Title:LOWELL THOMAS' FILM OF LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (rough material) [Allocated Title]
Film Number:IWM 41
Other titles:
Summary: Extremely jumbled and mixed rough material - now also held in more coherent form as IWM 42 - of the visit of Lowell Thomas to the deserts of the Middle East, autumn 1917.
Description: The film runs in segments of varying length, with sequences often breaking, to continue later in the reel or another reel. It shows the voyage of Lowell Thomas out from Salonika to Cairo, where Sultan Hussein Kemal conducts the 'ceremony of the drums', granting a new set of parade drums to an Infantry regiment. While in Egypt Thomas also takes an aeroplane flight to get aerial views of the River Nile and the Pyramids, and watches a divisional horse show and sports, possibly 7th (Meerut) Division. He and his companions take a ship from Port Said to Jidda, and are greeted on arrival by Feisal's Arab horsemen. A variety of location shots of the desert, including rock caves and the ruined city of Petra. Thomas meets with Prince Feisal and with Major Lawrence, and films both them and their men on the march and in acted combat. Thomas returns via Jerusalem, where he films the arrival of General Sir Edmund Allenby for his ceremonial entry into the city, 11 December 1917, and his decoration with the GCB by the Duke of Connaught. The film also includes various shots of British, Australian and Arab troops, and local scenes.
Production Details: Thomas, Lowell18921981American writer and broadcaster (Production individual)
Chase, H A (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Thomas, Lowell (person)
Lawrence, Thomas Edward (person)
Hussein Kemal, Sultan of Egypt (person)
Feisal I, King of Iraq (person)
Allenby, Edmund Henry Hynman (person)
Arthur, Prince (Duke of Connaught) (person)
British Army, Egyptian Expeditionary Force (regiment/service)
Egyptian Army & [infantry] (regiment/service)
Army of Hejaz (regiment/service)
