The Long Night Haul, 1957 for BTF
Although the film isn’t mentioned in David’s two memoirs, The Long Night Haul (19 minutes) is an ambitious and complex film celebrating the foundation of the British Road Service’s general haulage truck service. Sometimes perhaps David shot a film which was without any notable anecdotes and thus passes without notice in his canon of work. This film is notable for a range of photographic challenges in black and white – shooting at night, sympathetic portraiture without condescension and an opportunity for showing the heraldry of the highway. Some of the landscape photography over the Channel appears to refer ahead to what he was doing in 1966 on Mademoiselle. Perhaps the subject matter overloads the concept. Perhaps it is two films, at home and abroad. Like Blue Pullman it was directed by Jimmy Ritchie with music by Clifton Parker
Here are some characteristic stills that may persuade you to make your own exploration.
