This film is part of Free
Colour on the Thames
A rare glimpse of 1930s London in colour: the Thames has never looked lovelier.
Overview
This film is tricky to describe: is it a boat study, a film-poem, an experiment, a picture postcard? One thing is certain: it's a rare colour snapshot of the Thames and London in the 1930s - and it looks quite magical. The slow pace, orchestral music and moody colours definitely belong to a bygone era, strikingly peaceful and undemanding. Yet colour film was still a novelty for audiences in 1935, and the photography (using the new Gasparcolor system) succeeds in accentuating the sharp contrast between the vivid green banks of the countryside and the drab tones of the industrial landscape.
Related
Father Thames Father Thames
Documentary 1935 17 mins Location: Thames Head
Swans, boats and bridges are celebrated by lyrical commentary and fine images in this delightful tour of the Thames from “trivial” beginnings to torrential end.
Thames En Fête Thames En Fête
Non-Fiction 1926 1 mins Silent Location: Kingston Upon Thames
A mermaid, a fat man in a barrel and water-bound jockeys all appear in this brilliant short showing Londoners taking part in the Molesey Regatta.
Swan Upping Starts Swan Upping Starts
Non-Fiction 1930 1 mins Silent Location: River Thames
A ceremonial swan census takes place on the river Thames.
River Thames - Yesterday River Thames - Yesterday
Documentary 1939 9 mins Silent
A nostalgic pre-war voyage down the mighty Thames, shot by Technicolor maestro Jack Cardiff.
A Boat trip along the River Thames A Boat trip along the River Thames
Amateur film 1972 8 mins Silent Location: Hampton Court Park
Join Jim Greenyer on a cabin cruiser trip along the Hampton Court section of the River Thames - past islands, bridges, weirs and locks as well as a capsized canoeist
Thames River Scenery - Panorama of the Crowded River Thames River Scenery - Panorama of the Crowded River
Non-Fiction 1899 1 mins Silent Location: Henley-on-Thames
Don your straw boater and join Victorians at play as you potter down the river at Henley-on-Thames
Halfway Halfway
Drama 2023 9 mins
Two lovers searching for each other on a beach try to work out some uncomfortable truths over the phone.
I'll Tell You When I'm Ready I'll Tell You When I'm Ready
2024 13 mins
I'll Tell You When I'm Ready follows the personal story of jaye simpson
Cab Ride Cab Ride
2023 12 mins
Two queer lovers bolt out of a house party, into a waiting cab where they have one eventful journey to figure out whether they are truly a match.
The First Kiss The First Kiss
Drama 2023 15 mins
Today is a special day for Andi – he’s going to Madrid for a date with a boy he met online.
Little One Little One
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
Unsure of how to raise a child, a pregnant woman seeks guidance from her gay dads. Her dad reflects on their family’s history, captured on an old camcorder.
Compton's '22 Compton's '22
Drama 2023 17 mins
An intergenerational discussion about the legendary riot that predates Stonewall.