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Title: SECRET OF THE LOCH

Reference number: 6390

Date: 1934

Production company: Pathescope

Sound: silent

Colour: bw

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 35.03 mins

Description: Three part Loch Ness Monster drama with frequent subtitles, dating from 1934.

The British Film Institute hold comopt 35mm version for preservation.

Credits: Pathescope presents
Billie Bristow & Charles Bennett

Shotlist: [shotlisted from VHS, manual control track]

[0:00:00] title [0:00:09] Extract from Daily Mail of Oct 19th, 1933. Whether people believe in the existence of a Loch Ness 'Monster' or not, Highlanders are convinced that the watery depths harbour some fantastic and abnormal creature. [0:00:21] newspaper headlines [0:00:46] man running at night, comes to public house [0:01:11] int. pub, subtitle 'I've seen it!' [0:01:23] Man - 'The Monster, it's terrible, horrible' [0:01:32] barmaid - 'You talk nonsense', zoom in and over crowd [0:01:56] Professor Heggie... (Seymour Hicks) enters bar [0:02:04] 'Seen the Monster?', walks to bar [0:02:21] 'I doubted before, now I know it's real' [0:02:28] man - 'Something must be done' [0:02:41] 'I appeal to you, the country's finest scientists', pan scientists in room in natural history museum [0:03:15] c/u cartoon that one man is doodling [0:03:18] man stands up 'Pah! It's floating wood' scientists argue 'Then what is it ?' [0:03:29] man exclaims 'A what? A Din-Dinosaur !', scientists disagree [0:04:09] 'Let me speak. There is a Dinosaur in the Loch.' [0:04:29] Jimmy Anderson... (Frederick Peisley) [0:04:45] int. natural history museum, dinosaur skeleton [0:05:00] man - 'That's not in your POND!' , Professor hits man with his hat 'LOCH, Sir' [0:05:29] man approached by reporter 'I'm Anderson of the 'Sun'. Can I have your story?' men talking 'You keep away from me.....jackass!' [0:06:08] reporter to boss 'Thinks it's his monster. Can i cover the story?' [0:06:19] boss - 'He's crazy. All the same, go ahead' [0:06:27] reporter dances a jig [0:06:35] Back in the Highlands, Professor Heggie prepares to carry put the exploration of the bed of the loch. [0:06:47] l/s loch. Man in diving suit with brass helmet. Reporter viewing from bank as diver enters water [0:08:06] light lowered into water [0:08:18] underwater intercut with shots of men on deck [0:09:10] human skeleton on loch bed [0:09:20] shadow creeps up as diver shines torch [0:09:50] boat crew struggle to raise diver [0:09:54] 'What's the matter ?' 'Don't know sir. Somethings wrong' [0:10:20] men pulling diver's hose , intercut with c/u pressure guage [0:11:01] man pulls up broken hose [0:11:12] 'A JAGGED END!' [0:11:20] END OF PART 1 CONTINUED IN PART TWO [0:11:43] title [0:11:56] Professor Heggie, more convinced than ever that the Monster really exists, is charged with the manslaughter of the diver who did not return from the depths of Loch Ness [0:12:26] int. court [0:12:31] prosecutor speaking - 'Gentlemen of the jury, you have closely inspected this pipe line.....Professor, I suggest that proper care was not taken.' [0:13:00] jury. Professor (Defendant). Judge - 'Belief in the Monster is out of the question!' [0:13:15] prosecutor - 'Do you seriously wish us to believe you?' Shot of Professor [0:13:29] judge - 'Recall James Anderson' reporter takes the stand [0:13:59] 'You are still under oath. Do you keep to your story favouring the Professor ?' [0:14:20] prosecutor - 'But couldn't the rocks do the damage ?' [0:14:27] 'They might !' [0:14:30] 'You are a newspaper reporter' [0:14:35] 'Thus it might be to your advantage to keep up the story.' [0:14:45] Professor - 'How dare you say that! The Monster does exist !' [0:14:58] Still ignoring the ridicule of others who think the Monster a myth, the Professor awaits the verdict of the Court. [0:15:16] c/u watch, gvs court [0:15:35] judge - 'Gentlemen, have you considered your verdict ?' [0:15:40] 'Yes sir, we have .....a verdict of Death from Misadventure.........' [0:15:40] gvs jury [0:15:56] 'But we must add a rider. We find Professor Heggie was negligent.' [0:16:07] Professor - 'I protest... it was the Monster !' 'Something in the Loch attacked the diver.' [0:16:30] newspaper presses running [0:16:43] Professor reading newspaper [0:16:50] 'They accuse me!' [0:17:00] to other man 'No? Read here what they say.' [0:17:25] large man in kilt enters room and shows in reporter [0:17:33] Professor - 'You wrote one of these.' [0:17:41] 'Murderer! That's what you call me. Murderer!' [0:17:55] reporter - 'Give me the facts and i'll clear you.' Animated discussion. Defendant reaches for shotgun above fire, before collapsing in chair [0:18:30] man in kilt escorts reporter out of room [0:18:51] man 'Can you wonder at it? Fancy calling him a murderer!' [0:19:05] man - 'He'll go mad unless it is stopped.' [0:19:16] defendant's daughter (Angela) - 'Don't torment father, whether it's true or not.' 'It's making him crazy.' [0:19:48] Genuinely impressed by the Professor's sincerity and greatly attracted by his daughter. Jimmy Anderson resolves to help all he can. [0:20:07] reporter to daughter 'Suppose i was to prove the Monster real?' [0:20:42] reporter to man in kilt (Angus) - 'Angus i have an idea. you help me, i help you to-night...' [0:20:54] ext., nightfall, Angus and Jimmy leave house. Professor watches from window with shotgun [0:21:57] daughter awakes [0:22:22] Professor leaves house, daughter watches from window [0:22:55] daybreak, daughter leaves house [0:23:24] END OF PART 2. CONTINUED IN PART THREE. blank [0:23:45] title [0:23:56] Part 3 [0:23:57] Realising that the life of Jimmy Anderson is at stake, Angela Heggie has hurried to the local inn to fetch his newspaper colleagues. [0:24:24] Professor in woods, daughter at inn. She tells colleagues [0:24:59] Professor agape [0:25:02] Unable to catch up with the conspirators, the Professor sees them leave on his exploration boat. [0:25:20] boat departs [0:25:40] Jimmy Anderson decides to play the diver's part and descend into the depths of the Loch. [0:25:53] Jimmy prepares and is lowered as Professor watches from shore [0:27:06] Professor boards rowing boat [0:27:25] gvs underwater as Jimmy is lowered to bed of loch [0:28:48] Jimmy studies abandoned diving helmet [0:29:35] monster intercut with Jimmy and boat above [0:30:38] Professor - 'So there's nothing there? Mad am I?' 'Monster or no monster he shall not come back'. [0:31:08] Angus - 'That means death!' Professor wielding gun - 'Well, if it means that, let it. LET IT!' [0:31:18] underwater, Jimmy and monster, intercut with boat [0:32:12] Angela arrives in rowing boat [0:32:39] Jimmy is lifted from loch bed as struggle ensues on boat between Professor and Angus [0:33:24] Jimmy emerges from water, his colleagues arrive on shore [0:33:52] monster breaks surface of water and is photographed [0:34:25] Jimmy and Angela kiss [0:34:47] THE END A Pathescope film[0:35:03]