Fight for the Dardanelles

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Fight for the Dardanelles is a 1915 British silent film, directed by Percy F. Smith.

Percy Smith was known as a recorder of nature. He was a pioneer in the filed of scientific documentaries. During the Great War, however, he used his talents to support the Allied war effort. He shot aerial views of battlefields for British forces and made several animated films. One such was Fight for the Dardanelles.

The film uses stop-frame animation. It showed the (then) current military situation in the Dardanelles, using various maps to assist understanding. Small cardboard cut-outs show the deployment of men and ships. Inter-titles explain tactics, and shelling explosions are illustrated by clouds of cotton wool.

The techniques used in the film are considered primitive today, however they satisfied a need at the time for details of the war.

Director: Percy F. Smith
Producer: Charles Urban

Currently available in 16mm film format

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