During the fifties, work on behaviour modification using subliminal messages inserted into films was undertaken by the UK Chemical and Biological
Warfare research centre based at Porton Down.
Two films that were made for this purpose by Porton Down are now available for viewing at the Imperial War Museaum at Kew, London.
Film Number:
DED 25 Film Title: [OPERATION 'HANGOVER': SPECIAL TITLES INSERTED TO ASSESS SUBLIMINAL APPRECIATION BY AN AUDIENCE OF TROOPS] [Allocated title]
[PORTON DOWN TRIALS NON-NITRATE COLLECTION] [Allocated series title]
Production Date: 1955
Production Country:
GB
Production Company:
Porton Down
Troops marching mcu (medium close up). Troops marching distance. Troops deploying on approaching objective. Sighting enemy. Skirmish. Operating under
smoke screen cover. Donning respirators on receiving gas alert. Gas alert over. Troops widely deployed. Support weapons arriving. Moving up into smoke
screen. Skirmish: Bren gun in action. Troops advancing into smoke screen. Communications. Bren Carrier. Simulated Mortar action. Field canteen. Film
is interpersed with titles between one and twelve frames long eg "Danger ahead", "War is bad" and "A Skirmish". [Trial to test fighting capacity
of troops exposed to nerve gas sarin (GB).]
Notes:
Technical Condition: Good
References: Listing of Porton Field Trial Programmes (ca 1945-1985) describes aims of Programme numbers noted in IWM film titles, eg Programme 24/71.
Access Conditions:
IWM
Film/Video Format:
16mm
Number of Reels:
1
Length: 300 ft
Black & White/Colour:
B&W
Silent/Sound:
Mute
Language of Soundtrack:
None
Language of Main Titles:
None
Language of Subtitles:
None
Film Number:
DED 22 Film Title: MEN OF THE ALPS [WITH SPECIAL TITLES INSERTED FOR SUBLIMINAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF EFFECT ON AUDIENCE OF TROOPS [Main title]
[PORTON DOWN TRIALS NON-NITRATE COLLECTION] [Allocated series title]
Production Date: 1955 ca
Production Country:
GB
Production Company:
Porton Down
Documentary film of life in Switzerland (made in 1937), with special titles inserted for subliminal impact assessment.
Various scenes of domestic, industrial and agricultural life in Switzerland. This film is self explanatory from the sound commentary recorded with the
film.
Notes:
Technical Condition: Good
Technical (IWM): black and white (combined optical) print with mute subliminal caption inserts.
References: Listing of Porton Field Trial Programmes (ca 1945-1985) describes aims of Programme numbers noted in IWM film titles, eg Programme 24/71.
Access Conditions:
IWM
Film/Video Format:
16mm
Number of Reels:
1
Length: 362 ft
Black & White/Colour:
B&W
Silent/Sound:
Commag & Mute
Language of Soundtrack:
None
Language of Main Titles:
None
Language of Subtitles:
None
Other Porton Down films available at the IWM can be found in the IWM Archive.
Go to the
IWM Film Archive and enter Porton into the top left search box to inspect the full
list.
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