The Living City (1970)

The film illustrates the major part taken by local government in the physical and social redevelopment of London.Made by the Corporation of London for publicity purposes.

This is a film about the story of the City of London and the commuters who flock into the centre every day to provide it with its workers to keep London a flourishing modern city.The film shows areas of London within the Square Mile around landmarks such as St Bartholomews Hospital, the London Stock Exchange, Lloyds of London and the Port of London. Shots include ships along the Thames, the docks, the Port of London, commuters on London Bridge, streets of London around the Bank of England, insurance and commodities in London, the Port of London Authority warehouses, the markets of London, roads and road improvements, Holborn viaduct, Blackfriars, Paternoster Square, the Barbican, newspaper offices, the Golden Lane estate, open spaces, parks, the City of London Police, the Guildhall, schools in the City, and the Lord Mayors Show.

Producers - Hugo and Elizabeth de Burgh Galway Narrator - Barry Lankaster

Credit: London Metropolitan Archives - www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma
London Metropolitan Archives holds a good collection of film, video and audio materials that are being catalogued, conserved and digitised to make them accessible to the public at LMA. This is the prime function of this archive. The AV collections include video from the City of London Corporation, the LCC and the GLC. LMA also has material from the ILEA as well as many businesses and organisations whose records have been deposited or donated to LMA.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Local
• Government
• Councils
• Council
• Services
• Health
• Welfare
• Education
• Houses
• Roads
• Traffic
• Ambulances
• Fire
• Engines
• Parks
• Sports
• Arts
• Centres
• Historic
• Buildings
• St
• Bartholomews
• London
• Stock
• Exchange
• Lord
• Mayors
• Show
• Port
• of
• Paternoster
• Square
• Bridge
• Holborn
• Viaduct
• Blackfriars
• Barbican
• Guildhall
• Golden
• Lane
• City
• Police
• Thames

[latham29]

interesting film but shame that quality is so bad looks like its covered in dirt and scratches. not what you expect from a film archive

[earlemartin]

The optimism expressed in the film is charming but heartbreakingly naïve. Most of the freshly-poured concrete shown here in 1970 became in the following decades a grimy, windswept urban wasteland and the total opposite of the fresh and dynamic environment it had been intended to be. I've never seen so many people on the highwalks (sadly, currently being demolished) as are shown in this film at 17:30. I recall exploring them in 2002 and barely encountering a single person.

[Velvetstud66]

Great propaganda for the brave new world, where did it all go wrong?

[earlscourtsw10]

Ironical.. at 28.11 he talks of "creating a suitable environment" and we see an office worker lighting a ciggie!! ;-) How times have changed...

[bombsiteweed]

A lot of the philosophy of the planners in this film stemmed from Colin Buchanan's seminal 1963 work 'Traffic in Towns' which advocated the grade seperation of vehicles and pedestrians. This was still fashionable in 1970 although the beginnings of a challenge were emerging. Very different to the current guidance in 'Manual for Streets'

[earlemartin]

Regardless of the visual quality of this film, it is a historic gem. As a Londoner I'm grateful for it to have been put up for me to see.

[SonicYouthXXX]

You should see soviet films, they never really mastered coulour even up until the 90`s ...