GB
1949
1hr 09mins
Dir: Herbert Marshall
Starring: Derek Smith and members of the National Coal Board
A young tinker boy finds his true calling on a mining apprenticeship scheme in County Durham
This strikingly shot docu-drama was commissioned by the National Coal Board and won an award at the 1949 Edinburgh Film Festival. The opening credits end with the statement “This film has no stars. Unknown people largely play their real life parts in their real surroundings”. Today it is little known. It features scenes at the Durham Miners’ Gala parade and high in the background two passenger trains can be seen crossing Durham viaduct but no locomotives are visible.