Fireworks Safety: Parents (found public information film; 1976): Difference between revisions

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[[File:Fireworks Safety Bandage (1976)|thumb|right|300px|Fireworks Safety - Bandage (1976); one of the PIFs in the Fireworks Safety series that has managed to find its way online (this one being a shorter, edited version).]]
{{NSFL|disturbing visuals involving a child}}
Arguably the most hard-hitting firework Public Information Film ever made, the infamous '''Fireworks Safety - Parents''' (or Fireworks Safety: Parents) was a British PIF in 1976 that pointed out how easy it is for children and teenagers to get hold of fireworks in the run-up to Guy Fawkes night and asked "Parents - where's your child tonight?" and featured the voice of Patrick Troughton and possibly also the actor Jean Boht. It accomplished this by notably having a very graphic and disturbing close-up scene(s) where a young child was severely injured (his face possibly blown off and limbs damaged) by fireworks and they were deemed so graphic and so gruesome, that it was not only to specifically air after 9pm (the watershed), but it was also removed after complaints, so it had a very limited showing before being quickly withdrawn from distribution and later replaced by a cut, less offensive version that aired in 1985-1986 that had no accident scene.
{{InfoboxFound
|title=<center>Fireworks Safety: Parents</center>
|image=FW PSA.JPG
|imagecaption=Thumbnail of the video.
|status=<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>
|datefound=16 Aug 2014
|foundby=[http://www.bfi.org.uk British Film Institute]
}}
'''''Fireworks Safety: Parents''''' (or '''''Fireworks Safety - Parents''''') was a British Public Information Film (PIF) made in 1976 that highlighted the dangers of parental ignorance. Airing shortly before Guy Fawkes Night, it accomplished this by including a graphic and disturbing close-up scene in which a young child is severely injured by fireworks. The short was largely disliked for its imagery by the general public, and due to this, it began to only air after 9 pm and was eventually removed from airing entirely.<ref>[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/1148479/index.html A BFI page acknowledging the PIF being pulled off the air, as well as the updated, edited version.] Retrieved 12 Oct '18</ref> An edited, less offensive version is said to have aired around 1985-1986 without the controversial scene.<ref>[http://takingthepif.blogspot.com/2007/04/complaints-about-pifs.html A page on Blogger recounting the gruesome scene, as well as the re-airings of the program in the 1980s.] Retrieved 12 Oct '18</ref>


The BFI Database describes the PIF as follows:
==Plot==
In short, a couple walks out of a Safeway returning home from a grocery run. Their son, who is out with his friends, gets involved in an accident involving fireworks going off, leaving visible scars and injuries on his face. An ambulance arrives on the scene, hauling the child into the back of it with a stretcher, his face now bandaged up. While most of his friends stick around to help, one child is seen running away from the incident. The mother is then made aware of their son's activities and calls out his name. A narrator then goes on to state that while it is easy to blame the parents of the other children involved, that their child is nonetheless their responsibility.


"COI 1611 Fireworks Safety Parents - parents in supermarket carpark ( Safeway) chatting about friends out of control children,- shot bullying older child - shot couple in car discussing discipline / - CU match strike near boy of fireworks, explosion, CU blue light flashing, adult cradling child as bullying child runs away child on stretcher - CUT couple putting shopping away - wonder where their child is , gone to see bullying friend - mother gets new of the accident involving her son, - CU burnt out firework on ground, - 'your children are your responsibility'."
==Availability==
The full version (as well as the cut version, more inexplicably) was considered to be publicly inaccessible and became a notable holy grail for PIF fans. Reginald Molehusband, owner of the "The Public Needs to Know" blog, hoped that Film Images would let him see it, but it wasn't until August 16th, 2014, when YouTuber AnimatronicPony uploaded a low-quality screencast of the short.<ref>[https://youtu.be/5gJQ64uZa-E AnimatroniPony's screencasted version of the short.] Retrieved 12 Oct '18</ref>
On November 5th of the same year, the British Film Institute sent the Lost Media Wiki the rare PIF in higher-quality, which was then given to YouTuber Applemask for uploading.<ref>[https://youtu.be/D-om11ShFCQ The YouTube video of the short, uploaded by Applemask on the aforementioned date with thanks to the LMW.] Retrieved 12 Oct '18</ref>


Not being particularly helped by being a short-lived ad aired only after 9pm at a time where VHS may have not been the most common utility to consumers, the full version (as well as the cut version, more inexplicably) is missing from the internet, and it's noticeably a holy grail for PIF fans. One person (Reginald Molehusband) hoped that Film Images would let him see it for his PIF blog (The Public Needs to Know), but it wasn't meant to be, and it's unknown if Larry Bundy Jr. is planning to dig this up for his ''Films Yanks Can't Wank'' series like he is with the 1990s remake of ''Apaches'', or if it will live up to its scary reputation and/or legendary money shot.
==Gallery==
{{Video|perrow  =1
  |service1    =youtube
  |id1          =D-om11ShFCQ
  |description1 =''Fireworks Safety: Parents'' (Credit: BFI National Archive / Crown Copyright).
}}
===References===
{{reflist}}


'''UPDATE 15 Aug '14:''' HUGE thanks go out to the British Film Institute, (particularly Tony Dykes), who were extremely helpful in getting us a copy of this rare PIF and allowing us to stream it for all to see!
[[Category:Found media]]
 
<no-comment-streams />
-[[User:Dycaite|dycaite]]
 
<verbatim>MediaWiki:StreamingVideoProvider</verbatim>
 
 
 
<p style="text-align: center;">Credit: BFI National Archive / Crown Copyright</p>

Revision as of 02:21, 3 November 2021

Nsfl.png


This article has been tagged as NSFL due to its disturbing visuals involving a child.



FW PSA.JPG

Thumbnail of the video.

Status: Found

Date found: 16 Aug 2014

Found by: British Film Institute

Fireworks Safety: Parents (or Fireworks Safety - Parents) was a British Public Information Film (PIF) made in 1976 that highlighted the dangers of parental ignorance. Airing shortly before Guy Fawkes Night, it accomplished this by including a graphic and disturbing close-up scene in which a young child is severely injured by fireworks. The short was largely disliked for its imagery by the general public, and due to this, it began to only air after 9 pm and was eventually removed from airing entirely.[1] An edited, less offensive version is said to have aired around 1985-1986 without the controversial scene.[2]

Plot

In short, a couple walks out of a Safeway returning home from a grocery run. Their son, who is out with his friends, gets involved in an accident involving fireworks going off, leaving visible scars and injuries on his face. An ambulance arrives on the scene, hauling the child into the back of it with a stretcher, his face now bandaged up. While most of his friends stick around to help, one child is seen running away from the incident. The mother is then made aware of their son's activities and calls out his name. A narrator then goes on to state that while it is easy to blame the parents of the other children involved, that their child is nonetheless their responsibility.

Availability

The full version (as well as the cut version, more inexplicably) was considered to be publicly inaccessible and became a notable holy grail for PIF fans. Reginald Molehusband, owner of the "The Public Needs to Know" blog, hoped that Film Images would let him see it, but it wasn't until August 16th, 2014, when YouTuber AnimatronicPony uploaded a low-quality screencast of the short.[3] On November 5th of the same year, the British Film Institute sent the Lost Media Wiki the rare PIF in higher-quality, which was then given to YouTuber Applemask for uploading.[4]

Gallery

Fireworks Safety: Parents (Credit: BFI National Archive / Crown Copyright).

References