Film from 1950’s found at BFI
BMRA was recently contacted by the son of composer, Franz Reizenstein, aka Frank Rayston, who has uncovered the public information film, ‘The House that Jack Built’, originally released in 1954.
After the Second World War, the UK entered a period of austerity and scrap recovery was seen as a matter of national priority and a ‘National Scrap Drive’ campaign was launched to persuade the public to salvage every pound of reclaimable metal. ‘Jack Scrap’, a character made of metal who played instruments, was used to capture the imagination of the public.
The film was located at the British Film Institute (BFI) by Franz’s son John, who wanted to make the film more accessible via his father's website and set out to find out who owned the copyright.
The film was commissioned and owned jointly by The National Federation of Scrap Iron Steel and Metal Merchants, now the BMRA, and the British Iron and Steel Federation, now MAKE UK.
John Reizenstein said: ““My interest in the film is because my father composed the music. I was amazed to find it in digitised form at the British Film Institute Reuben Library where it can be easily viewed. It is a really nice, fun film to watch, modernistic and still relevant.”
James Kelly, CEO, BMRA added: “It was an important film of its time, and the recycling of metal’s message continues to remain relevant today. Huge thanks to John for locating the film and the BFI for allowing access to the digital copy. This ensures that the message can continue to be widely spread, and the film enjoyed by many for years to come.”
Click below to access the video:
You can find out more about the life and work of Franz Reizenstein at www.franzreizenstein.com/
