Biography
Frank Humphrey Sinkler Jennings (19 August 1907 – 24 September 1950) was an English documentary filmmaker, celebrated for his poetic and visually striking portrayals of British life during World War II. A co-founder of the Mass Observation social research organization, Jennings blended avant-garde techniques with a deep sense of national identity, creating films that captured the resilience and spirit of the British people. His most acclaimed works, including Listen to Britain (1942), Fires Were Started (1943), and A Diary for Timothy (1945), showcase his unique ability to fuse documentary realism with lyrical storytelling. Film critic and director Lindsay Anderson described him as "the only real poet that British cinema has yet produced."
Filmography
Cast Credits
Humphrey Jennings: The Man Who Listened to Britain
Character: Self (archive footage)
MOVIE • 2025
Omnibus
Character: Self
TV • 1967
BBC: The Voice of Britain
Character:
MOVIE • 1935
The Glorious Sixth of June
Character: Albert Goodbody
MOVIE • 1934
Pett and Pott: A Fairy Story of the Suburbs
Character: Grocer (uncredited)
MOVIE • 1934
Crew
Crew Credits
Family Portrait
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1950
Family Portrait
Role: Writer
MOVIE • 1950
The Dim Little Island
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1949
The Dim Little Island
Role: Producer
MOVIE • 1949
The Cumberland Story
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1948
A Defeated People
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1946
A Diary for Timothy
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1945
Myra Hess
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1945
V. 1
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1944
The True Story of Lili Marlene
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1944
The Eighty Days
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1944
The True Story of Lili Marlene
Role: Writer
MOVIE • 1944
The Silent Village
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1943
The Silent Village
Role: Producer
MOVIE • 1943
Fires Were Started
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1943
Fires Were Started
Role: Writer
MOVIE • 1943
Listen to Britain
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1942
Listen to Britain
Role: Writer
MOVIE • 1942
Listen to Britain
Role: Editor
MOVIE • 1942
The Heart of Britain
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1941