Shell Film Unit

Stereoscopic film produced for Shell.

A BAFTA award nominated documentary tracing the history of paint and it's components from the paintings of the stone age to the the late 1960s.

A British documentary on tunneling if a building falls in ruins.

Highlights from the 6th Farnborough Airshow in 1951.

A documentary record of the 1953 Mille Miglia, tracing the race across Italy from Brescia to Rome and back.

A documentary looking at a day at Croydon Airport south of London.

A brief history of British aviation and the development of both civil and military aircraft. Made for the Festival of Britain.

A BAFTA award nominated documentary demonstrating how petrol burns in the engine under differing conditions.

The main industrial processes concerned with the shaping of metal under pressure.

Color documentary with music by Waldo de los Ríos about the tourist landscapes of Argentina.

A documentary featuring the Vickers "Valiant" aircraft in flight and on the ground.

A documentary demonstrating the De Havilland "Comet 1" jet airliner with it's four 'ghost' engines.

A documentary investigating the science, aerodynamics and technologies involved in enabling aircraft to travel at speeds approaching or surpassing that of sound.

Martial Dances of Malabar (1958) is a short documentary directed by Paul Zils, focusing on the traditional martial arts of the Malabar region in India. The film showcases the intricate movements and techniques of these martial dances, highlighting their cultural significance and the discipline involved.

A documentary looking at Britain's new diesel "Fell" 10,000 locomotive.

A celebration of Shell Petroleum, tracing its manufacture from discovery in oil fields to its eventual use as fuel for modern living across the globe.

Listen up, apprentices! Learn how to smooth and shape metal – an important wartime skill.

Geoffrey Bell’s Shell Film Unit short (produced by Arthur Elton) turns the history and physics of power transmission—from lever and pulley to the toothed gear—into a crisp lesson, blending live action with Francis Rodker’s animated diagrams to show how gearing underpins modern industry. Often cited as a model of clear scientific exposition.

A BAFTA award nominated documentary tracing the development of the gear from the first recorded use in a crude form over two thousand years ago to its widespread use in many forms today.

Documentary highlights of the 1951 Monte Carlo Rally and its international competition.