Compilation of family movies from Hackney in the 1970s
Standard 8mm film Colour Silent 1970s 36:43
Summary: A selection of home movies in the 1970s including a trip to the zoo, a wedding, footage of a small cat family, a mother and her kittens, and Oxford Street at Christmas.
Title number: 22949
LSA ID: LSA/30138
Description: The opening shot of the film is the entrance to the ‘Zoological Gardens.’ A woman speaks to a peacock/bird through the metal fencing and there are shots of the bird alone. A small bear is seen through metal bars and the enclosure has a pool and things to climb on. The bear yawns and paces and places its paws up against the bars. A shot of a tortoise looking through a wooden gate. A shot of the tortoise yawning. A wide shot with the keeper and visitors on either side of the tortoise’s enclosure.
A monkey sits on a branch behind metal fencing. A sequence shows the monkeys playing with each other as visitors watch. A low light shot shows a bird walking around and being offered bread. Pelicans are shown with their own pool, itching themselves with their beaks.
The film shows a collection of flowers, pink, red, yellow and purple. A woman observes them as she walks by. An alpaca/llama is seen in an enclosure. The same woman is watching them and offering them food. Penguins are collected by their pool, shaking off water and itching.
A brown bear is shown in a series of shots, sitting and looking around. It is also being thrown food. A shot shows a black bear exhibiting similar behaviour. A seal rests in shallow water and barks (?) before swimming at the surface of the water and underneath around before a second seal comes into frame. The film shows penguins stood together on a ramp in their enclosure as people look on. There is then a few close-ups on the penguins. The film then shows a series of big cats. A panther is seen in the enclosure, followed by a shot of a male lion lying down and a shot of a tiger patrolling their enclosure.
In a low exposure shot, there is a rabbit/hare. Film shows flamingos grazing. There are bunnies lying in straw and being stroke by people. A donkey is shown being stroked by a person. In the shot of the donkey leaning out of its stall, the sign suggests her name is ‘Linda’. Film shows a big red panda wandering around their enclosure. In the next shots it struts towards the camera and peers at the visitors. A goat with big horns noses over the side of its areas railings. A shot of chicks walking around a pen. A shot of multiple Guinea pigs in their pen. Visitors walk around with some in interesting dress. A bird eats meat on a branch in their enclosure. An eagle sits on their branch and watches. A wolf of sorts is seen, dimly lit. Shots show elephants walking around and being observed by visitors. A child feeds the elephant. An End card shows.
The film shows a wedding. Smartly dressed people are grouped on a pavement, preparing to leave. Some of the men wear tuxes, top hats and boutonnieres. Those men smile as they get into a car and an older man looks out of the window of the car and talks to people next to the camera. Other men and a boy are shown on the doorstep to a house, in red, blue and black tuxes. The man in the red retrieves a paper from his jacket before raising his glass to the camera. They are briefly joined by a woman who smiles and leaves.
The car seen previously gets ready to leave as visitors walk across the frame. The film shows the man in the red tux walking toward the camera with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. The bride and groom stand outside the building (synagogue) as the bridesmaids/flower girls exit behind them. A shot shows the bridesmaids/flower girls and a young boy wearing a kippah grouped together. A man holding a young boy among the crowd's waves at the camera and beckons the boy to do the same. More sequences of crowd shots of many women and men, with shots of camera men.
A shot of an elephant pans to a woman and a young child. The elephant reaches out to get food off the woman. The woman and child then thrown food for the elephant. Goats are seen among a crowd of people with a few closeups of the goats. The women and child pet a donkey leaning out of a stall. A shot shows a panda walking along the wall of its enclosure. A shot shows the child being held in place sitting on a wall, and they hug. Film shows penguins walking up and down ramps in their enclosure.
The sign for Regents Park and the listed regulation in small script is show. The weather is overcast, and the filmmaker shows a very long sequences of the ducks in the park. By the pond and on the path, wandering around. The ducks have a big fight. People are seen feeding the ducks. A no littering sign is shown, informing of a fine of £10. One shot shows birds sat atop masts/poles and another shows them standing on the pond suggesting it is winter as it has iced over a bit. It also shows the ducks diving/bobbing in the pond/river. A shot of bridge over the river. The ducks swim toward the camera creating ripples.
Shots of the park shows trees, bushes and pathways. Film shows an area of white and purple flowers. The camera pans to show the railings of the park. More shots of ducks and birds. Film shows a fountain in the centre and the image brightens as if the sun has come out. More footage of ducks fighting.
The film shows a cat and her kittens in a wicker basket. The kittens wander around and step in an empty water bowl. An overhead shot shows the mother with her kittens as she stares up at the camera. Shots show the kittens moving around as mum sits patiently. A new shot shows the kittens alone in their basket. Another shot shows a single kitten on a white fluffy rug. The film shows the kittens sitting and wandering around both in the basked and on the floor with the rug. One kitten gets nervous around a plug and paws at it. A shot shows a kitten chasing a human and a kitten sat on the stairs. One of the kittens is held by a woman.
Footage shows the mother cat on the white rug before joining all her kittens back in their basket and she grooms them. A woman leans over a banister. The film shows a kitten pile. A woman removes the kittens from their basket but they jump straight back in. Some shots show the mother cat walking around and the kittens playing amongst themselves and wandering around. One kitten plays with the magazine rack.
The film shows a sculpture on the side of a wall. A series of shots depict a town centre with trees, shops, and people walking around. A man is seen with pigeons landing all over him but he doesn’t mind. The film shows various architecture including a bridge, a church spire, a building and shops with sale posters. A sign for ‘The Lady Godiva’ is shown. A metal sculpture and a stone sculpture are shown. A water fountain is shown as a woman walks in front. A shot shows a dedication of a Foundation stone that was laid by Queen Elizabeth II in March 1956. It cites Jesus Christ. Another shot shows a sculpture on the side of a building, possibly a cathedral.
The film shows the long queue into the building and includes shots of the architecture. The ruins of a cathedral are shown in the open air as crowds observe. The film shows the detailed exterior of the cathedral before going inside. There is a shot of the entrance and then a shot of a crucifix in front of a window. The film shows statues and figures about the entrance to the church pews as it pans down. Further shots show the outside of the building as people mill about outside.
A title card or underexposed front reads ‘Merry Christmas.’ An animatronic Father Christmas is circled by other animatronic characters including gnomes and animals in Christmas dress. There is a sequence of shots of Christmassy animatronics as they move around. The film shows toys. There are lots of dolls and a horse. There is a shot of a mannequin in a dress and a pearl wig. An animatronic monkey in a hat and a waistcoat moves its head. Rotating displays show toys such as dolls and teddy bears. A scene shows animatronic bears digging in the snow.
Christmas lights flash with toys in the foreground. Christmas lights adorn the outside of buildings. The film shows the Christmas lights stretching down Oxford Street (?). A focused shot shows a flashing Coca Cola advert. There are multiples shots of the Screens (in Piccadilly) showing lots of different ads including Wrigley's gum. A dimly lit shot shows a water fountain in lit up. A shot pans down a Christmas tree that is only visible by its lights. The film ends with shots of water fountains, an underground sign and an End card.
Locations: United Kingdom, Coventry, London, Regents Park, Regents Street, Piccadilly Circus, Zoological Gardens
Related


Comments