A Bioscope review for the first films within Granger’s ‘Marvels of the Universe’ series explained that the travel films were produced by the Educational Film Corporation of New York and then acquired by Granger’s (Bioscope, 19 June 1919, 89). It is highly probable that Port-of-Spain, Trinidad was made by Robert C. Bruce. A report in Charleston Daily Mail in April 1920 confirmed that Bruce, ‘who has made motion picture studies of nature in a greater portion of this country for Educational Films’, had just completed a tour of Cuba and Jamaica ‘and promises a number of novelties’ (Charleston Daily Mail, 4 April 1920, 12). Bruce travelled extensively, embarking on a five-month trip to Europe in the second half of the year. A subsequent report outlined Bruce’s working methods and the control he exercised over his films – he is ‘said to be the only scenic artist in the world who actually cuts and titles his own pictures’, while he ‘writes his scenarios before taking a foot of pictures so that every scene he photographs is made with a purpose’ (Charleston Daily Mail, 3 December 1920, 13). 

The Times discussed the launch of Granger’s ‘Marvels of the Universe’ series in June 1919, under the sub-heading ‘educational pictures’. ‘There has been much discussion of late as to the value of the cinematograph in education’, the paper wrote, before asserting that the ‘educational value’ of this new series ‘is undoubted’. The president of the Educational Film Corporation outlined the potential impact of the series, while the report further noted that ‘an effort is to be made to interest the educational authorities in these pictures’ (The Times, 16 June 1919, 16). The films continued to be promoted in an educational context over the next two years. For example, before a screening of new ‘Marvels’ in March 1921 – shown to ‘a distinguished audience’ including royalty, social leaders and ‘educationists’ – Helen Normanton gave ‘an unusually interesting and thoughtful speech concerning the future of educational cinematography’ (Bioscope, 10 March 1921, 6).

Bioscope also bestowed lavish praise on the series, noting the significance of the travel picture in film history – ‘it was by the travel film that the picture theatre made its first successful appeal to the public’ – and its importance in legitimizing the industry (‘no other type of picture has done more to stabilize and promote the good reputation of the Industry’). This ‘educational’ series was thus presented within the broader context of the widespread debates over cinema and morality, as the review suggested it responded to the ‘higher needs of the cinema’. Bioscope did however complain about some of the titling – which it argued was evidently catering for an American audience – and suggested substituting ‘more racily written sub-titles for the rather dull statements of unnecessary facts which at present occupy the screen’ (Bioscope, 19 June 1919, 79, 80). By 1920 Granger’s was advertising the series as ‘the most consistent success of 1919’ and adopting the tagline ‘we place the world before you’ (Bioscope, 6 January 1920, 37).

In November 1919 the waterfront workers in Trinidad struck for higher wages and improved working conditions. The cost of living had increased by 148% since 1914, while wages had gone up by only 36% for men and 28% for women. The strike escalated into violent protests in Port-of-Spain at the beginning of December (Kiely, 1996, 67). Howard Johnson viewed this as an indication of ‘increased working class militancy’ which, he argued, ‘overlapped with a sense of black racial pride and identity’ (Johnson, 1999, 600). While Peter Fryer’s claim that these strikes ‘brought British colonialism to its knees’ may be an overstatement, this does undoubtedly mark a point of heightened racial and class tensions (Fryer, 1984, 312). Colonial reports largely blamed these problems on returning soldiers, but the situation was exacerbated by the government’s response, as it arrested and deported leaders involved in the strikes and introduced reforms, which were deemed wholly inadequate by the protesters. The protests and strikes continued into 1920. For example, labourers seeking higher pay struck at the government railways in July 1920.

When the Prince of Wales visited Port-of-Spain in September 1920 as part of his tour of the Empire, he attended a dinner at Government House at which he rejected the suggestion that ‘the British Empire might be willing to part with one or more British West Indian islands to a foreign power’. ’I can assure you’, he continued, ‘that the King and all of us in the Old Country have very much at heart the welfare of Trinidad and all the British West Indies, as of all other British possessions’ (The Times, 20 September 1920, 9).