The Bells Go Down

The Bells Go down is a black & white wartime film made by Ealing Studios in 1943. The reference in the title is to the alarm bells in the fire station that "go down" when a call to respond is made. The film is an ensemble piece that covers the period between August 27, 1939, and September 9, 1940, when World War II began and London was subjected to aerial bombing, and is a tribute to the solidarity of not just those engaged in service, but among the British people as a whole. It was produced by Michael Balcon and directed by Basil Dearden and was intended to give praise to the British... Auxiliary Fire Service . Although a fictional plot employing fictitious landmarks and localities, many of the incidental shots were taken at actual fires that were started during the air raids on London in the previous two years. A sub-plot depicted the rivalry between the part-time AFS and the full time London Fire Brigade . The reasons for joining the service, the training and finally the work and tragedy during September 1940 blitz on London were shown for several characters. A background narration was spoken by Leo Genn.
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