Screen Archive South East is a public sector moving image archive serving the South East of England. The archive's collections of magic lantern slides, films, videos and associated materials capture the many varied aspects of life, work and creativity from the early days of screen history to the present day and serve as a rich and invaluable historical resource.
This film is currently unavailable

Portrait of Penge
This colour film about the town of Penge is a visual treat for fans of the 1960s - featuring local personalities, housing, shopping, traffic and the Penge formation dancers.
From the collection of:

Overview
This ambitious film about Penge, made by Gilbert Tomes and sponsored by the local Rotary Club, reflects the high degree of local pride in the town and its community. We get numerous vistas of Penge; from it's shops and markets to its housing stock, including its remaining slums, as well as its many amenities like schools and the newly opened National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace. The Penge Formation Dancers also appear, in a flurry of bee-hives and sequins, at the Lyceum.
Gilbert Tomes, who made this film, was interested in film from an early age. He worked with the television pioneer, John Logie Baird, before becoming a cameraman at the BBC and later a businessman. His son, Richard, also a keen filmmaker, assisted Gilbert on a number of film projects including Portrait of Penge. As the film mentions, Penge, as an urban district of Kent, with its own council and distinct boundaries, disappeared in 1965 to be merged, along with neighbouring districts, into the London Borough of Bromley. The ballroom where the Penge Formation Dancers appear, was located at the Lyceum Theatre in London and many editions of the BBC TV programme Come Dancing were recorded there from 1950 onwards.
Related

Southgate Celebrates The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Southgate (1953) Southgate Celebrates The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Southgate (1953)
Non-Fiction 1953 24 mins Location: Southgate
Cowboys, chess and carnival queens in this wonderful colour film made to mark the “new Elizabethan age” in Southgate’s Coronation celebrations in 1953.

Coal on the Doorstep Coal on the Doorstep
Documentary 1974 8 mins Location: Cowdenbeath
Locals have strong feelings about the pros and cons of the new open cast mine in Cowdenbeath, Fife.

Tram Rides through Nottingham Tram Rides through Nottingham
Non-Fiction 1902 6 mins Silent Location: Nottingham
Filmmakers Mitchell and Kenyon conduct an evocative ride through Edwardian Nottingham.

Jemima + Johnny Jemima + Johnny
1966 29 mins Location: Notting Hill
Touching short about the friendship between a white boy and a black girl in 1960s Notting Hill.

Kiss of the Rabbit God Kiss of the Rabbit God
Fantasy 2019 15 mins
A Chinese-American restaurant worker falls in love with an 18th century Qing dynasty god, who visits him at night and leads him on a journey of sexual awakening and self-discovery.

StoryTrails: The People's Map Dundee StoryTrails: The People's Map Dundee
Documentary 2022 14 mins Location: Dundee
This map showcases a curated selection of audio stories and digitally animated 3D scans of the people and places in and around Dundee.

Alexandre Desplat (Masterclass) Alexandre Desplat (Masterclass)
Inside Film 2011 33 mins
Over 30 years and 150 projects, the composer shares, with humour and passion, the intricacies of making film music.

Ian Neil (Masterclass) Ian Neil (Masterclass)
Inside Film 2012 74 mins
Neil selected soundtracks for 127 Hours, Shame, Kick Ass, Control and many more. He discusses the job and its complexities, referencing his own work.

Screenwriters' Lecture: Peter Straughan Screenwriters' Lecture: Peter Straughan
Inside Film 2012 mins
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy's adapter reveals his quest for "the poem of the book" and the importance of simplicity: 'Drain the pond to find the fish'.

Gabriel Yared on composing for film Gabriel Yared on composing for film
Inside Film 2013 11 mins
Composer of The Lives of Others, The English Patient and Betty Blue on intimacy and experimentation.

Lois Burwell on movie makeup Lois Burwell on movie makeup
Inside Film 2013 17 mins
Lincoln, Braveheart and Magnolia make-up artist Lois Burwell explains how she created some of her most iconic looks, as part of a BAFTA Masterclass.

Barry Ackroyd (Masterclass) Barry Ackroyd (Masterclass)
2013 61 mins
British cinematographer of The Hurt Locker, Captain Phillips, Hillsborough and Riff Raff reviews the art of the moving image.