This film is part of Free
Soldiers Working and Firing a Field Gun
Sailors from HMS 'Excellent' operate a 9-pounder muzzle loading field gun
Non-Fiction 1900 1 mins
Overview
This film is part of a series called Life In Our Navy made by Alfred West and seen (according to West) by over 2 million people during its run on Regent Street. It shows sailors from HMS Excellent doing a speedy drill with a 9-pounder muzzle loading field gun. The gun may have been obsolete at the time this film was made, but that's clearly not the point of the drill - or the film.
Speed is of the essence for the sailors, and the filmmaker was particularly excited about what he captured, noting in the catalogue that "the gun is fired direct at the camera, and the sailors seen working amidst the smoke of the discharge". But does it give Edwin S. Porter's famous final shot of The Great Train Robbery a run for its money?
Related
England Expects
1st Volunteer Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment - Blackburn Rifle Volunteers (1900) 1st Volunteer Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment - Blackburn Rifle Volunteers (1900)
Non-Fiction 1900 2 mins Silent Location: Blackburn
An impressive display of numbers from the local volunteer force as part of the Blackburn Easter Fair.
Lord Rosebery in Carlisle (c.1901) Lord Rosebery in Carlisle (c.1901)
Non-Fiction 1901 1 mins Silent Location: Carlisle
Liberal politician and former Prime Minister Lord Rosebery addresses appreciative crowds.
Parade of the Bolton Artillery Volunteers (1901) Parade of the Bolton Artillery Volunteers (1901)
Non-Fiction 1904 3 mins Silent Location: Bolton
The Bolton Artillery Volunteers put on an impressive parade despite the snow.
Return of the Lancaster Volunteers (1901) Return of the Lancaster Volunteers (1901)
Non-Fiction 1902 3 mins Silent Location: Lancaster
Some nifty product placement creeps in to this formal portrait of the Lancaster Volunteers.
Fleet in the Tyne (1901) Fleet in the Tyne (1901)
Non-Fiction 1901 3 mins Silent Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
Destroyers from the Edwardian Royal Navy filmed from a ship in the Tyne.
Infantry at Pretoria (c.1900) Infantry at Pretoria (c.1900)
Non-Fiction 1900 3 mins Silent
First-hand footage of troops on parade in Boer War era Pretoria.
New
Blue Pullman Blue Pullman
Industry sponsored film 1960 24 mins
A new luxury express is put through its paces. This film looks over the shoulders of the select band of craftsmen, engineers and operators, whose combined skills try to ensure that a train journey is a delightful experience.
The Scene from Melbury House The Scene from Melbury House
Documentary 1973 15 mins
British Transport Films record the varied daily lives of their neighbours as seen from the high roof of their building in London’s Marylebone.
Fully Fitted Freight Fully Fitted Freight
Industry sponsored film 1957 20 mins
Illustrating the efficiency of express freight trains, and how they link manufacturers with their customers at the other end of Britain.
Train Time Train Time
Documentary 1952 30 mins
Examining a day in the life of what was then the busiest railway system in the world – British Railways.
This Is York This Is York
Travelogue 1953 21 mins Location: York
The Stationmaster at York guides us through a typical day, from dawn to dusk.
A Future on Rail A Future on Rail
Industry sponsored film 1957 9 mins
A 1957 film examining the future for British Railways, and some of the opportunities provided by a new modernisation plan.