Title:GRACIE FIELDS AND TOM WEBSTER ENTERTAIN TROOPS IN A THEATRE, SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE [Allocated Title]
Film Number:BDY 7
Other titles:
Summary: Unedited and uncensored rushes with natural sound on film showing the hugely popular music hall performer and cinema star Gracie Fields performing for troops of the British Expeditionary Force in France.
Description: Poorly lit interior shots with natural sound on film showing British soldiers inside the Apollo Theatre in the northern French town of Lens (?) chatting amongst themselves, cheering and breaking into applause as Gracie Fields begins the show. Filmed from a balcony overlooking one side of the stage, she performs three numbers - "Sing as We Go", "I'm Sending a Letter to Santa Claus" and "Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye". The stage area is adequately lit for filming and the cameraman varies his shots from long shot to medium long shot and back again throughout the performance. For the last song, Gracie Fields gets the audience to join in and calls the cartoonist Tom Webster onto stage to write the words down so that everybody can sing along. He produces the words on a flip chart. He proceeds to do his quick cartoon sketch routine of a sporting personality (possibly the champion Afro-American boxer Joe Louis) whilst engaging the audience with quick-fire banter. Gracie Fields comes on at the end with the rest of the cast (whose performances were not filmed) and all the female members receive floral bouquets. The curtain comes down after the audience breaks into three cheers.
Production Details: British Movietone News (Production company)
Cotter, J (Production individual)
Gray, M (Production individual)
Fields, Gracie1898-01-091979-09-27British singer and entertainer; born Grace Stansfield (Production cast)
Webster, Gilbert Thomas18861962 (Production cast)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Fields, Gracie (person)
Webster, Gilbert Thomas (person)
British Army (regiment/service)
Keywords: France (geography)
Phoney War 1939-1940, Second World War (event)
British Army 1939-1945 (theme)
ENSA 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: 912 ft; Running time: 10 mins 8 secs
