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Night Mail

Documentary and Nonfiction Film

Night Mail is a 1936 British documentary short produced by the GPO Film Unit and directed by Harry Watt and Basil Wright, following the overnight postal train of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway as it travels from London to Scotland sorting and dropping mail along the route. Its final sequence sets a rhythmic verse commentary written by W.H. Auden to a score by Benjamin Britten, timed to the sound and motion of the train. Produced under the documentary film movement led by John Grierson, it is widely regarded as one of the defining works of British documentary filmmaking in the 1930s.

Facts
Release Year
1936 1
Country
United Kingdom 1
Classification
Original Language
English 1
Connections

In Medium

Film, Media Forms
Source Night Mail, Wikipedia
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Night Mail, Wikipedia
  • Lead section, first sentence
    Night Mail is a 1936 British documentary film directed by Harry Watt and Basil Wright for the General Post Office (GPO) Film Unit.
  • Lead section, first sentence (country)
    Night Mail is a 1936 British documentary film directed by Harry Watt and Basil Wright for the General Post Office (GPO) Film Unit.
  • Night Mail, Description, original language
    Night Mail is a 1936 British documentary short produced by the GPO Film Unit and directed by Harry Watt and Basil Wright, following the overnight postal train of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway as it travels from London to Scotland sorting and dropping mail along the route.
  • In Medium: Film, Article lead sentence
    Night Mail is a 1936 British documentary film directed by Harry Watt and Basil Wright for the General Post Office (GPO) Film Unit.
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