Public information films were created to ward off wayward tomfoolery in bored children – and quite often they did it by playing out a near death (or actual death) sequence
If you’re of a certain age then you may remember enjoying your favourite children’s television programme only to be consumed by terror during the ad break.
And the reason for said terror? For millions of Britons who grew up in the 1970s and 80s, public information films were created to ward off tomfoolery in bored children. And quite often they did it by playing out a near death (or actual death) sequence, where some kid actually does the thing they’re warning you not to.
From crossing the road to not playing with fire, the Central Office of Information (COI) had wayward youngsters covered.
The ads were commonplace viewing from the 1950s until the 2000s, but became obsolete with the closure of the COI. However, that didn’t stop them leaving their mark on youngsters of the day, who were warned against the dangers of things in the most brutal of ways. Many of them involved or were narrated by celebrities of the day, telling us not to do this, that or the other.
One minute you would be eating a bowl of cereal, watching The Pink Panther, the next you’ve just witnessed a lad getting zapped while trying to retrieve a frisbee from a pylon.
So without further ado here are a few of the gems from yesteryear that terrified the littlies – each with their own terror rating.
Charley Says – Falling in the Water (1973)
Charley Says was a series of adverts that warned children against strangers, matches, water safety and other everyday perils. Either Charley, the cat, or his owner would end up doing something wrong, then would warn you against doing exactly the same thing. Usually thanks to the lad’s translation of the incomprehensible noises made by his ginger mate, kids would given some sound advice. In this instance it’s a warning about playing near water. After the pair play by the river, Charley takes a tumble into the water and “nearly drowns”. The dramatic music is accompanied by the haunting underwater cries of the drowning mog, shortly before he is fished out. While drying off by the fire he then tells the viewers not to play by the water. While I can’t hear their voices without it conjuring up memories of The Prodigy’s 1991 Top 10 hit, Charley, the underwater scene still sends chills. Terror Rating 6
Play Safe Frisbee (1978)
This public information film had it all, drama, vandalism, flares, and the death of a child. A frisbee soars over the fence of an electricity substation, and gets wedged in a pylon. “Go on, get it!” the girl tells Jimmy. “We’re not supposed to go in there,” he quite correctly informs her. But she’s adamant, Jimmy is sent packing, via a gap in the fence that he can squeeze through. At first it’s a tight squeeze, but he has the girl pass the wood to break the fence some more. Jimmy then makes a dash for the pylon and proceeds to climb it. However, just as he’s on the cusp of retrieving the frisbee, he slips and is electrocuted. “JIMMMYYY!” cries the girl, as the ad then cuts to a radio saying a boy was killed 66,000 volts at a substation. Literal chills. Terror rating 9.
Railways: Keep Out (1972)
This video gets straight to the point. Kids getting near railway lines equals certain death. One minute you’re playing football in close proximity to trains, the next one of your mates is walking on a wall holding a stick above his head – for some reason – and (probably) taking a tumble in front of a speeding locomotive. Cut to shocked friend covering his face, having witnessed the needless demise of his chum. This short was enough to send a shocking message to kids in the early 70s. Terror rating 6.
Rabies advice (1983)
As if we as kids didn’t have enough to worry about in the early 80s, suddenly rabies was on our radar thanks to this ad campaign. Over a green background, we see a human hand where it casting a shadow. The shadow turns into the shape of the dog where the hand pets it before the shadow dog’s snout touches the hand. The human hands move to a tap to wash themselves. All very arty. and all while we’re being told by the narrator not to take any chances when bitten or scratched, or even licked by any animal when abroad. “Rabies kills,” we’re ultimately told. Not particularly terrifying, unless you count the psychological damage to kids who ended up running scared from dogs in Spain as a result. Terror rating 3
Searching (1974)
A person opens a door and goes inside a now burnt out shell of a house, with water dripping from the first floor. We hear the echoes of the family calling out the names of those who were caught up in the blaze, including Jimmy – who clearly didn’t have the best decade (see Frisbee). The camera continues to pan through the kitchen, into the lounge, and upstairs, showing the devastation throughout. As the camera reaches a wardrobe, the footage “burns up” to reveal the text, which is echoed by a narrator: “KEEP MATCHES AWAY FROM CHILDREN”. The combination of screams and imagery delivers a chilling message to would be fire-starters. Terror rating 8
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
