This film is part of Free
Attractions of a British Seaside Town
Striptease and the lost art of synchronised fencing are among the pleasures of this patchwork view of the seaside experience
Overview
Few films show how the family seaside experience has changed in the last century as much as this one. It's a patchwork portrait, including a striptease show, close-ups of tea service, swimming races, and a detailed study of the lost art of synchronised fencing. Of course, what is unchanged is the beach itself; even in a world of VR and the internet, you can’t beat sandcastles and a quick paddle.
The origins of this film are shrouded in mystery: it seems to be unedited footage for a production that was perhaps never finished. The mute negative came to the BFI National Archive as part of a large collection of disparate material and now stands as another of film history's enigmatic treasures.
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