Film Number

169

Title

MEN OF ROCHDALE

Producer

Co-operative Wholesale Society/George Wynne & Sydney Box

Date

1944

Gauge

16mm

Colour

b/w

Sound

sound

Running Time

38 mins 24 secs

Description

A dramatised account of the first Co-operative Society, which was founded in Rochdale in 1843. After attending a meeting addressed by GJ Holyoake, the people of Rochdale decide to form a co-operative and open a shop. There is opposition to this from local business men but the shop opens and becomes increasingly successful. With the profits, they invest in a share of a corn mill, but when a rumour is spread about the financial soundness of the enterprise they manage to allay the fears of the members and avoid disaster by a clever bluff. Later there is another crisis when the American Civil War upsets the cotton industry, but they keep going and support the northern United States. The history of the co-operative movement is brought up-to-date and there are scenes of production in co-operative factories. The film finishes with the ghosts of the original pioneers expressing their opinions of the progress and their disappointment with modern society.
[The preservation of this film was funded by a grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.]