We stumbled across this fabulous clip today, it's a true gem! Loving the glamour of these 1920s ladies visiting London sporting fur-trimmed coats and lapdogs. The way they break out into the Charleston in the park epitomises the excitement and energy of the roaring 20s. There are also some fascinating fleeting glimpses of Maida Vale tube station and 1920s London streets.
Friday, 3 December 2010
Sci fi choice: Mars Attacks!
A very popular part of the Clips & Footage library is our collection of sci fi b-movies and trailers. These imaginings of alternate realities provide a constant source of inspiration for programme makers. Following on from the wonderfully creative 'Killer Shrews' a few weeks ago, this week we're looking at filmic portrayals of aliens in vintage sci fi films.
First up, a clip from 1925 feature film 'Aelita'. Aelita was one of the first full-length features about space travel, and one of the best. The angular, robotic martian costumes have influenced many subsequent filmmakers (and bands such as Daft Punk), and their flashing light weapons create a stunningly futuristic effect.
Next, the trailer for 1953 film 'Invaders from Mars'. Imagine you're a small child and a UFO full of terrifying aliens lands in your back garden. I think I'd be diving straight for my wardrobe but little David shouts 'gee wizz' and gets straight out there with his telescope to get a good look. The aliens themselves are, for the most part, lumbering men dressed in green rubber bodysuits (a look that was set to play out in many subsequent sci fi films), bar the leader, whose Medusa-esque disembodied head suspended in a perspex box is rather more disturbing:
And finally for a kitsch b-movie favourite from our libray and a warning that green face paint, tights and a collander hat do not a Martian make. However, the fact that they're off to get Santa Claus gives an idea of the tone of the film, it's one of our festive guilty pleasures!
First up, a clip from 1925 feature film 'Aelita'. Aelita was one of the first full-length features about space travel, and one of the best. The angular, robotic martian costumes have influenced many subsequent filmmakers (and bands such as Daft Punk), and their flashing light weapons create a stunningly futuristic effect.
Next, the trailer for 1953 film 'Invaders from Mars'. Imagine you're a small child and a UFO full of terrifying aliens lands in your back garden. I think I'd be diving straight for my wardrobe but little David shouts 'gee wizz' and gets straight out there with his telescope to get a good look. The aliens themselves are, for the most part, lumbering men dressed in green rubber bodysuits (a look that was set to play out in many subsequent sci fi films), bar the leader, whose Medusa-esque disembodied head suspended in a perspex box is rather more disturbing:
And finally for a kitsch b-movie favourite from our libray and a warning that green face paint, tights and a collander hat do not a Martian make. However, the fact that they're off to get Santa Claus gives an idea of the tone of the film, it's one of our festive guilty pleasures!
Monday, 22 November 2010
The Pygmies' Fight for Survival
You probably realise by now that we at Clips & Footage are pretty passionate about our work. We recently got very excited when we came across some early footage of a pygmy tribe in our Lobster Collection. The footage is colour, probably hand-tinted, and is dated 1925.
When we then stumbled across some footage of pygmies in the Belgian Congo in 1954 (see the clip below), we wanted to know more about these indigenous people. What we discoved is shocking. Displacement and discrimination against these people, numbering just half a million, is just the beginning of an appalling story of disenfranchisement and brutality.
Although there are distinct groups of pygmies across central Africa including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Cameroon with different languages, they are all fundamentally hunter-gatherers with a spiritual and cultural connection to the rainforest. Conservation projects such as the mountain gorillas in Rwanda and the expansion of industries like logging and mining have led to the displacement of these communities resulting in extreme poverty and ill-health.
How we can help:
www.survivalinternational.org/actnow/writealetter/pygmies
www.coffeerwanda.com/
From the sale of one bag of coffee, Coffee Rwanda can provide: 3 pairs of shoes for pygmy children; or health insurance in Rwanda for 2 people for 1 year; or nutritional support for one child with malnutrition for 3 months; or a shovel to dig farming terraces to increase food production in the village.
http://www.pygmysurvival.org/
CLIP FROM 05001
When we then stumbled across some footage of pygmies in the Belgian Congo in 1954 (see the clip below), we wanted to know more about these indigenous people. What we discoved is shocking. Displacement and discrimination against these people, numbering just half a million, is just the beginning of an appalling story of disenfranchisement and brutality.
Although there are distinct groups of pygmies across central Africa including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Cameroon with different languages, they are all fundamentally hunter-gatherers with a spiritual and cultural connection to the rainforest. Conservation projects such as the mountain gorillas in Rwanda and the expansion of industries like logging and mining have led to the displacement of these communities resulting in extreme poverty and ill-health.
How we can help:
www.survivalinternational.org/actnow/writealetter/pygmies
www.coffeerwanda.com/
From the sale of one bag of coffee, Coffee Rwanda can provide: 3 pairs of shoes for pygmy children; or health insurance in Rwanda for 2 people for 1 year; or nutritional support for one child with malnutrition for 3 months; or a shovel to dig farming terraces to increase food production in the village.
http://www.pygmysurvival.org/
CLIP FROM 05001
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Trailer Choice: Not such a shrewd move…
‘See the cruellest man-killers ever photographed’ read the graphics on the trailer for ‘The Killer Shrews’ (1959). What could these fearsome beasts be, one wonders, is it sharks maybe, or bears? No, it’s dogs wrapped in hearth rugs of course! We love a b-movie monster here at Clips & Footage and the killer shrews are some of the best.
The premise: on a remote island a mad scientist attempts to cure world hunger by creating half-size humans, his experiments have unfortunate side effect of producing gigantic shrews with a ravenous appetite. To make matters worse, when these shrews devour the rat poison meant to kill them it instead gives them a venomous bite. ‘Your flesh will crawl at their terrifying nearness’ the voiceover says, or you may just laugh at the unconvincing disguise the dogs are wearing. Either way, it’s brilliant schlock horror not to be missed.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Mad For Mad Men...
Why do we all love Mad Men? We can't be nostalgic about the chain smoking, casual chauvinism and racism that were big fixtures of the early 60s so could the secret of the success of this cult TV series be the sheer unbridled optimism of that decade in which the American Dream was writ large? For the first time in history a glamorous lifestyle was not confined to the rich: mass production meant mass consumption. Along with the cult of the consumer, new technologies and materials were finding their way into the home and design took centre stage. It is this aesthetic that Mad Men captures so absolutely. The following clip from The American Look (1958) shows how advertising made domestic appliances cool.
The authentic visual style of Mad Men is not confined to the hairstyles, clothes and furniture used on set but extends to the cinematography which has abandoned the intense, hand-held shooting style of contemporary dramas for the elegant, considered classicism of the dolly shot.This clip from a General Motors ad from 1960 shows how high production values saturated commercials made at the time.
Fundamentally, Mad Men is not only gorgeous, well-made and authentic but is cool in a grown-up sexy way that is personified by characters like Christina Hendricks and Roger Sterling.
Psycho killer que est-ce que ce est? Or why we don't like shower curtains
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the release of Hitchcock's classic film Psycho. Like any film directed by Hitchcock, the promo he produced to trail Psycho is full of in-jokes and recurring themes and devices. In the promo Hitchcock takes us on a tongue-in-cheek guided tour of the Bates Motel accompanied by his trademark jaunty music. This clip shows the mother's bedroom which is, as Hitchcock remarks, "still beautifully preserved".
He then takes us to the top of the staircase where the private detective played by Martin Balsam is murdered. Staircases recur in many of Hitchcock's films. In Vertigo, for example, the stairs up the church bell tower are an important feature in the film while Suspicion includes a scene where Cary Grant slowly, menacingly ascends a staircase. Birds, another of Hitchock's favourite devices, feature in the Psycho promo in the form of taxidermy with which the Anthony Perkins character surrounds himself.
In the bright light of the fateful motel bathroom, Hitchcock teasingly creates a shadow of himself - another of his famous and playful trademarks.Finally, Hitchcock shows opens the lid of the toilet where "an important clue was found". The censors wanted to cut the scene in the film in which Janet Leigh flushes the loo finding it shocking, and impish Hitchcock couldn't resist drawing attention to it in the promo.
He then takes us to the top of the staircase where the private detective played by Martin Balsam is murdered. Staircases recur in many of Hitchcock's films. In Vertigo, for example, the stairs up the church bell tower are an important feature in the film while Suspicion includes a scene where Cary Grant slowly, menacingly ascends a staircase. Birds, another of Hitchock's favourite devices, feature in the Psycho promo in the form of taxidermy with which the Anthony Perkins character surrounds himself.
In the bright light of the fateful motel bathroom, Hitchcock teasingly creates a shadow of himself - another of his famous and playful trademarks.Finally, Hitchcock shows opens the lid of the toilet where "an important clue was found". The censors wanted to cut the scene in the film in which Janet Leigh flushes the loo finding it shocking, and impish Hitchcock couldn't resist drawing attention to it in the promo.
Monday, 11 October 2010
A State of Independence
Fifty years ago the political map of Africa was changing fast with several countries such as the Ivory Coast, Mali and Ghana attaining independence. Just forty years before, a handful of developed countries in the west controlled almost 700 million people in overseas colonies including Africa. Here a colonial foreman oversees the work of the "trained natives" in Kenya.
But dissatisfaction with their colonial masters was growing, particularly in Kenya. The Mau Mau uprising took place between 1952 and 1960 when the incumbent British governers attempted to squash a rebellion by an anti-colonial political faction called 'Mau Mau'. This action inspired many other African nations to fight for independence. This rare clip shows a British colonial couple showing off what was an essential accessory for them in Kenya c1954.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country and its third largest economy, was granted independence in October 1960. While the Queen remained as Head of State and the Commonwealth, Nigeria was handed power to establish and run its own defence, fiscal and diplomatic infrastructure. Nigeria's independence was greeted with great optimism given its rich mineral deposits and oil and gas reserves. Here is some footage of Nigeria's independence celebrations.
Although some African countries made a relatively straightforward transition to independence, the Belgians were criticized at the time for their ill-conceived exit strategy from the Congo which left the country in a state of chaos. The following newsreel clip shows the terrifying conclusion for Patrice Lumumba, the Congo's first Prime Minister, as the country descended into civil war.
But dissatisfaction with their colonial masters was growing, particularly in Kenya. The Mau Mau uprising took place between 1952 and 1960 when the incumbent British governers attempted to squash a rebellion by an anti-colonial political faction called 'Mau Mau'. This action inspired many other African nations to fight for independence. This rare clip shows a British colonial couple showing off what was an essential accessory for them in Kenya c1954.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country and its third largest economy, was granted independence in October 1960. While the Queen remained as Head of State and the Commonwealth, Nigeria was handed power to establish and run its own defence, fiscal and diplomatic infrastructure. Nigeria's independence was greeted with great optimism given its rich mineral deposits and oil and gas reserves. Here is some footage of Nigeria's independence celebrations.
Although some African countries made a relatively straightforward transition to independence, the Belgians were criticized at the time for their ill-conceived exit strategy from the Congo which left the country in a state of chaos. The following newsreel clip shows the terrifying conclusion for Patrice Lumumba, the Congo's first Prime Minister, as the country descended into civil war.
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
I Spy a Little Gem:1920s Monocles for Ladies
Now I’m not knocking glasses, beacause it must be said that all the team at Clips & Footage (not being blessed with 20-20 vision) are required to wear them once in a while. However, with the armies of Hoxtonites taking up lensless glasses as a geek-chic fashion accessory, I began to wonder what the next trend would be in eyewear. The answer may lie in this rather wonderful clip, a favourite with us in the office:
: Yes it’s monocles! The dandy’s favourite since the early 19th century, they were adopted by forward thinking women (particularly in ‘stylish lesbian circles’) in the 1920s as the fashionable new accessory. They haven’t been around for a while which, by the logic of fashion, means they’re surely scheduled for a comeback. And as this clip proves that there is a monocle for every personality, including tortoiseshell for the ‘haughty Miss’.
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Trends: Blonde Ambition
It could be because curves are coming back into fashion (Joan from Mad Men being case in point), or that the tolling bell of austerity Britain is bringing a newfound nostalgia for the glitz of old Hollywood. Whatever it is, the demand for footage of Marilyn Monroe is greater than ever this month.
Here at Clips & Footage Marilyn has always been our Number One star and we have a vast collection of clips of the lady herself from trailers for her blockbuster films such as ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ to her infamous serenade to President Kennedy to behind the scenes clips from ‘The Prince and the Showgirl’.
We thought we’d celebrate with our favourite clip of Marilyn draped in sequins and fur, shimmying her way through the bank of paparazzi at the premiere for ‘Some Like it Hot’. These 17 seconds of pure glamour are just a dip into the pool of Marilyn Monroe footage we have to offer.
Friday, 20 August 2010
Pack up let’s fly away: Late 1950s London Airport
As the summer holiday season comes to an end, we thought we’d take a look back to the early days of commercial air travel. It was only in the late 50s that air travel began to open up to a mass market and, as the following clips from this UK airline promo show, the flying experience was about as far from Easyjet as you can get. With not a sniffer dog, snaking queue or tracksuit in sight, it’s Heathrow, but not as we know it:
Opening its doors to the public in 1948, the structure of London Airport (later to become Heathrow) served as a reminder of the war that had recently ended, visitors waiting for flights in ex-military tents and walking on wooden duckboards to board the plane. It was not until 1955 that the airport’s first permanent terminal, ‘The Europa Terminal’ finally opened. The terminal building offered magnificent wallpaper, very helpful staff and (slightly redundant but brilliantly futuristic) televised announcements:
With air travel now affordable, the world was opened up to British holidaymakers like never before. And what did the airlines suggest we do with this freedom? Head to the Costa del Sol, don some fantastically garish 50s beachwear and sip cocktails to your heart’s content, now this is our type of holiday:
Opening its doors to the public in 1948, the structure of London Airport (later to become Heathrow) served as a reminder of the war that had recently ended, visitors waiting for flights in ex-military tents and walking on wooden duckboards to board the plane. It was not until 1955 that the airport’s first permanent terminal, ‘The Europa Terminal’ finally opened. The terminal building offered magnificent wallpaper, very helpful staff and (slightly redundant but brilliantly futuristic) televised announcements:
With air travel now affordable, the world was opened up to British holidaymakers like never before. And what did the airlines suggest we do with this freedom? Head to the Costa del Sol, don some fantastically garish 50s beachwear and sip cocktails to your heart’s content, now this is our type of holiday:
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