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This is a simple but effective film telling the story of pit mechanisation
and technological developments in the coal industry after the Second World War.
The industry had suffered a lot of criticism after the War and after
nationalisation. There was a shortage of labour, technology and investment, and
an urgent need for coal for power and industry. The severe winter of 1947 had
exacerbated the coal shortage and plans were urgently needed for more coal
through long-term planning and technological improvement. In 1947 around a third
of pits were still operating with old technology. Twelve years later, the
situation had vastly improved. Either through buying in specialist machinery
from abroad, adapting its own machinery and embarking on a training and
development programme the industry, by 1958, was faced with a surplus of coal.
The narration, penned by the National Coal Board's film officer, Donald Alexander, and related by folk singer Ewan McColl, is effective and to the point. The
criticisms of the coal industry, such as dirt in the coal and lumps too large or
too small (domestic users wanted large coal, power stations small coal) are
addressed. Although coal has few domestic users today, during the 1950s it was
in many homes the only source of heating and cooking, and a vital industry to
the nation; criticisms had to be taken seriously.
Explaining complex ideas simply was a hallmark of NCB productions, and New
Power in Their Hands' clear narration is backed by efficient editing by NCB
stalwart Kitty Wood. The opening scenes pose the question "Do you know this
miner?", serving to personalise the film; by the end the audience has a better
understanding of the work of the miner and how it has been made more efficient
by technology. All in all, this is an effective piece of industrial propaganda
outlining the problems and improvements within the coal industry, a view shared
by the periodical Film User, which rated it "Excellent".
Simon Baker *This film is included in the BFI DVD compilation 'Portrait of a Miner: The National Coal Board Collection Volume 1'.
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Complete film (20:56)
