People gather for the film festivities on two fronts. In London, a large crowd gathers at the British premier of the film 'To kill a mockingbird'. Hollywood film actor Gregory Peck arrives with his wife and the actress of the film at the premier. Princess Margaret attends the premier and greets actor Peck who also won an Oscar for his role in the movie. At Cannes, the International film festival opens with a movie, 'The Birds'. People gather at the film festival.
Men stand at dump yard in World War I era. Possibly Belgium. Man stands besides yard cart. Men near tin-shed chamber. Man removes small ammunition shells from rectangular box on yard cart and hands them to another man who places them in a furnace incineration chamber. Wooden logs and litter on the ground. Man walks on logs.
United States Atlantic submarine chaser Bainbridge saves 482 passengers and crew of hospital ship Vinh-Long near Marmora in Paros, Greece. Smoke comes out of the ship. USS Bainbridge (DD-246) approaches the burning ship Vinh-Long. Smoke on ship. Passengers on ship brought to Constantinople, Turkey. Passengers stand on the ship as they dock in Constantinople.
Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's statement to maintain neutrality of Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg is presented on a slate. Then images of World War II German invasion of Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg are shown. German Luftwaffe planes drop bombs over cities in these countries. Aerial views of German planes over burning European cities. Ground level views of various buildings burning following Nazi bombings.
Italy enters World War II. A large number of people march on the streets in Rome, Italy. People gathered outside the Palazzo Venezia in Rome as Italy declares to enter World War II. Italian tanks advance in France. A wrecked tank on a field. Italian soldiers fire and aircraft in flight. Citroen Kegresse P19 half-track vehicle drives by. Artillery being fired and explosions occur.
Slate announces "Fall of France." in World War 2. Next, huge crowd of enthusiastic people is seen jamming the Piazza Venezia in Rome. Prime Minister Benito Mussolini ("II Duce," the Leader) of Italy is seen on the balcony of the Palazzo Venezia, overlooking the Piazza. View from behind him as he waves to the crowd. Closeup of Mussolini announcing that Italy will consider herself at war with Great Britain and France effective 11 June 1940. Another view of the crowd, from the Palace balcony. Scene shifts abruptly to fires burning in a town in France and scenes of death and destruction in France from invading Axis forces. French soldiers and police assist a French civilian lying on the ground near a path in a bucolic setting in France. Several Frenchmen on bicycles ride along the path, behind them. More scenes of fires and destruction. A civilian being carried on a stretcher, accompanied by a nurse in white. A French boy walks next to the stretcher bearers. A French woman holding a baby with look of anguish on her face. Closeup of young boy and girl children among French civilians fleeing bombing. The boy is asleep on a burlap sack, with a woman's arm over him. The girl simply looks wide-eyed at the camera. A French civilian woman and a child, lying together on a stretcher on the ground. Glimpse of a person's hand lying open on the ground.