This is London: The City in the Fifties ft. Rex Harrison (1950-1959) | British Pathé
Take a tour of London in the fifties with a commentary by legendary actor Rex Harrison ('My Fair Lady', 'Doctor Dolittle'.) Take in remarkable shots of historic landmarks such as the Tower of London to the grand spectacle of a Royal parade.
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(FILM ID:2281.05)
Very dark fine grain print - therefore only briefly catalogued.
British Travel Association travelogue. Commentary by Rex Harrison.
Film produced for the British Travel Association with the co-operation of the London Transport Executive. Commentary written by Paul Jennings. Music Composed and Conducted by Robert Farnon and played by the New Symphony Orchestra. Photography by Reg W. Cavender. Film Editor - Eily Boland. Sound - W.S. Bland, George Newberry and Nolan Roberts. Production Manager - Terry Hunter. Directed by Jo Jago. Associate Producer - Terry Ashwood. Produced by Howard Thomas.
River Thames - Tower Bridge. Various boats travel up the river. Tower of London - L/S and shot inside the gates. Various shots of London landmarks showing different types of architecture. High angle L/S of a procession of judges. Bank of England - L/S. At the heart of commerce. Various shots of signs hanging at the sides of buildings - include Yorkshire Insurance and Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. pub. Fleet Street. High angle of steps of St Paul's covered with people having their lunch. C/U of typists having their lunch break. Various shots of the dome of St Paul's from various spots in the city. Amen Court, Paternoster Row, Ave Maria Lane, Hanging Sword Alley, Bleeding Heart Yard are all mentioned as quiet places where the lawyers think. Barristers walk through quiet gardens and courtyard. Fleet Street - traffic moves through. Low angle of the mythical Griffin guarding Temple Bar. Various high shots of Piccadilly Circus. Underground station sign. Pall Mall. West End. Shopping arcades. Bond Street - shoppers walk along, moving camera shots. Elegant woman buys a cabbage (?) from Shepherd Market. Various shots of the market.
Women sit at a table having a meal outside a cafe - they drink wine. People eat their sandwiches in the Palace Garden. Dorchester Hotel - various shots. Hyde (?) Park. Low angle shot of statue of Peter Pan. Another shot of children gathered around the statue. Serpentine. Woman and her child walk along with dogs on a lead. Lido, children and adults swim and lounge on the shore. Outdoor cafe. Women in swimsuits sit at a table together. Horse riding through the park. Open air theatre - various shots of people arriving and of spectators sitting and watching A Midsummer Night's Dream. Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace - Her Majesty's Horse Guards.
Mounted policeman rides through London street. Chelsea - a street with many antique shops. On the fringe of the West End - large shops, department stores. Three Indian women wearing Saris admire a shop window display. Smart mews - narrator makes comments about how posh they are. Rolls Royce parked in a nice mews. Woman climbs into another car which draws up. Little houses in Chelsea. Child sits in a pram outside one of these houses. Terraced street. Woman waters her flowers with a little watering can. Children walk along Upper Cheyne Row. C/U of war veteran playing a snare drum at the Royal Military Hospital. Chelsea Pensioners. Various shots of them in their uniforms in the hospital grounds. They obey orders to right turn and quick march.
Turner and Whistler painted in Chelsea. Shot of the Thames, swans being fed. Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey. Royal carriage moving through London streets to Buckingham Palace. Narrator recites Pussycat, Pussycat where have you been, I've been to London to see the Queen. L/S of Buckingham Palace, St James' Palace. Whitehall - procession of mounted Horse Guards. Low angle shot of Nelson's Column. Trafalgar Square. National Portrait Gallery. Fountains. Statue of Boadicea. Royal Festival Hall - view from its balconies. River Thames. Embankment. Dr Johnson quote: When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.
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