 11 min • United States of America

A short documentary depicting a typical day in the life of a 1940s era flying stewardess.