This black-and-white film is a British Information Services Production produced in post-war 1945 for The Directorate of Army Kinematography by Verity Films LTD. The film opens a discussion about how opinions are formed and influenced by everything from newspapers, the workplace, radio, the cinema, and politicians’ speeches, and how no opinions are truly our own.

“Does It Matter What You Think” title banner (00:16). Credits (00:26). Crowds gathered in front of a gallery holding an exhibition devoted to The Blitz on the UK during the war entitled “Bravery of London’s Citizens” (00:37). People look at the exhibition (00:45). A ‘Nebelwerfer’, German rocket artillery (01:04) and a Tallboy 12,000 lbs. British Army bomb (01:26). Two men look at a propaganda airborne leaflet container (01:35), a small portable printing press (01:56), and newspaper prints (02:13). Views of newspaper production (02:29) and people reading “The Daily Echo” (02:34). Two men discuss the publishing of a newspaper (02:37). The door of “The Daily Examiner” (02:57). The examiner speaks his opinion (02:58). Journalists speak as notes are taken (03:08). Illustrations are drawn (03:25). People read the newspaper on the bus (03:31). Customers lined up in front of a newspaper stand (04:04). Some look through magazines (04:08). People look at books (04:22). The Kensington Public Library (04:25). People inside the library look at books (04:28). Different books are opened (04:48). Quotes from the books appear on screen (04:53). Three people speak with each other in the library (05:05). Three workers perform roadwork (05:23). A standing and a seated man have a discussion (05:26). A woman joins the discussion (05:46). Two women in a yarn store are having a discussion (05:55). Views of a factory (06:07). A supervisor calls one employee (06:12). The employee talks to two of his coworkers (06:23). He walks away and the two coworkers continue discussing (06:44). The employee is speaking to his manager (07:05). A soldier has returned from war and is back at his job at the factory (07:36). He and a coworker start arguing (07:53). Politicians giving speeches (08:15). An audience member stands and objects the words of the speech (08:46). A fight breaks out in the audience (08:50). A Voltaire bust (08:56). A male speaker (09:04). A globe (09:10). Men giving speeches (09:13). A radio (09:12). A man reading a newspaper (09:26). He turns up the radio’s volume next to him and he makes comments (09:32). A cinema in London (09:57). A movie playing in the cinema (09:59). A couple in the audience is talking (10:02). Other couples are talking too (10:10). Two men and a woman are discussing opinions (10:21). The woman shows her NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) brooch (11:06). A child sneaking inside a house (11:17). He falls (11:24). He stands expressing fear (11:31). Letters from NSPCC being signed and stamped (11:34). A NSPCC committee meeting (11:51). Coins added to a box decorated with the picture of the scared boy (11:55). A women is signing a check with donations for NSPCC (11:58). Children playing (12:03) and washing their hands (12:06). Factory workers (12:13). One worker has fallen, and others rush to assist him (12:22). A meeting between men of a union (12:30). Two men and a woman discuss opinions and democracy (12:55). William Wilberforce, former member of Great Britain’s Parliament (13:34). Old drawings of Wilberforce’s anti-slavery efforts (13:36). A bill for the abolition of slavery (13:38). Florence Nightingale (13:40). Views of military hospitals (13:41). Elizabeth Fry (13:46). An illustration of prisoners (13:48). The act for prison reformation (13:49). The two men and the woman continue their discussion about opinions (13:55). Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament (14:12). A letter is addressed (14:17). A poster to vote for Smith (14:20) and Brown (14:22). Footage of industrial scenes (14:25). A child sitting in the street (14:28). A child checking by a doctor (14:31). A family (13:33). An audience (14:36). People reading newspapers (14:40). A man reading a book (14:43). Two women in a yarn store (14:45). A politician giving a speech (14:47). A radio (14:48). A movie shown in a cinema (14:49). A NSPCC committee meeting (14:51). A union meeting (14:54). The two men and the woman continue their discussion (15:01).

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com