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Title: SILVER CITY, the

Reference number: 2225

Date: 1957

Director: d. Henry Cooper

Sponsor: Films of Scotland and Aberdeen Corporation

Production company: Anglo Scottish Pictures

Sound: sound

Original format: 35mm

Colour: col

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 20.00 mins

Description: An impression of the city of Aberdeen.

Premiered at Capitol Cinema Aberdeen, June 21st 1957. First Films of Scotland Committee films to be entirely sponsored by a local authority. Interiors filmed inside Crathie Castle. Man with silver hair painting ceiling is Forsyth Hardy. Highland dancing scenes include well-known dancer J. L. Mackenzie.

Production file held.

Credits: comm.w. and comm.s. John R. Allan

Shotlist: Aberdeen coat of arms (.05) credits (.16) map of Scotland (.25) landscape shot with the River Dee (?) in the foreground (.31) map of North East Scotland (.36) aerial shot of Aberdeen's docks (.42) a pilot in the cabin of his aircraft (.48) aerial shot of Aberdeen (.55) scenes at Aberdeen Airport as a passenger plane taxies to a halt and people alight (1.17) view from a bridge as a steam train approaches, passing through a station (1.24) street scenes in Aberdeen (1.47) shot of a tug pulling a large boat into Aberdeen Harbour (1.52) a Scandinavian sailor swabs the deck of his ship (2.03) l/s of Aberdeen Harbour (2.07) at the harbour, a man walks into shot smoking a cigarette (2.14) beach and playground scenes (2.41) a father halps his sons to build a sandcastle (2.59) one of the boys plays in the wreck of a ship lying on the beach (3.47) more shots of sandcastle building; boy who explored wreck talks to a young couple on the beach (4.25) l/s of Aberdeen harbour (4.31) scenes at the docks: cargo ships; timbers from the Baltic being unloaded (4.59) fishing boats lined up at the harbour (5.06) seagulls cluster around the bow of a fishing boat (underexposed shot) (5.11) shots of trawlers in Aberdeen harbour (5.31) c/u of three fishermen talking (5.35) baskets of fish are unloaded from a trawler (5.51) gulls try to steal fish from the crates waiting to be auctioned, but they are chased away (6.01) general shots of activities at the quayside and of auctioning taking place in the fish market (6.14) c/u of three men at the harbour (6.23) pan from Castle Street across the roofs of the city (6.41) l/s of Castle Street and Union Street (6.47) street scenes of Aberdeen with shots of cars, buses and a tram (7.05) a Norwegian sailor looks at a statue of Robert Burns and watches people playing outdoor draughts (7.47) shots of large flower beds (8.03) scenes of activities at a boating pond - children feeding the ducks and playing in boats (8.36) golfers at the woods in Hazelhead and at the seaside (8.54) a flagpole carrying the Australian flag and a flag with the initials SCU (poss. Scottish Cricket Union?) (8.57) shots of the crowd and l/s of the players at a cricket match between Scotland and Australia (9.17) shots of Rubislaw granite quarry and men working with excavated blocks of granite (9.57) l/s of Marischal College (10.04) students in red robes cross the road to the College (10.16) a young couple admire the details and carvings above an arch at the college (10.27) medium and tilting shots of St. Nicholas Kirk (10.41) scenes of the fishing village of Footdee, children are seen playing in the street (11.01) ext. shots of the Wallace Tower (11.21) ext. shot of the Old Town House (12.18) shot of the Cathedral (St. Mary's) and its gates (12.28) shot of the Brig O'Balgownie over the River Don (12.33) on the bridge a young couple look over the side (12.40) shot of the Brig O'Balgownie pans to a small village (12.53) two male cyclists consult a road map of Aberdeen and the local district (13.04) the cyclists set off against a backdrop of a forested hill (13.14) pan shot from a river to a bridge which crosses it, with hills in the background (13.25) shots of a man sitting on a rock in the river fishing (13.34) l/s of cars parked near river and people having a picnic beside them (13.39) two female cyclists resting beside a tree, drinking and preparing food in pots (13.45) l/s of a bus making its way through a hilly, rural landscape (13.53) c/u of purple heather tilts to young couple walking beside a lake picking some of the plants (14.07) pan of heather-covered landscape (14.31) highland cattle grazing beside water (14.37) l/s of horses beside the water (14.45) c/u of Aberdeen Angus review book (14.50) ext. general shots of farmers with Aberdeen Angus cattle (15.24) shots of Highland cattle (15.41) l/s of Braemar Castle (15.50) l/s of Crathies Castle (15.55) medium c/u of some of the castle's ext. architectural features. Shots of tourist arriving at the castle (16.14) int. of the Tower Room at Crathies Castle and c/u of a horn given to Alexander Burnett by Robert the Bruce in 1323 (16.36) shots of decorated ceiling in Crathies Castle (16.46) shots of stained glass window illustrating Highland games (16.53) shot of man throwing the hammer at Highland games (16.58) pipe band marching along a road (17.06) panning l/s of Braemar Highland Games (17.16) shots of Highland dancing (17.20) l/s of the royal party at the Highland games - Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, Princes Anne, Prince Charles and Prince Philip (17.25) shot of standards on flagpoles (17.28) a young couple watch people and events at the Highland games, including Highland dancing, clan chiefs and throwing the hammer (18.00) shots of a football match at Aberdeen where the home team play unidentified side (18.16) shots of couples dancing at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen (19.16) ext. night shots of a hotel and the top of His Majesty's Theatre (19.29) l/s of sunset over Aberdeen (19.38) ecs (19.50)