The Right Spirit

1931
Sound
10m

Don't judge a book by its cover but do judge a political party by its garage in this Conservative cartoon from the height of the depression.

The Conservative and Unionist Film Association were so pleased with their metaphor of Labour-led Britain as a broken-down car in need of a Tory MOT, that they made not one but two cartoons on the theme in short succession. This second film features better animation, with more depth to the backgrounds and characters, and includes a patronisingly cute and cuddly caricature of David Lloyd George.

Propaganda cartoon. After poor service from the garages of Ramsay MacDonald & Co. and Lloyd George & Co., John Bull takes his car to Baldwin's Prosperity Garage, where he is given the right fuel: a mixture of Empire unity, safeguarding and reduced taxes.

Early Animation

The dawn of a new celluloid art: Britain's animation pioneers at peace and war

When you're creating a new art form, everything is experimental. The pioneers of animation in Britain cast a range of subjects as the stars of their films - the toys of an Edwardian child; insects and animals; Kaiser Bill and John Bull. But even the richest of fantasies on display here offer a window into the turbulent era in which they were made. When the nation went to war, animation was conscripted to meet its propaganda needs. In peacetime, the industry sought success as an entertainer, but found a career in sales.