Look at Life (film series)

Look at Life was a regular British series of short documentary films of which over 500 were produced between 1959 and 1969 by the Special Features Division of the Rank Organisation for screening in their Odeon and Gaumont cinemas. The films always preceded the main feature film that was being shown in the cinema that week. It replaced the circuit's newsreel, Universal News, which had become increasingly irrelevant in the face of more immediate news media, particularly on television with the launch of ITN on the Independent Television service, which began broadcasting in parts of the United Kingdom in 1955.

Presentation

Produced on 35mm film and in Eastmancolor, these eight-minute 'featurettes' melded a light-hearted magazine format with a more in depth documentary approach and depicted aspects of life, mainly in Britain, but sometimes further afield. The films often depicted elements of the 'push button' or 'jet age', demonstrating advances in technology and a reflection on the changing tastes, fashions and trends representative of the so-called 'swinging sixties' era, which were often portrayed in a glossy, vibrant and optimistic way. The films also reported on topical issues that were affecting modern day society such as road safety, civil defence and pollution, and often sought to explain the rapid changes that were taking place in the country in an entertaining and informative narrative. Look at Life also took its cameras abroad to focus on events and affairs within the Commonwealth and British colonies including Aden, Gibraltar and the ever diminishing British controlled areas of Africa. Look at Life cameras were also offered exclusive access behind the Iron Curtain to present life in the Eastern Bloc, particularly in East Berlin and the Soviet Union.
The films were generally narrated in the style typical of newsreel films with a principal voice-over while letting the images tell the story. The narration was generally spoken over the natural sounds of the subject being discussed such as motor traffic or the activities within a workplace and with musical accompaniment. People who were featured in the programmes were seldom heard to speak unless as background sound, their activities and interactions with others generally being commented upon by the narrator. Otherwise the subject of the film or clip would sometimes address the camera directly or perform in a given situation, both in a staged and a scripted manner whereby the narrator could often add a humorous or ironic comment in the context of the subject.
On occasions an expert or professional in the field of the subject such as inventor of the Hovercraft Christopher Cockerell could be watched presenting the film directly to camera and providing the voiceovers. In the most part narration of the films was provided by well known celebrities and presenters of the time including Raymond Baxter, Eamonn Andrews, Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, Michael Ingrams, Anthony Bilbow, Sid James and Martin Jarvis in later editions. James Bond’s Island was narrated by voice actor Peter Hawkins. However the majority of the films were narrated by actor Tim Turner.
In the early years at the end of each film the caption "Take a Look at Life Again Soon" would appear on screen. Most episodes were between 8 and 10 minutes long, but some such as Common Market and High, Wide and Faster were more feature length at 17 minutes.

Public Releases

Over 500 episodes were produced altogether. Digitally restored from the original film elements, the Look at Life series is now licensed by ITV Studios Global Entertainment, previously known on screen as Granada Ventures and distributed by the Network imprint. Many of the films have not been seen in full since their original screenings in the cinemas, although a number of films have been previously released on Super 8 and on DVD in themed categories. These include Look at Life – Swingin' London, which explores elements of contemporary London life, work and traditions and Look at Life – On the Railways, which represented the great changes that were taking place to Britain's railways in the wake of the modernisation programme and the decline of steam. However Network has gradually released box-sets of the films over eight volumes, containing a total of 499 films.
Volume 1: "Transport" is a four disc compilation released in 2010 and contains 54 films on the theme of transport. Look at Life Volume 2: "Military" containing 45 films on three discs was released in June 2011, whilst Volume 3: "Science" containing 45 films on three discs was released in September 2011.
Two further volumes, Volume 4: "Sport" containing 42 films on three discs and Volume 5: "Cultural Heritage" containing 64 films on four discs were for release in August and November 2012 respectively. Volume 6: "World Affairs" containing 72 films on five discs was released on 1 February 2013. On 10 August 2015, a seventh volume Volume 7: "Business and Industry" containing 60 films on three discs was released.
The final 7 disc Volume 8: People and Places presenting a remaining 117 films on seven discs was released in the spring of 2021.
In November 2012, the series Britain on Film commissioned by BBC Scotland for broadcast on BBC Four began a twenty-part series providing an insight into life in Britain in the 1960s exclusively featuring footage from the Look at Life series. Distributed by ITN Source, a partly owned subsidiary of ITV Plc, each episode features a different aspect of British life and culture during the decade, including the changing role of women and how leisure time was spent including the rising popularity of overseas travel. It is presented with original commentary from the series with captions to provide the contemporary viewer with explanation.
In the 2020s, many of the original films have been shown regularly on the UK channel Talking Pictures TV, both live on broadcast platforms and on demand via the red button and the channel's Encore website.

Available on DVD

Volume 3: Science

Disc 1 (1959–1963)

Date of Feature	Title	Narrator	Synopsis
1959	Follow the Stars	E.V.H. Emmett	Looking at the stars from the astrologer’s, the astronomer’s, and the radio-astronomer’s point of view.
1959	A Marriage is Arranged...	E.V.H. Emmett	How a marriage between steel and plastic is successfully forged at British steelworks
1959	Channel Tunnel	Tim Turner	The possibilities of the construction of a Channel Tunnel.
1960	Healing Hands	Anthony Bilbow	Deals with the advances made in surgery and anaesthetics and the activities of the Royal College of Surgeons.
1960	Testing Time	Tim Turner	The work of the British Standards Institution.
1960	Making a Meal Out of It	Tim Turner	A look at the processes of canning and freeze-drying food
1961	Press-Button Age	Michael Ingrams	A survey of how are lives are becoming increasingly automated
1961	Flood Tide	Tim Turner	Deals with storms, floods, and erosions along Britain’s coastline and how they are combated.
1961	Men With Ideas	Tim Turner	A look into inventors and how they go about getting their inventions accepted.
1961	Mystery of a Fish	Anthony Bilbow	Deals with the habits and the fishing of salmon.
1962	Rockets Away!	Tim Turner	A feature investigating modern rockets and the backroom world of research and their production.
1962	The Little Menace	Tim Turner	A look at medical research and developments, particularly in the field of penicillins and viruses.
1962	Trouble on Oily Waters	Tim Turner	The increasing problem of oil pollution on Britain’s shores.
1962	Any Old Iron?	Tim Turner	The scrap metal recycling business in Waltham Cross and Ebbw Vale.
1963	Caught in the Cold	Tim Turner	The chaos brought by snow and ice to Britain’s town and country and what is done to minimise disruption

Disc 2 (1963–1964)

Date of Feature	Title	Narrator	Synopsis
1963	Figure it Out	Tim Turner	Computers: how they are made, what they are used for, and how they may develop in the future
1963	Keeping Clean	Tim Turner	The story of the many thousands of people in Britain who are employed to keep offices, shops and other places clean.
1963	The Destroyers	Tim Turner	A look at pest control, particularly in agriculture
1963	Back-Room of the Sky	Raymond Baxter	A look at the Ministry of Aviation's centre at Boscombe Down
1963	People of Power	Anthony Bilbow	A visit to the Berkeley Nuclear Power Station where commercial power is produced from nuclear energy
1963	Second Chance	Tim Turner	The story behind prosthetic limbs
1963	The Key of the Door	Tim Turner	The Colleges of Advanced Technology in England and Wales with particular reference to Loughborough
1963	You Can't Catch Much from a Fish!	Tim Turner	A view of what the six months compulsory quarantine period means to the animals and birds that are brought into Britain.
1963	Men Under Pressure	Tim Turner	A look at some of the most dangerous, yet vital jobs in Britain
1964	Fings are Getting Smaller	Tim Turner	A glimpse into the scientific world where things are getting smaller by the day
1964	Salute the Engineer	Tim Turner	A glimpse into the wide range of jobs available for the trained engineer, along with the research and training that goes into developing their role
1964	So Much Flattery!	Tim Turner	The use of synthetics in the art of imitation
1964	Having a Baby	Tim Turner	The medical and social services which are available for expectant mothers whether the baby is born in hospital or at home.
1964	Power Needs No Passport	Tim Turner	The co-ordinated production and transmission of electricity in Western Europe
1965	Wealth Under the Sea?	Tim Turner	A look at the North Sea oil and gas industry

Disc 3 (1964–1969)

Date of Feature	Title	Narrator	Synopsis
1965	By Bread Alone	Tim Turner	Documentary on aspects of bread production and marketing, including research into the problems of staleness and how to prevent it
1965	Frontiers of Medicine	Michael Ingrams	A look at the advances being made in medical technology and the treatment of diseases
1965	Sugaring the Pill	Tim Turner	Facts and figures behind Britain's growing pharmaceutical industry
1965	Beating the Racket	Tim Turner	A study of the research into what was being done to reduce noise levels.
1965	Will Taps Run Dry?	Tim Turner	New measures for the collection, storage, and distribution of Britain’s rainwater to meet increasing consumer demand.
1966	Treading on the Gas	Tim Turner	The import of methane gas by sea from North Africa to Britain
1966	Boxes of Tricks	Tim Turner	The research which goes into developing programmed learning for schools, universities, and industry.
1966	The Givers	Antony Bilbow	Blood donors and the help they give in medical emergencies.
1967	What Price Ideas?	Tim Turner	How the National Research Development Corporation helps by governmental loans to develop new inventions for industry
1967	Cleaning People	Michael Ingrams	The dry cleaning business and the work of the chemists behind it.
1967	Press-Button Farms	Michael Ingrams	Survey of the revolution in farm machinery which leads to automated farming
1967	Keeping Tabs on Space	Tim Turner	A brief look at Britain's burgeoning space industry which culminated in the launch of the UK3 satellite
1968	Brain Drain	Martin Jarvis	A look at the problems arising from the emigration of many of Britain’s top engineers and scientists, who are travelling abroad for work
1968	North Sea Commuters	Martin Jarvis	A look into the lives of the men on the North Sea oil and gas rigs
1968	Their Lifeline – The Nile	Robert Tyrrell	The story of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt and the changes and improvements it has meant to the lives of the people who live along the banks of the River Nile.