Smith. 1939. Great Britain. Directed by Michael Powell. 35mm courtesy BFI. 10 min.
“Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veterans’ charity was only rediscovered in 2003.” (BFI)
The Lion Has Wings. 1939. Great Britain. Directed by Adrian Brunel, Brian Desmond Hurst, Michael Powell. With Merle Oberson, Ralph Richardson. 35mm courtesy BFI. 76 min.
This seminal British propaganda film was filmed in 12 days at the very dawn of World War II by producer Alexander Korda at the behest of Winston Churchill. Directed by a notable team including Michael Powell, Brian Desmond Hurst, and Adrian Brunel, the film blends newsreel footage, staged re-creation, and even a bit of movie melodrama organized around the figures of a Royal Air Force officer (Ralph Richardson) and his nobly self-sacrificing wife (Merle Oberon). Powell was primarily responsible for the starkly filmed sequences evoking an RAF raid on a German target, and a subsequent aerial attack on London by German forces—something that had not yet happened, but is a vivid anticipation of the Blitz that would begin a few months after the film’s release.
Due to unexpected shipping delays, the June 30 screening of Smith and The Lion Has Wings is postponed. The July 24 screening will proceed as scheduled and an additional screening will be added. Check back for updates.