Hollywood star Leslie Howard (Gone with the Wind) was one of the first to return to his native Britain to do his bit for the war effort. This fascinating propaganda film shows a chance encounter between him and three soldiers from Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Over a pint in a pub (one of many carefully-chosen icons of 'Britishness') he hears why they enlisted before he takes them up to the dome of St Paul's Cathedral to give them a panoramic survey of London and its history. But the film is no simplistic flag-waver: Howard debunks clichés about "fighting for the Motherland" by explaining that they're defending ideas rather than territory and fighting for the universal values of justice, tolerance and the rights of man.
Please note that the sound quality is poor during the first few minutes of the film.
Follow the link to In The Classroom at the top of this page for teaching suggestions linked to History and Citizenship. In Focus Questions you'll find suggestions for questions to focus students' attention while watching the film. These will also help to develop their understanding of film language.
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1. Pub chat (3:16)
