The Box is a major cultural and heritage attraction and archive, which opened in Plymouth’s city centre in September 2020. Its collection, formally the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA), is the regional film archive for the South West of England, comprising the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and Television South West (TSW). It also includes a significant number of donated film collections dating back to the early 1890s.
This film is part of Free

Harry Corbett and Sooty
Let’s not get busy as Harry Corbett and Sooty are flooded out of venue in Plymouth.
In partnership with:

Overview
The yellow furry bear is as silent as ever on the flooding of the performance venue at the Athenaeum Theatre. Sooty has been ousted from the theatre due to a burst pipe but the show must go on. Harry Corbett created the yellow furry puppet originally called Teddy in 1948 after buying the glove puppet in Blackpool. The puppet became Sooty after he blackened his ears with soot. Corbett went on to perform on BBC’s Talent Night in 1952 and was given his own show The Sooty Show.
In 1957 Sooty was partnered with a squeaky dog with a love of sausages, Sweep and later, a shy panda named Soo. Harry Corbett received an OBE in 1976, although a joke at the time was that the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson omitted the H meaning to recommend the star of Steptoe and Son Harry H Corbett. His antics of magic tricks announced by “Izzy wizzy, let’s get busy” often throwing eggs and flour over himself got him into trouble with the wardrobe department but his slapstick comedy entertained for over 60 years. He died peacefully in 1989 after playing the Weymouth Pavilion to a capacity crowd. Bye bye everybody! Bye bye!
Related

Dingles of Plymouth Dingles of Plymouth
Advert 1960 1 mins Location: Plymouth
A charming regional commercial for Plymouth’s best loved department store.

Millbay Laundry Millbay Laundry
Advert 1960 0 mins Location: Plymouth
Help keep your relationship on track by outsourcing your laundry!

Model Clipper Sailor Model Clipper Sailor
Current affairs 1965 2 mins Location: Plymouth
Former shipwright turns his talents to model-making.

Comely Caviar Comely Caviar
Current affairs 1984 1 mins Location: Plymouth
Reporter tests the theory of caviar heightening libido.

Last Cooper Last Cooper
Current affairs 1967 5 mins Location: Plymouth
The last apprenticed cooper in the Royal Navy’s Royal William Victualling Yard undergoes a trusso, an ancient rite of passage.

Liberté Liner Liberté Liner
Current affairs 1961 5 mins Location: Plymouth
Cruising into the history books SS Liberté makes its final voyage stopping at Plymouth en route to Le Havre.

On Falling - Exclusive Q&A On Falling - Exclusive Q&A
Inside Film 2025 30 mins
Writer-director Laura Carreira talks to Nia Childs about her debut feature, On Falling.

Layla - Exclusive Q&A Layla - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 27 mins
Writer, director and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi talks to Rico Johnson-Sinclair about their debut feature.

All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 28 mins
Payal Kapadia discusses her Cannes prize-winning and Bafta-nominated drama with Ashanti Omkar.

Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.

Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
Documentary 2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.

Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.