The Saving of Bill Blewitt (1937)
3.2 of 5 from 46 ratings
0h 25min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Intended as a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Post Office Savings Bank, Watt's film eschewed conventional narration in favour of improvising a story around the villagers of Mousehole and the Cornish landscape they inhabit. The film's power of conviction owed much to the real-life Bill Blewitt, the village postmaster. Others recall him as having "a mesmeric gift of the gab, a glorious Cornish accent, twinkling blue eyes, a grin as broad as 'Popeye' and the charismatic charm of the Celt". Set during the economic slump of the 1930's, the film follows two fishermen who have lost their boat but manage to save enough to buy another with the help of the Post Office Savings Bank. The inter-village squabbles and references to unemployment reflected the actual hardships of the Cornish fishing villages, whose pilchard industry had been suffered from Britain's refusal to trade with Mussolini's Italy. The film was shown around the whole of Britain, often at church halls and other meeting rooms and was generally was well received. On its showing in the village of Mousehole itself, the Post Office Magazine reported that the film caused such excitement amongst villagers that much of the dialogue could not be heard above the chatter. At the end of a showing in nearby Penzance Bill Blewitt and his wife, who also appeared, stepped onto the stage to be greeted by deafening cheers and hand clapping. - Actors:
- Bill Blewitt
- Directors:
- Harry Watt
- Genres:
- Documentary, Drama
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