Title:THE SIEGFRIED FOLLIES, THE FIRST ORGANISED ARMY CONCERT PARTY TO PERFORM IN FRANCE [Allocated Title]
Film Number:BDY 9
Other titles:
Summary: Unedited and uncensored newsreel rushes featuring a performance by the 'Siegfried Follies', a concert troupe consisting of men from the same infantry battalion, for soldiers serving in the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in northern France.
Description: Mute exterior shots showing a poster advertising a performance by the 'Siegfried Follies' on Monday 20 November 1939 at 7pm and a long queue of British soldiers lining up to buy tickets at a small cinema kiosk in Orchies, northern France. Reasonably well-lit interior shots with natural sound on film showing scenes from the performance: an officer wearing an army padre's uniform steps out onto the stage from behind the curtain to introduce the show. The compere does a second take for the camera, this time in wide shot. Five members of the 'Siegfried Follies' wearing Pierrot the Clown costumes sing 'How Do You Do? in two takes, the second from one side of the cinema. A cutaway panning shot over the British soldiers sitting in the first few rows, A close harmony choir sings lines from 'Sweet Adeline' (?) in two takes. A cutaway panning shot over faces of members of the audience. Scenes from a comedy sketch featuring a conversation between an army officer and a private soldier on guard duty about the medals he is wearing - "I've got two long-service medals, Sir." - "Where did you get them from?" - "The Labour Exchange, Sir." etc. The finale consists of a rendition by the entire cast of the First World War popular song, 'Goodbye'.
Production Details: British Movietone News (Production company)
Cotter, J (Production individual)
Gray, M (Production individual)
Siegfried Follies (Production cast)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Expeditionary Force (regiment/service)
Keywords: Orchies, Nord, France (geography)
Phoney War 1939-1940, Second World War (event)
British Army 1939-1945 (theme)
France and the Low Countries 1939-1940 (theme)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: None
Subtitle language: None
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 599 ft; Running time: 6 mins 39 secs
