DVD Review
Look At Life: Swingin' London
Reviewed by Andrew Emmerson
Here's something different: a fascinating documentary that has some splendid telephone content for those with eyes to see it.
If you visited the cinema in the 1960s you'll remember the Look At Life
featurettes that accompanied the 'B Feature' and the commercials to make
it a full evening's entertainment. Professionally made by the Rank Organisation
in colour, these short, lively documentaries took an alternative look at
daily life. A prodigious number of them were made, with a new film screened
in Odeon cinemas every week
Sixteen of them have been assembled on one DVD under the title Look At Life: Swingin' London and for me at least, they really do recall the spirit of this short period of exuberance in the late 1960s. The films have been restored very well, without the unfortunate fading that many prints exhibit.
Most viewers will find something of interest on this DVD. With 16 films to choose from, you can explore London's street markets with Sid James, see what supermarkets looked like 40 years ago, browse the trendy boutiques of Carnaby Street and dine at the top of the Post Office Tower.
For those who appreciate fine or forgotten telephones there's much more though! Rising To High Office depicts life in the new Shell Centre building. Here we view not only the new switchboard but also see an office girl dialling the letters HAIR on a black 1/706 telephone to book an appointment in the company's in-house hair salon.
The film Fire Over London is about the operation of the London Fire Brigade. In an office's switchboard room we see one of the hideous T&N green and ivory telephones supplied by General Telephone Systems. Another shot deep in the bowels of St Paul's Cathedral gives a glimpse of a two-tone grey ATE 'Coffin Phone' as used on Communications Systems private exchange systems.
In Goodbye Piccadilly, made at the time when the London County Council announced plans to convert Piccadilly Circus into an ultra-modern concrete plaza, we see telephone cables installed in a Post Office cable subway along with many shots of the tube station.
Eating High is all about the Post Office Tower and is not the usual documentary that we see. Anyone into ivory N625 Plansets will get their fill and the entire production is very nostalgic for those who remember the location's rich magenta furnishings and the strange uniforms worn by the staff.
Through all the films we see dozens of black 232 and 332 phones in their natural habitat as well as loads of lovely old buses, lorries, cars and street furniture. Unless you can resist this tempting menu of delights, buy this DVD as fast as possible!
Get this now from www.amazon.co.uk
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