SalfordOnline.com has linked up with the British Film Institute (BFI) to offer readers the chance to win one of two copies of the classic film Love on the Dole.
This competition is to co-incide with the BFI’s re-release of the film on Blu-ray, 75 years after it was first released.
Set in 1930s Salford during the Great Depression, Love on the Dole follows siblings Harry Hardcastle (Geoffrey Hibbert) and Sally (Deborah Kerr), who must make terrible sacrifices in order to survive.
Based on Walter Greenwood’s 1933 masterpiece, the film was banned on its 1941 release for being a “very sordid story in very sordid surroundings”, dealing as it does with poverty, riots, the Great Depression, and unemployment.
But the black-and-white drama was quickly recognised as a wonderful period piece.
Its stunning lead performances and optimistic spirit – as well as documenting the now-demolished Salford ‘slums’ – led to recognition for Greenwood for displaying elements so key to the British psyche.
Thanks to the BFI this classic finally gets a brilliant transfer to high-quality 1080p, ideal for watching on HD TVs.
It also comes with a series of period extras, including Paul Rotha’s 1940 short film Island People, which surveys aspects of the British way of life.
Brian Desmond Hurst’s Call to Arms, about life at a munitions factory, and Harold French’s enthralling propaganda piece contrasting Russian and British home life Our Film are also added to the disc.
To be in with a chance of winning, just answer this simple question: What is the two-word name of the now-demolished ‘slum’ area of Salford in which the film is set?
Email your answer to editor@salfordonline.com, marking your entry ‘Love on the Dole competition’.
The competition closes at 9am on Tuesday 19 January. Entries received after this date will not be counted. Entries which do not include a daytime contact phone number will not be counted. Winners will be asked to take part in publicity for SalfordOnline.com including photographs and interviews about their win. You must be 16 years old or over to enter.
