A sponsored film produced by William Gray & Company Ltd of the launch of the cargo ship S.S. Francisco Matarazzo on the 7 March 1947. The ship was launched into the Central Dock at William Gray shipyards, West Hartlepool. The Francisco Matarazzo is launched by the wife of Commander Afranio de Faria, Assistant Brazilian Naval Attache in London, Senora Marina Paes Barrata de Faria. Title: Launch of S.S. "Francisco Matarazzo" for the Sociedade Paulista de Navegacao Matarazzo The...

A sponsored film produced by William Gray & Company Ltd of the launch of the cargo ship S.S. Francisco Matarazzo on the 7 March 1947. The ship was launched into the Central Dock at William Gray shipyards, West Hartlepool. The Francisco Matarazzo is launched by the wife of Commander Afranio de Faria, Assistant Brazilian Naval Attache in London, Senora Marina Paes Barrata de Faria. Title: Launch of S.S. "Francisco Matarazzo" for the Sociedade Paulista de Navegacao Matarazzo The S.S. Francisco Matarazzo stands in dock at the William Gray shipyard in West Hartlepool. A photographer takes pictures as choir boys, a priest and other guests arrive at the launch platform, the women guests wearing fur coats. A priest blesses the ship. Marina de Faria prepares to launch the ship with a bottle of champagne. The priest continues his blessing. People are arriving on the quayside to watch the launch. Back on the platform, guests congregate. Title: Christening Senora Marina de Faria 7th March 1947 Maria de Faria poses for cameramen with the bottle of champagne in hand. She then aims the bottle at the ship's bow. Carrying her bouquet of flowers, she presses the button to launch the ship. The choir boys, priest and other guests watch as the ship slowly moves off. General views follow of the ship sliding down the slipways and the heavy chains attached to the ship raise clouds of dust as the drag effect comes into play.  The guests are still on the platform and the hundreds of people in the yard begin to move away. Steam tug boats begin to manoeuvre the ship from William Gray's Central Dock. Workers are untying ropes. The guests leave the launch platform and a man climbs the scaffolding to hang a sign that reads "1215 Declivity 9/16ft". Title: Vessel Built and Film Produced by William Gray & Co Ltd., West Hartlepool, England.