Fires Were Started
- 1943
- 1h 3m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
1.3K
YOUR RATING
A tale of firefighters in London during the Blitz.A tale of firefighters in London during the Blitz.A tale of firefighters in London during the Blitz.
Philip Dickson
- Walters
- (uncredited)
George Gravett
- Dykes
- (uncredited)
Fred Griffiths
- Johnny Daniels
- (uncredited)
Johnny Houghton
- S.H. Jackson
- (uncredited)
Loris Rey
- J. Rumbold
- (uncredited)
William Sansom
- Fireman Playing the Piano
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe firefighting scenes are reconstructions, not actual events. The director set fire to some already bombed buildings and the firemen demonstrated their methods of putting out a blaze.
Featured review
Remarkable Piece of Social History
Produced to celebrate the work of the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS), FIRES WERE STARTED is a drama-documentary recounting a day in the life of those men charged with the responsibility of dousing fires during the Blitz of 1940-41 in London's Docklands. None of the actors are professional; they have been encouraged to play the roles of 'ordinary' people. As a result some of the performances are better than others. What renders the film truly remarkable is the fact that it was produced under very difficult conditions with high production values: the re- enactments of the nighttime air raids are convincing, with staged scenes intercut with actual footage. Produced as a propaganda piece to celebrate the virtues of community, of people pulling together at a time of great stress, FIRES WERE STARTED shows the difficulties experienced by Londoners at that time; not only during but after the nightly raids; how the city picked itself up and continued working, even after the heaviest bombing. The actors manage to create a spirit of community - not only through working but also singing, eating and drinking together. The film is an invaluable record of life during the Second World War: should be required viewing for any social historians interested in the period.
helpful•30
- l_rawjalaurence
- Nov 17, 2013
Details
- Runtime1 hour 3 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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