Mary's Birthday (1951)

views BFIfilms — 09 October 2008 — More films by Reiniger are available to buy as part of the BFI DVD 'Lotte Reiniger: The Fairy Tale Flims' - http... BFIfilms — 09 October 2008 — More films by Reiniger are available to buy as part of the BFI DVD 'Lotte Reiniger: The Fairy Tale Flims' - http://filmstore.bfi.org.uk/acatalog/...

'Sing ho for disease
And the germs in a sneeze,
For pollution, for filth and infection.
We'll wipe off our feet
On somebody's meat
And hope it's a lethal injection.'

No, not a lost stanza from the pens of Gilbert and Sullivan, but the rousing chorus sung by some bluebottles as they plan to cause intestinal misery at Mary's party.

This guide to elementary hygiene is among the most eccentric and enjoyable Public Information Films. Director Lotte Reiniger is famed for her quaint silhouette animation, but here she seems on the verge of a career shift that unfortunately never happened. If it had, she would be remembered as one of the great British surrealists.

One of the unexpected highlights is the array of accents on parade. The flower fairies sound like graduates of the Brief Encounter School of Elocution; insects and microbes are voiced by somewhat earthier types while the King of the Flies sounds distinctly like Kenneth Williams attempting to impersonate Winston Churchill. (Robin Baker)

You can watch over 1200 other complete films and TV programmes from the BFI National Archive free of charge in the Mediatheque at BFI Southbank, London and at the new QUAD centre for art and film in Derby -
http://www.bfi.org.uk/mediatheque
http://www.derbyquad.co.uk/bfi-mediat...