Look at Life
Narrated by	Tim Turner and others
Production company	Rank Organisation
Release date	1959–1969
Running time	8 minutes-or-more on average
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

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.^[1]

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.

Reception

When the first issue of Look at Life, "Marrakesh" was released in March 1959, it was hailed in the trade journals as an "exciting venture in film journalism" and Rank announced this innovation would have "a more lasting impact than the present ephemeral newsreel content". Look at Life was a popular formula but did become rather frozen in time with its light-hearted presentation and jaunty theme tune and despite subtle changes to the opening titles, their graphics and the introduction of the Rank 'gong' logo at the beginning of later films. Television led audiences into a documentary world that had more grit and less glamour than the relative escapism of the cinema and by 1969 Rank could no longer ensure the survival of the series and the concept waned just as other newsreels and magazine films also available at that time, such as the Pathé Pictorial which was shown on the rival ABC cinema circuit, and as cinema audience continued to decline rapidly on the verge of the 1970s.^[2]

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.^[3]

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 1: Transport

Disc 1 (1959–1960)

Date of Feature	Title	Narrator	Synopsis
April 1959	Ticket to Tokyo	E.V.H. Emmett	Travelling with a British Commonwealth Britannia airliner from London via Bombay to Tokyo to discover Japan and back via Hong Kong
May 1959	Letting off Steam	Tim Turner	The phasing-out of coal-powered steam locomotives and their replacement with oil-powered and electrified trains.
May 1959	New Roads for Old	Tim Turner	A look at new roads such as the London to Yorkshire motorway, Preston By-pass, Runcorn Bridge and works around London, including the gyratory system at Marble Arch, the underpass at Hyde Park Corner, road widening at Elephant and Castle, and the new Chiswick Flyover.
August 1959	Flight on a Cushion	Tim Turner	Peter Lamb, the Chief Test Pilot of East Cowes-based Saunders Roe, talks about hovercraft with the inventor Christopher Cockerell and the recording of the first cross Channel crossing on 25 July 1959.
August 1959	Talking of Coaches	Tim Turner	Life from the back of a coach with a tour of Blackpool and Italy with young Eric.
October 1959	Alpine Rescue	Tim Turner	A Swiss Flying Club uses adapted aircraft to deliver supplies to Alpine ski lodges - and to effect the rescue of injured mountaineers
October 1959	Shopping for a 'Queen'	Tim Turner	Replenishing the Queen Elizabeth, the 83,000-ton liner, before her next voyage.
November 1959	Sailing the Sky	Tim Turner	A look at the world of silent flight, including a brief introduction to record breaking British female glider pilot and instructor Ann Welch
December 1959	Driving Test	Tim Turner	Driving school tuition, including the innovative mock-up car with moving lights, cars for disabled people, the junior driver course at Grammar schools, and the training of police drivers and London Bus drivers.
January 1960	Shape of a Ship	Tim Turner	Building ocean liners such as the Canberra and how their shape is changing, plus a review of the slump affecting cargo shipping and the exciting future of air freight.
February 1960	Air Hostess	Tim Turner	Following the perceived glamorous life of 24-year-old airline hostess Pat Rossiter on her working day on an 11-hour flight from London to Rome and Benghazi
March 1960	Taxi! Taxi!!	Tim Turner	Looking at the organisation behind London's taxis, their maintenance, regulation of meters, training for "The Knowledge", to picking up passengers and driver welfare.
April 1960	All Through the Night	Tim Turner	A look into trunk roads with the night lorries, following the night drivers, to see where they eat and who they meet

Disc 2 (1960–1963)

Date of Feature	Title	Narrator	Synopsis
April 1960	Over and Under	Tim Turner	Painting the Forth Bridge and a look at modern bridge-building including temporary bridges. Reflecting on past bridge successes and future methods of construction.
July 1960	Horse-power Riders	Tim Turner	The Royal Corp Signals demonstrate motorcycle safety techniques. Following The AA and RAC in their training programmes supported by RoSPA, and over to the Isle of Man TT to visit winner John Surtees and former champion Geoff Duke.
March 1962	Eyes of the Law	Raymond Baxter	A look at traffic controls in West Germany and their autobahns and how Britain can learn as they build miles of new motorway including the new Hammersmith Flyover.
April 1962	Scooter Commuter	Tim Turner	Amidst the jams, In ten years, the number of scooters on British Roads has increased from 4,250 to over 470,000, and the convenience of "Corgi" style bikes.
May 1962	Sea Horses	Tim Turner	A look at tugboats, without which any big port would come to a standstill, and ocean-going tugs, delivering their load across thousands of miles of sea.
September 1962	So They all Hover Now	Tim Turner	For passenger services large and small, the development of the hovercraft and how the declining ship yards of Clydeside are adapting to hovercraft design. Featuring the SR.N2.
September 1962	The Village Sleeps Again	Tim Turner	The arguments for and against building by-passes, featuring Transport Minister Ernest Marples, how these can be built through many urban areas, how objections to new routes can be overcome, and what effect they are having on previously swamped towns and villages.
January 1963	Birdmen	Tim Turner	Puffin, the man-powered aircraft designed and built by instructors and students of the de Havilland Aeronautical Technical School.
April 1963	Draw the Fires	Tim Turner	The railways are changing, with coal-powered steam being phased out and replaced by diesel engines and a network that is being modernised by new signalling, continuous welded track on concrete sleepers, and controversial closures of lines.
June 1963	The Car Has Wings	Tim Turner	Cars are carried through tunnels, on ferries, over the new Forth Road Bridge, by train, air ferry, and possibly by hovercraft in the future.
June 1963	Vintage Models	Raymond Baxter	The story of Britain's vintage car scene, including the high-speed trials at Silverstone, the Montagu Motor Museum at Beaulieu, and the famous London to Brighton run
July 1963	Pilot Aboard	Tim Turner	A look at Britain's pilotage services.
August 1963	Where No Tide Flows	Raymond Baxter	A look at canals and how they have been rediscovered by holidaymakers.

Disc 3 (1963–1965)

Date of Feature	Title	Narrator	Synopsis
November 1963	High, Wide and Faster	Tim Turner	Examining contemporary developments in road, rail, and sea transport
December 1963	Oil Aboard	Tim Turner	The story of the oil tankers and the crews that sail in them
December 1963	Report on a River	Tim Turner	Following the River Thames from its source in Gloucestershire to the Port of London, which is modernising services and keeping traffic moving.
December 1963	Europe Grows Together	Tim Turner	An urgent look at Britain's links with the Continent.
April 1964	Turn of the Wheel	Tim Turner	Exploring the various ways folk put old disused items of transport back into use.
May 1964	City of the Air	Tim Turner	A look at the many aspects of London Airport, with a focus on BOAC and BEA airlines.
August 1964	Behind the Ton-Up Boys	Tim Turner	A reflection on the nearly two million motorcyclists in Britain.
August 1964	Going Places Under Water	Tim Turner	Submarines and commercial diving, including the world's first underwater sightseeing bus.
November 1964	Living with Cars	Tim Turner	Analysis of what was being done at the time to cope with the increasing number of cars on our roads.
December 1964	Flying to Work	Tim Turner	The increasing number of private planes and helicopters in Britain's airspace.
February 1965	The Spirit of Brooklands	Tim Turner	The story of the Surrey motor racing circuit and its aircraft industry with a particular emphasis on the VC-10.
April 1965	Weather Adviser	Tim Turner	How special ships maintain a constant watch on the weather, whatever the conditions
May 1965	What Price Safety?	Tim Turner	A look at what was being done to make cars and roads safer
September 1965	Down in the Dumps	Michael Ingrams	A look at waste disposal and what happens to old cars when it comes to the end of their road.

Disc 4 (1965–1969)

Date of Feature	Title	Narrator	Synopsis
November 1965	Cats of the Sea	Tim Turner	The thrill of sailing Catamarans
March 1966	Breaking the Ice	Tim Turner	Looking at the Finnish icebreakers which keep the Baltic shipping routes open.
December 1966	Skimming through the Sixties	Tim Turner	Revisiting the Hovercraft and how it has been evolving.
December 1966	The Big Take-Off	Tim Turner	Assessing what was happening to Britain's aircraft industry in the face of stiff competition.
March 1967	Lighter than Air	Tim Turner	A brief history of ballooning and lighter than air flight.
May 1967	Just an Accident	Tim Turner	Accident prevention and safety measures with the HM Factory Inspectorate, ROSPA, and in-house company courses
May 1967	Scrambling for It	Eamonn Andrews	The motor sport of scrambling, which is attracting thousands of followers.
June 1967	The Straights of Dover	Tim Turner	A closer look at the 750 ships that pass through the five-mile wide shipping channel every day.
August 1967	Where Do You Leave the Boat?	John Witty	The problems of where to keep pleasure boats as more are built.
October 1967	Pushing the Bike	Tim Turner	The impact of the bicycle on the world today.
December 1967	Playing Trains	Tim Turner	Britain's burgeoning railway preservation scene, and a trip with the locomotive Flying Scotsman on one of its last main line runs
September 1968	The City's for Living In	Ann MacEwen	A response to the Buchanan Report with a focus on Bath and Norwich as to how British cities face the danger of the impact of traffic on the environment.
March 1969	All in a Day's Work	Duncan Carse	People who travel the world by air as part of their everyday jobs
March 1969	A Load of Pheasants	Duncan Carse	The journey of the intercontinental lorry driver delivering a trailer load of pheasants abroad, with the aid of the TIR convention.

Volume 2: Military

Disc 1 (1960–1961)

Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=Look_at_Life_(film_series)
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Date of Feature[4]	Title	Narrator	Synopsis[5]
1959	The Black Arrows	Tim Turner	The RAF aerobatic display team "Treble-One" Squadron, nicknamed "The Black Arrows"
1959	Ceremonial Soldier	Tim Turner	A look at the Grenadier Guards, and how they perform the differing roles of front line soldier and sentry at Buckingham Palace.
1959	Soldier Abroad	Tim Turner	The 3rd Royal Tank Regiment and their role as part of the British Army of the Rhine in Detmold, West Germany
1960	Under the Rocket	Tim Turner	Life at the rocket range in Woomera, South Australia, through the eyes of a young REME corporal and his wife.
1960	Thunder in Waiting	Tim Turner	Visit to an RAF base in East Anglia, shows Thor rockets and Vulcan bombers.
1960	'A Piece of Cake'	Tim Turner	The sport of parachuting and the territorials of the Parachute Regiment
1960	Return to Arms	Tim Turner	A visit to Germany to find out what kind of army the country is raising today under the auspices of NATO, with a focus on the mountain troops and how they train
1960	Submarine	Tim Turner	A glimpse of the life and work of the submariners of HMS Narwhal}
1960	The Rocket-Age Lancers	Tim Turner	The 9th Queen's Royal Lancers including the parade on their final day before they merged to form 9th/12th Royal Lancers
1960	Air Umbrella	Anthony Bilbow	Work and organisation of NATO’s Second Allied Tactical Air Force which forms part of a vigilant air umbrella over Europe
1961