Night Mail

Night Mail is a documentary film about a London, Midland and Scottish Railway Anglo-Scottish mail train, produced by the GPO Film Unit. A poem by English poet W. H. Auden was specially written for it, as was music by Benjamin Britten. The film was directed by Harry Watt and Basil Wright, and narrated by John Grierson and Stuart Legg. It starred Royal Scot no 6115 Scots Guardsman.

Related Topics:
Documentary film - London, Midland and Scottish Railway - Anglo - Scottish - GPO Film Unit - English - Poet - W. H. Auden - Benjamin Britten - Harry Watt - Basil Wright - John Grierson - Stuart Legg - Royal Scot

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As recited in the film, the poem's rhythm imitates that of the train's wheels as they clatter over the track sections, beginning slowly but picking up speed so that by the time the narration reaches the penultimate verse the narrator is speaking at a breathless pace. As the train slows toward its destination the final verse is taken at a more sedate pace. The famous opening lines of the poem are "This is the Night Mail crossing the border / Bringing the cheque and the postal order".

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