Summary: Unedited and uncensored newsreel rushes showing the popular entertainer Gracie Fields performing in a Christmas show organised by Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) for troops in the British Expeditionary Force somewhere in France.
Description: A brief view of the microphone stand on a theatre stage, with the curtain behind it. Filmed from a balcony on the right hand side of the theatre overlooking the stage, a compère announces in doggerel verse the unavailability of Jack Payne and his band for this evening's show and introduces "the brightest star in the whole firmament", Gracie Fields. The popular singer makes her entrance to loud cheering and applause from the unseen audience. Accompanied only by a pianist, she starts off her performance with "Sing as We Go", followed by "When the Golden Sun sinks in the West". From this point onwards, the sound level drops off very sharply as Gracie Fields goes on to perform "Little Sir Echo", "Franklin D Roosevelt Jones", "Goodnight Children", in which the lyrics are brought on to stage on a big music sheet so that everyone in the theatre can join in, and the Christmas carol "O Come All Ye Faithful", in which she leads the audience in singing. Throughout, the cameraman varies the shots from wide to medium close-up.
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)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Fields, Gracie (person)
Entertainments National Service Association (regiment/service)
Keywords: France (geography)
Phoney War 1939-1940, Second World War (event)
France and the Low Countries 1939-1940 (theme)
ENSA 1939-1945 (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: 939 ft; Running time: 10 mins 26 secs
