A History of the Ministry of Information, 1939-46
DESERT VICTORY
Wartime Social Survey
New Series Regional S.4.
An Inquiry carried out for the Ministry of Information to ascertain the proportion in certain groups of the industrial population which had seen the M.O.I. film.
Interviewing 11th and 12th May 1943.
It has been suggested that many industrial workers have not seen the film “Desert Victory” and that the audience might be increased by non-commercial showing. A sample of workers was therefore taken in places of work where such shows might be given and in towns where commercial showing had already taken place.
Why had the film not been seen?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Don’t go to Cinema | 12 |
| Didn’t know about it | 15 |
| Couldn’t manage because of work | 29 |
| Couldn’t get in | 11 |
| Other reasons | 33 |
| Total | 840 |
One third of those who had not seen the film gave “Other reasons”. This included domestic reasons or lack of desire to see a film “about the war”.
The other two thirds were excluded from commercial showing for two groups of reasons: 27% either didn’t know about commercial showing or were not affected by such showing, 40% knew of the film but had been prevented by practical difficulties from seeing it.