Fires Were Started

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Movie
Original title Fires Were Started
Still from the documentary "Fires Were Started" .jpg
Country of production United Kingdom
original language English
Publishing year 1943
length 80 minutes
Rod
Director Humphrey Jennings
script Humphrey Jennings
production Ian Dalrymple
music William Alwyn
camera CM Pennington-Richards
cut Stewart McAllister
occupation
  • Philip Dickson: Walters
  • George Gravett: Dykes
  • Fred Griffiths: Johnny Daniels
  • Johnny Houghton: HH "Jacko" Jackson
  • Loris Rey: J. Rumbold

Fires Were Started (also: I Was a Fireman ) is a British docudrama from 1943 directed by Humphrey Jennings .

action

The film shows a working day of the London Fire Brigade (Auxiliary Fire Service) during the German air raids ( The Blitz ) in the winter of 1940. It begins with the arrival of young Barrett and his colleagues at the fire station . During the course of the day, the fire fighting team prepares for the expected large-scale operation at nightfall. Jennings emphasizes the camaraderie of the eight men who pass the time with jokes and singing.

During the night, London is bombed by German planes. The fire brigade is fighting the flames with all their might. She can barely prevent an ammunition ship anchored on the Thames from catching fire. A man named Jackson is killed in the dangerous operation, others are seriously injured. The next day, the dead comrade is buried while the ammunition ship leaves port.

background

Humphrey Jennings was commissioned to make a film about the London Fire Brigade from Ian Dalrymple, who worked for the Crown Film Unit . This production company was subordinate to the Ministry of Information and served the production of propaganda films such as Target for Tonight or In Which We Serve . Jennings had also worked for the government several times.

Although Fires Were Started features real-life National Fire Service firefighters, the film is only partially documentary. The participants were given role names and the extinguishing operations were largely simulated. For this purpose Jennings had already destroyed houses set on fire and then extinguished again.

There are different versions of the film that differ in length by up to 20 minutes.

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