Signs of the Times No.3

Signs of the Times No.3


The magazine of the screen' takes an advertorial approach, mixing advertising films with entertaining news stories.

Thanks to her use of Lux soap, Googie Withers is as 'fresh and lively as the flowers she is arranging'. Leslie Mitchell is also feeling energetic, having benefited from Horlicks 'which brings profound refreshing sleep to flood your entire being'. The only non-advert in this cinemagazine is an item about a cycle roller race - a little-known sporting activity which presumably missed out on sufficient promotional activity to catch on with the masses.

Cinemagazine, in Technicolor, combining general interest items with ads for
Lux Toilet Soap, Persil washing powder and Horlicks.
A BEAUTY HINT BY GOOGIE WITHERS. Advert for Lux. Googie Withers arranges
flowers in a vase. She tells the camera how she keeps her skin lovely with Lux
soap. A model washes in Lux. Withers dons a fur stole. "Like 9 out of 10 film
stars she uses Lux" (58) ROLLER SPEED. Four racing cyclists, Ray Cooke, Eddie
Roberts, Don Honeysett and Norman Cox compete in a " half mile race" on
rollers which keep the bikes stationary. Their race positions are indicated on
dials behind each set of rollers. Cox wins (155) SEEING IS BELIEVING. Advert
for Persil. Two housewives, Mrs James and Mrs Wilson, shop for washing powder
at their grocer; Mrs James chooses Persil and tells her companion why. At home
they compare washing and find Mrs James has the whiter wash. On her next
shopping trip Mrs Wilson chooses Persil (210). FINE KNITWEAR. Fashion models
displaying cardigans and scarf coats (310). LESLIE MITCHELL. Horlicks advert
featuring Leslie Mitchell, who is seen briefly in his various roles as actor,
compere, newsreel commentator and radio announcer, on the telephone and at
home relaxing. He tells the camera that actions speak louder than words, and
drinks a mug of Horlicks (412).


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From the collection

Cinema Advertising Comes of Age

The 1930s saw screen advertising find its voice. That wasn't just down to the arrival of the 'talkies', but to the increasing professionalism of ad agencies and production companies. 

Through WWII and the postwar austerity years and into the 'never had it so good' 1950s - when it had to compete with the new commercial television service - cinema advertising offered a bigger bang for your advertising buck.


31 videos in this collection

1

Symphony in Colour (Persil Advert)

2

Music Hath Charms

3

The Warning (Gibbs S.R. Toothpaste)

4

Every Man His Own Housewife (Persil Advert)

5

Let's Ask the Ladies

6

Murder in the Air

7

Bee Wise!

The key word in the book of fashion is simplicity
8

Sketchbook of Fashion (Knights Castile Advert)

9

Aladdin and the Junior Genie

10

Signs of the Times No.3

11

Fable of the Fabrics

12

It all Depends Which Way You Look at It (Solidox Advert)

13

Signs of the Times No 196

14

A Thief in the Night

15

Change for the Better

Use Rinso and help defeat Hitler! Soap brand Rinso deploys some savvy wartime advertising.
16

Little Miss Muddlehead (Rinso Advert)

17

What's Missing from this Picture?

18

Signs of the Times

19

Signs of the Times

20

Mousewife's Choice

21

Mrs Mopp's Birthday

22

The Trawl in Action

23

Signs of the Times No.2

24

Molar Mischief (Solidox Advert)

25

Shippam's Guide to Opera

26

Put Una Money for There

A curious blue lake, a wonder tablet, a river boat and a picnic essential - sounds like the beginning of a story!
27

Signs of the Times No.58

28

Says Sirdani

29

Thief in the Night (Persil Advert)

30

Changing Hues

31

Cinema Commercial - Candy Cushions

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