A Welcome to Britain

A Welcome To Britain (retitled How To Behave In Britain) is a 1943 training film for the United States Armed Forces which was narrated (and co-written and co-directed) by Burgess Meredith and Anthony Asquith.[1][2] The film explains to United States troops being deployed to Europe for the invasion of Normandy how they should act and behave in the United Kingdom. It demonstrates appropriate behaviour and depicts what is expected in given social situations. Though produced for American viewing, the film was produced by the UK's Ministry of Information through the Strand Film Company, which specialized in making documentaries in the 1930s and '40s.

Plot

The film focuses on the importance of respecting, or at least acknowledging, cultural differences between American personnel and British people in order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. Notable settings and situations in the film include British pubs, how to behave when invited to dinner, and the friendly relationship between the RAF and the USAAF. The film provides examples of how to interact with several varied groups of people: British children, strangers, prostitutes and military officers.[3][4][5] American generals John C. H. Lee and Ira C. Eaker, actress Beatrice Lillie and comedian Bob Hope also appear in the film.[6]

The film also attempts to portray attitudes of racial prejudice in the UK, which were generally more tolerant than those in the United States at the time. The film refers to non-white soldiers as "coloured" and tries to explain why a British woman might invite a "coloured" soldier for tea.[1] To alleviate potential concerns of impropriety, an elderly woman was chosen to portray the hostess in this tea scene rather than a young woman.[7]

Reception

The film was very well-received by British critics. A number of British newspapers called for its general release, though it was not released for viewing by the British public during the war. The Daily Mail said that it "should do more than any other stroke to create a genuine Anglo-American understanding".[8] Polling of GI audiences also revealed very positive attitudes.[6]

References
  1. Clark, James (7 November 2019). "This WWII training video on 'How To Behave In Britain' is a hefty swig of nostalgia — and all that comes with it". Task & Purpose. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  2. Teachout, Terry (13 November 2019). "Snapshot: "How to Behave in Britain"". About Last Night. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  3. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1980031/
  4. http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-a-welcome-to-britain-1943/
  5. http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b69f765cc
  6. Aldgate, Antony; Richards, Jeffrey (2007-12-15). Britain Can Take it: British Cinema in the Second World War. I.B. Tauris. pp. 292–293. ISBN 978-1845114459. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  7. Wynn, Neil A. (14 May 2007). "'Race War': Black American GIs and West Indians in Britain During The Second World War". Immigrants & Minorities. 24 (3): 324–346. doi:10.1080/02619280701337146.
  8. "A Welcome to Britain". The Daily Mail (quoted in Aldgate & Richards). 23 December 1943.

A Welcome to Britain at IMDb

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