Pa Puts His Foot Down

London
1934
Sound
16m

Romance blossoms over a discussion of fluid flywheels in this cinema ad for BSA cars, directed by Zoltan Korda.

Don't you know the best people drive themselves these days? This cinema advert for BSA cars seeks to break down old-fashioned opinions about car ownership. A fuddy-duddy daddy is convinced into swapping his daughter's hand in marriage for a new motor. The film was produced by London Film Productions and appears to have been directed by Zoltan Korda, one of the leading lights of the British film industry at the time, along with his brother Alexander. A detailed explanation of the Daimler fluid flywheel is slipped into the midst of the love story.

Advertising film for motor cars.

The Open Road

Whether you're going by road, rail, air or sea, this collection of screen ads doesn’t just get you from A to B, it offers a road map to an A-Z of desirable destinations.

Throughout the 20th century, screen advertising helped transform the car from luxury conveyance for the wealthy to essential commodity, 'hand-built by robots'. It saw out the last days of steam, and made 'the age of the train'. And it presented travel - at home or abroad - as a route to a better life.