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Title: ROBINSON CRUSOE 1944 - 1945

Reference number: 1137

Date: 1944 / 1945

Director: [filmed by friend of Harry Gordon]

Sound: silent

Original format: 16mm

Colour: col

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 10.43 mins

Description: Scenes from the pantomime "Robinson Crusoe" starring Harry Gordon and Will Fyffe. Filmed during dress rehearsal. See also ref. 12541

Research undertaken as part of the 'Pantomime in Scotland Project' at Glasgow University: https://www.gla.ac.uk/subjects/filmtelevision/projectsandnetworks/pantomimeinscotland/pantomimeonfilm/ [last accessed 15/12 2021]

See also Scottish Theatre Archive at Glasgow University: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/library/files/special/collections/STA/index.html [last accessed 15/12/2021]

Credits: cast Harry Gordon
cast Will Fyffe

Shotlist: [Please note shotlisted from VHS, timings converted from 25fps to 18fps]

Credits. Shot of programme for "Robinson Crusoe" 1944-45; ms stage backdrop (0.15) short skits and "naval" dance number (3.14) semi-balletic "birds" dance (3.45) Harry Gordon in dressing room, glamour girls pasted on wall in b/ground; [dark, oof] performer girning into camera (3.56) Robinson Crusoe [female role] and Friday [played in blackface makeup]; another "naval" number intercut with extreme c/us of the programme; [dark] postman skit; HG films himself in a mirror wearing underclothes for a "dame" part (5.13) dancers in sailor costume, marching and saluting etc. (5.38) icecream seller "Antonio Spaghetti"; dames' skits, HG as a Wren (6.26) Crusoe and Friday (6.40) brief shots of skits; comic acrobatic performance (7.11) skits (7.35) [dark] HG in dame underclothing (7.42) chorus line; skit with HG as dame, and trick bench (9.00) more dancing; HG and chorus lines singing as Wrens; (10.13) skit with HG and Fyffe (10.57) dance number; Crusoe and Friday (11.41) final scenes; Crusoe in spotlight (12.44) finale; Fyffe as Antonio Spaghetti (13.56) acrobats and finale (14.53)