TOPICAL BUDGET 284-2 [Main Title]

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  • Title: TOPICAL BUDGET 284-2 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: NTB 284-2
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: I. French 75mm gun in action. II. President Wilson delivers a speech from the rear of a train carriage. III. Motor Machine Gun Corps on parade. IV. Londoners enjoy ice skating on a frozen pond. V. Lieutenant Douglas Belcher VC gets married at his local church.
  • Description: I. 'BARRAGE FIRE. Owing to the wonderful accuracy and rapidity of fire, the French 75 m/m gun is extreamely (sic) useful for 'barrage fire' in preventing trench raids.' Rear 3/4 and rear view of 75mm gun under a wooden shelter as it fires rapidly. LS of shells bursting in open ground. The gun is a M12 and not the more famous M97. II. 'PRESIDENT WILSON. The President of the United States has immense difficulties to face over the German submarine menace. Several newspapers urge that Count Bernstorff should be given his passports.' LS.MS of group of overcoated men and one woman (Edith Wilson ?) wearing furs and holding a bouquet of flowers, all standing on the rear boarding stage of stationary railway carriage. A motor car is readied - presumably for Presidential use. LA.MS of Wilson speaking from the rear of the carriage. III. 'RECRUITS FOR THE TANKS. Men of the Motor Machine Gun Corps on parade. Those in charge of the 'Tanks' have been recruited from this Corps.' LS pan over men standing and seated in rows for group picture. CU of two men - probably brothers - in the uniform of the MGC - they doff their caps to the camera. MS of a column of motorcycle combinations - some of them armed with Vickers machine guns - and solo motorcycles being driven over open grassland. Men fall in with their vehicles for inspection. Cut to LS of marchpast by highland regiment in full dress led by band - the men carry long Lee-Enfields and the event is probably pre-war, and clearly nothing to do with the previous material. IV. 'SPORT ON THE ICE. Children for the first time experience the 'pleasure' of gliding or otherwise on a pair of skates. Types of skaters on a pond 'somewhere near London'.' A group of ladies sit at the edge of the pond looking to camera - one is having her skates tied on - schoolboys wave from the background. MS of three women holding hands with two small children, who are dressed alike in the manner of twins - they walk forward over the ice in line abreast. One of the children immediately loses her footing as is supported from falling by the women on either side. Boy stands on the ice staring to camera - oblivious to a line of adults skating in line abreast with hands linked, who approach from behind and nearly knock him over. Man skating - he is clearly skilled, executing neat circles and skating backwards. A man sweeps the ice. General shot of the skaters. Two women skate hand in hand, a troika of two men and one women skate past - one of the men in RFC uniform. V. 'WEDDING OF SURBITON'S V.C. Lieut. Douglas Belcher the first Territorial 'ranker' to win the V.C. was married to Miss E. F. Luxford at St. Mark's Subiton (sic).' Veiled bride and her father walk from car to church. HA as Lieutenant Belcher and his bride are showered with confetti - nature too contributes, as it is snowing. MS, bridesmaid with small pageboy and other family members arriving by coach. MS of the newly-weds and pageboy (tongue sticking out of corner of his mouth) standing with the bride's parents in the doorway of the church. Lieutenant Belcher appears confused but genial.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: NTB 284-2
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM (NTB 284-2)
  • Featured Period: 1914-1918
  • Production Date: 1917-02-03
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: War Office (Production sponsor) Topical Film Company (Production company)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Wilson, Woodrow (person) Wilson, Edith (person) Belcher, Douglas Walter (person) Luxford, Emily F (person) British Army, Machine Gun Corps, Motor Machine Service Corps (regiment/service) British Army, highland troops (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: weapons, French - gun: Schneider M12 75mm gun (object name) politics, United States - institutional (object name) ceremonies, British - display: marchpast (object name) transport, British military - 2/3 wheel: motorcycle (object name) transport, British military - 2/3 wheel: motorcycle combination (object name) weapons, British - smallarm, mounted: Vickers machine gun (object name) recreation, British civilian - casual: ice skating (object name) ceremonies, British - event-related: wedding of Lieutenant Belcher VC (object name) United States of America (geography) London, England, UK (geography) Surbiton, London, England, UK (geography) ice (concept)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: English Subtitle language: English
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 362 ft; Running time: 4 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    NTB 284-2

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