NIGHTWATCHMAN'S STORY: A ROMANCE OF INDUSTRY

This film is held by the BFI (ID: 11006).

Synopsis

Advertising. Film showing the manufacture of Cadbury's products - cocoa, chocolate and 'Bournvita'.

Rl.1 Credits (54). PROLOGUE. The night watchman of Cadbury's Bournville factory carries out his rounds (278). He returns to his office where his grandson, whom he is looking after, is asleep. His mate has been looking at the night watchman's album of the firm. The grandson wakes up and asks if he can look at the album (412). Sketch of the Crooked Lane Warehouse where the making of Cadbury's cocoa began. Engraving of the Bridge Street works (483). Reconstruction scene of the visit by Walter White to John Cadbury's factory where the use of Bedington's patent remover prevents the air being polluted by factory smoke (630). The grandson asks what is a cocoa-bean. He and the night watchman look at a map of the Gold Coast where cocoa comes from (724 ft).

Rl.2 Map of the Gold Coast (22). Native beating drums (49). Cocoa farm, cocoa-beans on trees, views of cocoa trees in the bush (94), CU of cocoa blossom (109), CU of pods (132). At harvest time, the natives gather the pods (197). Families gather round to split open the pods. The beans are spread out and covered with leaves to mature (287). The matured beans are dried on large trays in the sun and then sacked up (330). The sacks of beans are carried to the broker's offices (467). The beans are checked for quality and payment made (544). The brokers discuss prices with the Cadbury buyers (577). The beans are dried again and put into Cadbury sacks (637). The sacks are loaded into goods trains and taken to the coast (647). Lorries are also used to take sacks to the coast (694). Views of Takoradi Harbour (717). The sacks are loaded into lighters which are towed out to the cargo ships (776). In Accra, as there is no harbourage, the natives load the sacks into surf-boats and paddle out to the cargo boats (976). Native drumming (984). Scene changes back to the night watchman and his grandson. The grandson is told that all the sacks come to England (1013). Scenes of unloading at the docks, the sacks are taken to the railway sidings and sent to Bournville (1081). Scene changes back to the night watchman who offers to take his grandson with him on his rounds (1122). They set off round the empty factory. The night watchman tells his grandson that he should see the bustle that goes on during the day (1162). The sacks of beans are unloaded from the train trucks and taken to the stores (1208). From the stores, the sacks are sent down a shute to the next floor where the beans are drawn by suction to the cleaning machine (1319). The beans are then roasted and broken into 'nibs' (1363). The nibs are ground into a thick paste (1447). The paste is pressed to remove the cocoa butter (1510). The cake is passed through a sieve to break it up into cocoa (1531). In another part of the factory, the tins are made; the tin plate is cut, the sheets folded around and fastened, the bottoms put in (1621). Paper linings are put into the tins by machine and the tins are filled with cocoa (1732). Women workers finish off the process by folding down the linings and putting the lids on (1746). Labels are stuck round the tins (1768). In the carton manufacture department, apprentices are trained to operate the machine (1827). The tins of cocoa are put into cartons and the cartons are sent by shute to the warehouse (1899). The grandson tells the night watchman that he wants to hear about the making of milk chocolate and chocolate bars (1940 ft). (2664 ft).

Rl.3 First, the night watchman tells how Cadburys came to move out of the Bridge Street factory to Bournville (87). Views of meadowland (100). Map showing the location of Bournville (164). Reconstructed scene of the first party of workers arriving at Bournville (235). Pictures of the factory in 1879, 1899 and 1932 (270). The night watchman explains that it was in 1899 that Cadburys began making milk chocolate and that a milk condensing factory was built (338). Milk churns at the Knighton factory, pastureland, the cows grazing (397), the cows come in for milking (424), the cows are milked by machine (485). Views of Frampton-on-Severn, home of another condensing plant (510). The milk arrives at the plant and is run over cooling machines (624). Samples are tested for quality (679). The milk is heated, mixed with sugar, pumped into condensing cabinets and simmered (717). Cocoa mass is mixed with it and the resulting 'crum' is packed in sacks (780). The sacks are taken in barges to Bournville (820). At Bournville, the crum is ground between steel rollers (875). Cocoa butter is mixed in with the crum, the mixture is then sifted (965). It is then poured into a moulding machine, cooled and wrapped in silver paper (1059). The wrapped bars are put into boxes (1071). Nuts are added to some bars, the nut bars are wrapped by machine and girls pack them into boxes (1193). Fancy chocolate boxes being made (1276). Cartons ready for use (1297). The cleanliness of Bournville is emphasised - window cleaners at work (1339). Trees and gardens (1353). The grandson then wants to know how filled chocolates are made. The night watchman explains that chocolate is put around the centres (1472). Reconstruction scene of the Cadbury Brothers sending for a chef from France to make the chocolates (1541). Cocoa butter and sugar is added to the cocoa to make a very smooth chocolate (1596). Sugar, the basis of soft centres, is poured down shutes into copper boilers and mixers where it is treated in different ways (1641). Sugar is mixed with butter and melted for toffee (1666). Other sugar is mixed with cream to make creme caramel (1730). Nougat being made (1769). The grandson then asks how soft centres are made (1796 ft). (4460 ft).

Rl.4 To make soft centres, sugar syrup is stirred into a thick white cream (38). Different flavourings are added and stirred by machine (139). Laboratory tests are carried out (185). New recipes are tried out (219). Marzipan cakes (256). Oranges are peeled and the peel weighed (340). In the confectionary room, girls cut out the marzipan shapes (470). Some of the centres use fresh fruits such as strawberries (488). Cleaners are at work all the time (506). The grandson then asks how the centres get inside the chocolates (530). Special moulds of flour are prepared on wooden trays (560). The trays pass under a row of nozzles which release the amount of soft cream required for each centre (594). The centres are stored in wooden trays until set (635). The moulding trays are lifted out and the dry white powder shaken off (684). The centres are taken to the covering rooms where they are covered and decorated with liquid chocolate (716). Girls decorating the chocolates (785). The chocolates are packed into boxes by hand and the boxes put into cartons (903). In the despatch department, the crates are nailed down and taken by trolley to the goods train. The goods train departs (1038). The night watchman tells his grandson to go home for his breakfast (1112). He arrives home and relates to his sister, Betty, what his grandfather has told him. Betty agrees that Bournville is a wonderful place (1170). Views of the gardens, pond with water lilies and goldfish, girls walking through the gardens in their lunchhour (1225). Football game in progress at the sports centre (1262). Girls' indoor swimming pool (1320). Mens' outdoor swimming pool (1363). Views of Bournville village (1401). The night watchman arrives home. Betty tells him that she is starting work at Bournville the next day and she is first going to be shown round (1435). Betty is shown the packing department where girls put tins of Bournvita into cartons. The supervisor tells Betty that Bournvita is made of British eggs, malt, milk and chocolates (1523). CU of basket of eggs, the eggs are broken into cups and poured into a mixer. Cows grazing, churns of milk arrive at the factory (1567). Bales of barley, pans containing malt (1593). The ingredients are weighed and poured into a mixer (1655). The supervisor explains to Betty that the mixture then goes through an evaporation process, is broken up and packed into tins (1664). Betty is shown the packing room where she is to start work (1728). The night watchman is suitably impressed with Cadbury's newest product when Betty returns home and recounts her experiences (1763). Final shots of men and women in national dress enjoying different Cadbury's products (1864). View of Bournville factory (1873). CU of the jovial night watchman (1909 ft). The End (6369 ft).

 

Titles

  • NIGHTWATCHMAN'S STORY: A ROMANCE OF INDUSTRY
 

Technical Data

Year:
1933
Film Gauge (Format):
35mm Film
Colour:
Black/White
Sound:
Sound
Footage:
6369 ft
 

Production Credits

Production Countries:
Great Britain
Director
CREIGHTON, Walter
Sponsor
Cadbury
cast member
CALTHROP, Donald
cast member
GASKELL, Mary
cast member
GILL, Basil
cast member
TAYLOR, Brian
Photography
ROGERS, James E.
Production Company
Publicity Films
Sound
COOPER, Marcus
Studio
Merton Park
 

Countries