Sights Of London (1951)

• published: 13 Apr 2014
• views: 1630

A British Instructional Film. Big Ben. High angle shot over London. Suitcase with many labels of different destinations stuck to the sides. Golden Arrow train pulls in to a station. Aeroplane taxis on runway. People disembark from a passenger liner. Voiceover describes how some come as tourists, some as businessmen, some for sport and some for culture and entertainment. One man has a backpack. Buckingham Palace. King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret in the royal carriage are driven through streets lined with crowds - it is the celebration of their Silver Wedding anniversary. A sword is presented to the King. Shots of the crowds. Crowds of people rush to the gates of Buckingham Palace - high angle. The King and Queen and other members of the Royal Family wave from the balcony. Houses of Parliament. C/U of Big Ben. Exterior of Westminster Abbey. Interior of Abbey - boy kneels down and lays flowers at the tomb of the unknown soldier. Buses. Westminster Cathedral. Parliament Square and Whitehall. Home Office and Cenotaph. Numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street. Trafalgar Square. Church of St Martin in the Fields. People feed the pigeons (including a nun and some children). The roof of the Central Criminal Court or Old Bailey. Pan down to front entrance. St Paul's Cathedral. Sign outside reads: "Dangerous". Shots of interior with rubble and bomb damage (shot during wartime). Tower Bridge. Tower of London - crowds of people lead procession of Beefeaters. Tower Hill - choirboys beat a wall with long reeds - "beating the bounds". Bell Tower. Tower of London - various views. Housing: tenement building in the East End, bomb damaged houses, children playing cricket amongst rubble - "Why go to Lords?". West End - modern flats in Mayfair. Cumberland Hotel. Marble Arch. Docks. Loading and unloading of cargo. Shot of goods stacked in warehouse. Packing cases, wording on the side: "Rosario - Made in England" and "J.A. Buenos Aires". Goods stacked in warehouse. A celebrity (?) is helped on to a motor boat. It is leaving from (the new?) P.L.A. Charing Cross Pier. Battersea Power Station. Printing presses of Fleet Street. The Times being taken off machines. Underground trains leaving depot. Women getting on to bus. Underground station. Many people descending elevators. Crowds of men in Frogmorton Street (sp?) in The City. Barclays Bank Ltd. The British Bank of Iran and the Middle East. Bank of British West Africa. Standard Bank of South Africa. Bank of England in Threadneedle Street. Old Royal Exchange. Interior of the Mint, Tower Hill with coins being made. Busy shopping streets. Including Bond Street and Regent Street. Busy market - Berwick Street. Man tries some grapes and a woman buys flowers. Eros in Piccadilly Circus. Policeman chats to people and gives directions - good C/Us. Directs the traffic. Buses. People watch the tennis at Wimbledon. Ted Schoeder (sp) and Gardner Malloy (?) Weather vane. Cricket. Spectators. C/U of man with newspaper on head. Denis Compton and Evans are mentioned Wembley - final of the Association Football Cup. King George VI shakes hands with the teams - Blackpool and Newcastle United? Shots of the crowd - celebrations after goal is scored. Lights of Piccadilly - Guinness, Jacobs, Criterion Restaurant etc. Warner Brothers' cinema showing June Bride. News Theatre lights. Coliseum. Unidentified personalities at Saddlers Wells Ballet (just entrance). Shop windows at night. Houses of Parliament and Big Ben at night. Note: lots of this shots also found in other B.I.F. films. A cut reel exists with sections missing. 90,000 historic films, all SEARCHABLE on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/britishpathe Join us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/britishpathe Tweet us @britishpathe FILM ID:1613.06