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Title: SUPERLINERS, the: Twilight Of An Era

Reference number: 4818

Date: 1980

Director: d. Nicolas Noxon

Sponsor: National Geographic Society and WQED Pittsburgh

Sound: sound

Original format: 16mm

Colour: col

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 57.13 mins

Description: Charts the history of the transatlantic superliners, leading up to, and focussing particularly on, the "Queen Elizabeth 2".

Credits: nar. Alexander Scourby
sc. & p. Nicolas Noxon
ass. p. Sascha Schneider, Barry Nye
ph. Erik Daarstad, Andre Gunn
ed. Barry Nye
m. Lyn Murray
sd. rec. Paul Deason, Dick Rector
additional ph. Fredric M. Abeles, Tony Coggans, Eric Camiel, Ron Longman, Jeri Sopanen
p. ass. Lin George
ass. ed. Fred Burke
research Marjorie M. Moomey
film research Sue Bennett, Judith Trotsky
m. FX ed. Neiman Tillar Associates
re-recording Ryder Sound Services
historical advisor Frank Braynard
p. coordinator Roy Brubaker
post production supervisor Linda Reavely
exec. p. Dennis B. Kane, Thomas Skinner
The National Geographic Society: Gilbert Grosvenor (ed.), Robert Doyle (president), Melvin Payne (chairman)...
...gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of Cunard Line Limited, the passengers, officers and crew of the QE2, John E Allen Inc. Park Ridge New Jersey, British Movietone News Limited, Sherman Griberg film Laboratoies, Hearst Metrotone News New York, Imperial War Museum London, Library of Congress, NFA & BFI London, Northwest Film Archive Manchester, Pathe Film Library London

Shotlist: gvs QE2 and passengers leaving Southampton dock (0.44) ints. bridge; c/u controls; ints. engine room (0.55) archive footage of previous vessels to have crossed the Atlantic; ints. banqueting hall; entertainers; shots of liner as troop carrier (1.55) gvs QE2 being tugged away intercut with shots of passengers waving goodbye and orders for engine room (2.47) ocs; A National Geographic Society special and WQED Pittsburgh (3.26) aerial ls liner at sea (3.40) ints. bridge, c/u Captain Douglas Ridley (4.10) c/u drive shaft under rotation; c/u gauge; ls engine room (4.23) gvs liner under way (5.09) ints. passengers milling, luggage being moved; c/u tattooed attendant assembling tray of vol au vents; print room; ms waiter describing menu (5.45) switchboard; gvs interiors, including recreation rooms and shop (6.12) gvs crew checking lifeboat (6.34) c/u manicurist painting nails (6.39) gvs disco dancing lesson; dog grooming; gym; bar (7.02) watertight door test (7.20) shots of passengers taking tea and reclining on deck chairs; passengers describe previous journeys in v/o (8.40) archive footage and stills of Southampton docks and immigrants bound for New York; footage of liner in a rough sea; c/u pistons (9.42) clip from 1929 film "Atlantic" dramatising the sinking of the Titanic, and the panic of the disaster (10.37) gvs lifeboat drill (11.41) c/u fog horn; ms crewman scanning the sea, mostly obscured by fog (12.08) c/u radar screen; shots of two officers looking at radar displays (12.23) iv Captain Ridley intercut with captain on bridge, aerial shot QE2 leaving fog (13.39) gvs passengers playing games and jogging (14.12) archive footage; gvs crowds of immigrants; aerial shot of liners in dock (14.46) archive footage wealthy passengers embarking and strolling on deck; c/u various 1920's celebrities; George Bernard Shaw; Chaplin; Maurice Chevalier gives brief speech (15.53) archive footage leisure pursuits e.g. pillow fights on liner; gvs construction of liner; preparation for launch; launch of the Normandie, and arrival in New York; gvs interiors, including botanical room with caged birds (18.52) archive footage of ship '534' standing incomplete; men standing outside the Labour Exchange; pipe band (19.35) Paramount News clip "Queen Mary" in New York (20.56) further archive footage on board Queen Mary, including shots bell boys having their hands inspected (21.52) iv's with captain and other staff, remembering their earlier careers (23.28) Staff Captain walks around QE2, iv in v/o (24.37) ints. Chinese men working in ship's laundry; eating a meal together (25.14) Captain Ridley meeting passengers (25.47) shots of passengers mingling; ints kitchens, iv Executive Chef John Bainbury in v/o, he walks through kitchen and speaks to a number of kitchen staff, examining ingredients and finished dishes, intercut with JB in his office; he speaks about effects the demands of his career had on his family life (29.02) ms waiters arriving at dining room, ints. diners (29.27) Security Officer Todd Wilson patrolling lower decks (30.13) ints. engine room (30.29) brief shots casino and show girls (30.50) ints. bridge, man uses satellite navigation, c/u display; (31.19) gvs passengers dancing; ls ship at twilight (31.39) gvs ship's staff activity at night (32.13) crew's bar; men sit and drink together or play darts (32.41) archive footage of sea warfare; launch of Queen Elizabeth (33.16) iv Willie Farmer, Chief Engineer Officer, speaks about being assigned to the Queen Elizabeth in wartime (33.44) archive footage Queen Elizabeth arriving in New York; Normandie, Mary and Elizabeth in dock together (35.07) gvs work on Normandie to convert it to a troopship; the fire on the Normandie; the wreck (36.15) gvs Queens Elizabeth and Mary leaving; ls crowds of servicemen packed on decks of liner (36.59) iv Willie Farmer (37.35) iv Horst Kessler, U-boat commander during 2nd world war, intercut with photographs and archive footage "from the Battle of the North Atlantic" (40.32) aerial shot liners; last troops disembark (41.17) ints. bridge, luggage is brought up (41.49) tracking shots Ambrose Light Tower; New York pilot comes aboard (42.26) gvs Queen Elizabeth arrives in New York with supervision of New York pilot, passengers disembark (44.49) passengers catch taxis aided by two men; c/u man's hand, displaying his "best tip" [17 cents and a British penny] (45.37) archive footage of ship "United States"; talking head Bob Hope; gvs 1950's passengers embarking (46.45) launch of liner France; gvs interiors (47.17) aerial shots aircraft (47.37) ints. liner, including bingo session; interiors cabins including tourist class, with young man playing guitar (49.14) iv Captain; Queen Mary leaving New York (49.40) QM in dock in California (49.53) gvs QE2 fuelling; c/u fuel meter (50.15) gvs arrival (50.32) iv Captain Ridley (50.56) gvs crew working on ship turnaround, i/v's with staff (51.26) Ship prepares for departure; gvs QE2 leaving (53.20) ecs; A presentation of the National Geographic Society and WQED Pittsburgh. As presented on the public broadcasting service made possible by a grant from Gulf Oil Corporation (54.57)