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Box of Delights: Five Inch Bather, The (1942)
 

Material to accompany the BFI Mediatheque Box of Delights DVD

Main image of Box of Delights: Five Inch Bather, The (1942)
 
16mm, 1.5 min, black & white
 
DirectorRichard Massingham
Production CompanyPublic Relationship Films
SponsorMinistry of Fuel and Power
ProducerRichard Massingham
 
Focus Questions
In the Classroom

A short, comic, public information film on the virtues of bathwater conservation

A portly bather instructs wartime Britain in the importance of water economy in this short government-sponsored film.

Richard Massingham (the bather) was a self-taught filmmaker but rapidly became one of the most distinctive voices of WWII - producing and appearing in a number of public information films.

In this example, Massingham clearly relishes his shallow dip - making the prospect of cleaning yourself in a few scummy inches appear to be rather more fun than it probably was!

Follow the link to In The Classroom at the top of this page for teaching suggestions for the Primary classroom. 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.

 
Video Clips
Complete film (01:18)
Downloadable Teaching Resources
Cs and Ss worksheet

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Thumbnail image of Massingham, Richard (1898-1953)Massingham, Richard (1898-1953)

Director, Producer, Writer, Actor