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The Story of British Pathé

Kath Pick

David Okuefuna

Verity Sharp

The Story of British Pathé: Episode 2: The Voice of Pathé

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Episode 2

Episode 2: The Voice of Pathé

The Voice of Pathé

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How British Pathé's commentaries provided stirring encouragement during the Blitz.

A look at how British Pathé's output came into its own in the Second World War, when its commentaries provided stirring encouragement during the Blitz.

For more than half a century, the film and newsreel company British Pathé documented almost every aspect of life - the remarkable and the run-of-the mill, the extraordinary and the everyday. 

The company's output really came into its own during the Second World War, when the distinctively clipped and relentlessly chipper commentaries by its announcer Bob Danvers-Walker provided stirring encouragement during the Blitz - and offered authoritative advice on how housewives struggling to feed their families on the ration could overcome privation and to 'make do and mend'. 

As this programme reveals, for generations of cinemagoers it was the voice of British Pathé that expressed the values and the spirit of Britain.

Knowledge, arts, music and culture from the UK and the world.

BBC Four reflects arts, music and culture with an ambitious range of intellectually and culturally enriching programmes, taking an expert and in-depth approach to its subjects.

Series delving into film and newsreel company British Pathé's treasure trove of images.

Series delving into film and newsreel company British Pathé's treasure trove of images, which documented almost every aspect of everyday life in Britain and around the world in the 20th century.

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Episode 2: The Voice of Pathé

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