

Look at Life was a regular British series of short documentary films of which 507 were produced between 1959 and 1969 by the Special Features Division of the Rank Organisation for screening in their Odeon and Gaumont cinemas. The films always preceded the main feature film that was being shown in the cinema that week. It replaced the circuit's newsreel, Universal News, which had become increasingly irrelevant in the face of more immediate news media, particularly on television with the launch of ITN on the Independent Television service, which began broadcasting in parts of the United Kingdom in 1955.

Jan 1, 1960
A practical guide to passing the driving test first time.

Jan 8, 1960
The rocket launch site at Woomera, Australia.

Jan 15, 1960
Deals with the advances made in surgery and anaesthetics and the activities of the Royal College of Surgeons.

Jan 22, 1960
The construction of the liner Canberra.

Jan 29, 1960
Prolonged drought means many emergency measures and temporary expedients to ensure that at the turn of a tap, water is still available.

Feb 5, 1960
A look at various model villages, including Bekonscot.

Feb 12, 1960
No overview available.

Feb 19, 1960
A tour of Gibraltar.

Feb 26, 1960
A young nurse on night duty reviews her training in various departments, as well as the pleasant social life accompanying it, and considers pay, conditions and opportunities open to her.

Mar 4, 1960
The manufacture, uses and disposal of bottles.

Mar 11, 1960
A film on tropical fish, both as a hobby and as ornaments.

Mar 18, 1960
The development of the London taxi cab.

Mar 25, 1960
Visit to a RAF base in East Anglia; shows Thor rockets and Vulcan bombers.

Apr 1, 1960
Deals with the rapid and ceaseless changes in the social and political life of Africa.

Apr 8, 1960
Deals with the thrills and dangers of bobsleighing on the Cresta Run.

Apr 15, 1960
The pros and cons of fox-hunting.

Apr 22, 1960
Factual picture of the lives of Britain’s truckers, that is, lorry drivers.

Apr 29, 1960
A look at bridges and bridge building in Britain.

May 6, 1960
A look at various auctions and the job of the auctioneer.

May 13, 1960
Britain leads the world in safety at sea. Nevertheless work is going on all the time to ensure greater safety in the years to come.

May 20, 1960
A look at the sport of ten-pin bowling.

May 27, 1960
This film is about the thousands of girls who earn their living as fashion models, and the thousands more who would like to.

Jun 3, 1960
The sport of parachuting.

Jun 10, 1960
The high-rise construction building in London including the Barbican centre.

Jun 17, 1960
The commercial and economic organisation for Christmas.

Jun 24, 1960
A look at some protesters in Britain, including the Aldermaston marchers, Speaker’s Corner and people demonstrating against aircraft noise.

Jul 1, 1960
The new German army as developed under the auspices of NATO.

Jul 8, 1960
The sport of stock car racing.

Jul 15, 1960
A look at the submarine HMS Narwhal and its preparations for sea.

Jul 22, 1960
The work of the British Standards Institution.

Jul 29, 1960
Experts prove that safety on a motorcycle stems from control of the machine. It also describes the many aspects of motorcycling today.

Aug 5, 1960
The reconstruction of Coventry.

Aug 12, 1960
How the schools and colleges of today are measuring up to the demands of the world of tomorrow.

Aug 19, 1960
The opening of the Kariba Dam.

Aug 26, 1960
A visit to Smithfield Market, Covent Garden and Billingsgate, at their busiest time, the early morning.

Sep 2, 1960
A look at bicycling.

Sep 9, 1960
No overview available.

Sep 16, 1960
A look at fairs in Britain and Ireland.

Sep 23, 1960
Shows the cavalry regiment of the 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers at work and recreation.

Sep 30, 1960
Shows the different ways in which people in Britain strive for physical fitness.

Oct 7, 1960
Yacht racing in and around Southampton Water.

Oct 14, 1960
A look at the traditions of bell-ringing and bell-making in England, including the history of the latter and the processes involved in making different-sized bells at foundries - from large

Oct 21, 1960
The film takes a look at the phenomenon of Saturday football fever. It captures the atmosphere which unites multitudes of perfect strangers on a thousand pitches every week.

Oct 28, 1960
Takes a look at angling - both coarse and fly fishing - and also at some of the problems facing fish in rivers from modern features such as hydro-electric dams and pollution.

Nov 4, 1960
Work and organisation of NATO’s Second Allied tactical Air Force which forms part of a vigilant air umbrella over Europe.

Nov 11, 1960
An item covering how the inhabitants of the Cotswold town Moreton-in-Marsh decided to save on the rates when the town, in the middle of a beauty spot, needed doing up, and do the repairs

Nov 18, 1960
A film taking a look at students and the types of summer jobs they get to earn money during the summer vacation. It begins by concentrating on one particular student from Cambridge University

Nov 25, 1960
An account of the work and organisation of WVS in Britain.

Dec 2, 1960
Long before the era of the Italian coffee bar there was the ice-cream man, the organ grinder, and the cafe owner. Before them there were the invaders of 2,000 years ago.

Dec 9, 1960
Timed to appear on the 150th anniversary of the birth of the canning industry, deals with the modern methods for the protection, preservation and packaging of food.