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A note with the words `What are you doing for your country?' passes through the hands of several people, all of whom resolve to join the war effort.

PROPAGANDA/DRAMA. A note asking the question, "What are you doing for your country", passes by accident and circumstance into the hands of a variety of people, all of whom resolve to join the war effort. Reel 1. Opening titles: "YOU. Produced by the London Film Co. Ltd. at the instance of a British Staff Officer serving 'Somewhere in France'. A veteran of the Afghan wars salutes his Old Chief. Charles Rock". An elderly military man salutes a picture on the wall of Lord Roberts. He picks up a newspaper and reads the headline; "Munition Factory Problem. Great Shortage. Everyone must help". He looks a picture on the table of his younger self and feels his bad leg. He begins to write a letter (79). "His son...Gerald Ames". His wastrel son is seen playing cards late at night. His father gives the letter to a maid to post. "Morning". Son enters room looking tired. The butler brings in coffee (173). "A Coster...Hubert Willis. His wife...Edna Flugrath". Coster and his wife by their barrow are approached by a recruiting sergeant. The coster turns him down by saying, "I'll go with the others - when they fetch us". The son throws away the morning's correspondence, but reads his father's letter, which reads, "'Home', Thursday. My Boy, I am giving up the old place to wounded soldiers. It is only what your dear mother would have wished. There is no sacrifice too great for any one of us". He reads the rest; "What are you [word underlined twice] doing for your Country? Let me hear from you soon. Your Father". He tears the letter up. "A Scrap of Paper". It is a windy day and one scrap of the torn letter blows out of the window and into the hands of the coster outside in the street. He reads the words, "What are you doing for your Country?", and converted by this shakes the hand of the recruiting sergeant and after embracing his wife and agreeing that she shall take charge of the barrow leaves. She reads the scrap as well and pushes off the barrow (337). A poor woman with her three children stand outside a butcher's. A rich woman approaches with her lap dogs and is told by the butcher, "I'm sorry ma'am, but I can't sell my meat for dogs now". The coster's wife sees the scene. "Pretending it is for herself, she buys for the dogs". She buys a joint. "The message is passed on". The coster's wife slips the scrap of paper into one of her dogs' collars. After the rich woman has left she presents a vegetable from her barrow to the poor woman (418). A butler leads the rich woman into a room [action repeated twice]. A woman friend enters and greets her. A footman finds the message in the dog collar, puts on a look of resolve and puts it back again before leaving. He tells the butler, "You can tell the mistress I'm leaving at once. I'm off to do my bit". He leaves. The rich woman's friend says, "I've come to ask you to take up some war work". She hugs her dogs by way of excuse and finds the scrap of paper. The other woman continues to persuade her (559). Fade to two scenes of nurses preparing bandages and dressings. The rich woman is converted and puts on her coat and hat (590). "The Owner of a Munition Factory is called upon by delegates from his workmen. The owner...Douglas Munro. His child...Brenda Patrick". Factory owner and his young daughter seated by his male secretary. A maid tells him that the workmen have arrived. He goes to meet the deputation of three and they argue. The child approaches him but he dismisses her. The workmen's leader says, "We're going to have our share of the war profit!". The child, seated by the secretary, is led away by her nurse (667). A large building with banners reading "War Hospital Supply Depot" and "Please Help" (670). Reel 2. The rich woman enters the building with her friend, dropping the scrap of paper as she does so. The child picks it up and asks her nurse, "Nurse, what does this say?". The nurse just leads her away. The two women are shown the activities in the hospital supply depot by a nurse. Another nurse leads a blind woman towards them. "Isn't there something I can do?". She is led off to help, and the rich woman is so impressed that she takes off her hat and coat and is ready for work (82). The owner is still arguing with the workers. "If we don't get our share, we down tools!". The owner's wife comes in and shows hims a newspaper story; "At this point the Meadowshires were forced to retire with heavy losses, as a shortage of ammunition prevented the artillery from supporting them". He shrugs it off, but she says, "But our boy is there!". He shows the newspaper to the workers, and their leader says, "My lad's there, too!". They all look thoughtful and the child comes up with the scrap of paper. "Mummie, what does this say?". The wife looks at it, hands it to her husband, and he hands it to the workmen. The leader says, "Boys, that ends it - back to work!". They shake hands and the owner adds, "And as to the war profits, if there are [word underlined] any, you shall have your share". The parents kiss the child, who goes off with the scrap of paper and playfully puts it in an envelope on the secretary's desk and seals it (249). The war vetaran's home is now filled with convalescent soldiers and nurses. He tells them, "My place is at your disposal. Make the lads comfortable". He gives a salute and those able to rise salute in reply (282). A financier sends a servant off with a letter and reads a note on his desk; "Park Hotel SW. Dear Sir, re. SOCIETÉ INDUSTRIELLE AGENCY. I am returning to France next week and cannot therefore keep the matter open any longer. As arranged, one payment of One Hundred Pounds (in gold), I am prepared to make over to you all rights". His wife comes in and says, "They would only give half in gold". He puts the money she gives him in a cash box. "John, dear, do you think we really ought to hoard this gold?". He shows her the note to convince her. He opens a letter on his desk and finds the scrap of paper inside. He reads it, looks at a picture of Gladstone on the wall, and the scrap blows out of the window. He puts the cash box into his bag and tells his wife, "I'm going to put our gold into War Loan!". He leaves (425). The war veteran's son meets an officer in the street who tries to get him to enlist. He replies, "My dear chap, you can't expect me to go as a common Tommy". Tapping his umbrella up and down he accidentally picks up the scrap of paper which has been blowing down the street. He reads its message, shakes hands with the officer and they go off together (506). His father is listening to the butler; "Yes, sir; I'm leaving shortly to work in an aeroplane factory, but I've not told the young master yet". The old man congratulates him, then sees the letter he sent to his son torn up in the wastepaper basket. He begins to put the pieces back together. His son walks down the street in the uniform of a private. He comes up to his father who is amazed at the sight, shakes his hand and says, "My boy, you have shown the right spirit. We can only win if every one of us does all [word underlined] that he can - and does it at once [last two words underlined]". He points out the pieces of the letter on the table and his son takes out the scrap of paper from his pocket and it is shown in close-up once again (643). 1313ft. Note: Throughout the film the message "What are you doing for your Country?" (with 'you' underlined twice) is shown in close-up as each character reads it. The idea for the film was initiated by the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, who commissioned the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association to produce a recruiting film, with W. Gavazzi King of the CEA overseeing the project. The film was produced by the London Film Company with a scenario by their script- writer Bannister Merwin and the novelist Max Pemberton. Originally it was intended to mix actuality footage (to be periodically updated) with acted sequences. The profits for the film went to the Cinema Ambulance Fund. Note: In a souvenir pamphlet for the film (see below) the characters have names which are not given on the film. Thus the war veteran is General Dallaway, his son is Hugh Dallaway, the costermonger is Toby Wheeler, his fiancée (his wife in the film) is Sal Littlewood, the wealthy woman is Mrs Tiddeman, her friend is Lady Ellen Curtice, the factory owner is John Stubbins, his daughter is Blanche Stubbins, and the financier is Mr Rivett. References: Harold Begbie: "YOU: the amazing, unheard of, and utterly incredible adventures of a scrap of paper" (London, 1916). [Souvenir pamphlet with story of the film and production stills. Copy held in the British Museum] Nicholas Hiley: "'The British Army Film', 'You!' and 'For the Empire': reconstructed propaganda films, 1914-1916 (Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 5 No 2, 1985). [Account of the film's production with a reconstructed story-line taken from printed sources] The Bioscope: 6.1.1916 p89 [review] The Cinema: 6.1.1916 p27 [review] Pictures and the Picturegoer: 22.1.1916 [review]