Mr. Proudfoot Shows a Light
Encyclopedia
Mr. Proudfoot Shows a Light is a 1941
British World War II public information
/propaganda short film, directed by Herbert Mason
and featuring cameos from a number of well-known actors of the day. The film was commissioned by the Ministry of Information and was designed to emphasise, in a humorous manner, the need for absolute adherence to wartime blackout
regulations. It includes some studio-bound footage of a Luftwaffe
base and the interiors of plane cockpits, alongside genuine newsreel footage of an aerial dogfight
and a downed plane.
One night Mr. Proudfoot is careless about his blackout, and the light showing from his home provides a target for a stray German bomber plane. Having unloaded a bomb over Mr. Proudfoot's district, the pilots are shot down by the RAF, and under interrogation state that they were guided to their target by a light blazing from a property. Mr. Proudfoot is shown bandaged and bruised in hospital, still boasting to anyone who will listen about his latest brush with death.
1941 in film
The year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:...
British World War II public information
Public information film
Public Information Films are a series of government commissioned short films, shown during television advertising breaks in the UK. The US equivalent is the Public Service Announcement .-Subjects:...
/propaganda short film, directed by Herbert Mason
Herbert Mason
-Director:* The First Offence * His Lordship * East Meets West * Take My Tip * Strange Boarders * The Silent Battle * A Window in London * Dr. O'Dowd...
and featuring cameos from a number of well-known actors of the day. The film was commissioned by the Ministry of Information and was designed to emphasise, in a humorous manner, the need for absolute adherence to wartime blackout
Blackout (wartime)
A blackout during war, or apprehended war, is the practice of collectively minimizing outdoor light, including upwardly directed light. This was done in the 20th century to prevent crews of enemy aircraft from being able to navigate to their targets simply by sight, for example during the London...
regulations. It includes some studio-bound footage of a Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
base and the interiors of plane cockpits, alongside genuine newsreel footage of an aerial dogfight
Dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane...
and a downed plane.
Synopsis
Mr. Proudfoot is an attention-seeking bore who subjects his long-suffering wife and exasperated acquaintances to endless tall tales about narrow escapes from bombs. He also teases the local blackout warden for his ridiculous pettiness when it comes to enforcing blackout restrictions.One night Mr. Proudfoot is careless about his blackout, and the light showing from his home provides a target for a stray German bomber plane. Having unloaded a bomb over Mr. Proudfoot's district, the pilots are shot down by the RAF, and under interrogation state that they were guided to their target by a light blazing from a property. Mr. Proudfoot is shown bandaged and bruised in hospital, still boasting to anyone who will listen about his latest brush with death.
Cast
- Sydney HowardSydney HowardSydney Howard was an English stage comedian and motion-picture actor born in Leeds, Yorkshire.Already a major stage star, Howard made his feature film début in 1929's Jack Raymond's Splinters, and went on appearing in unique roles in films such as French Leave, Up for the Cup and Mayor's Nest...
as Mr. Proudfoot - Muriel GeorgeMuriel GeorgeMuriel George was an English singer and film actress. She appeared in some 55 films between 1932 and 1955.She also appeared on the variety stage and sang on radio with her husband, Ernest Butcher for thirty years...
as Mrs. Proudfoot - Wylie WatsonWylie WatsonWylie Watson was a British actor. Among his best known roles were those of "Mr Memory", an amazing man who commits "50 new facts to his memory every day" in Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 film The 39 Steps, and wily storekeeper Joseph Macroon in the Ealing comedy Whisky Galore!...
as Friend - Irene HandlIrene Handl-Life:Irene Handl was born in Maida Vale, London, the daughter of an Austrian banker father and French mother. She took to acting at the relatively advanced age of 36, and studied at the acting school run by the sister of Dame Sybil Thorndike...
as Councillor - Noel Dainton as Warden
- Aubrey MallalieuAubrey MallalieuAubrey Mallalieu was an English actor with a prolific career in supporting roles in films in the 1930s and 1940s....
as Chairman - Percy WalshPercy WalshPercy Walsh was a British stage and film actor. His stage work included appearing in the London premieres of R.C.Sherriff's Journey's End and Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None and Appointment with Death .-Partial filmography:*The Diplomatic Lover * Dirty Work * Admirals All...
as Officer - Albert LievenAlbert LievenAlbert Lieven was a German actor. He was born Albert Fritz Liévin in Hohenstein, East Prussia. He died in London, England. He was married four times, including to the actresses Susan Shaw and Valerie White....
as German - Michael WildingMichael Wilding (actor)-Early life:Born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England, Wilding was a successful commercial artist when he joined the art department of a London film studio in 1933. He soon embarked on an acting career.-Career:...
as RAF Officer
External links
- Mr. Proudfoot Shows a Light at BFI Film & TV Database