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Title: BALLAD O' THE BOOLS, a

Reference number: 7438

Date: 1985

Sound: sound

Original format: std. 8mm

Colour: col

Fiction: Fiction

Running time: 8.49 mins

Description: An amateur comedy drama, in which, after a night in the pub, boastful Tam is challenged to a midnight game of bowls by the devil. Tam wins the game by default, but he never sets foot on a bowling green again.

Note from Mr Saberton: This film was made for the Strathclyde Event on the theme "Perils of Drink". The story, based on a poem and featuring Satan and a bowling match, had lain around for years but was finally made in 1985. Filmed at Wishaw Bowling Club off Kenilworth Avenue it was shot day for night. There is a technical problem with this film in that there is a note in the box to say that the main stripe is liable to strip off as it was home striped but reassuringly the note states: "don't worry if it does". The sound is actually recorded on the balance stripe which was professionally applied by Cresta Electronics and is ok. The devil was played by Bryan Law.

Paper archive records relating to the Dalziel Camcorder Club are held at the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive..

Credits: cast Tom Davies (Tam Turpie), Bryan Law (The Deil), Jack Anderson, John Ballantyne, John McMillan, Brian Saberton
p. team Tom Park, Bill Farquharson, Jean Ballantyne, Bryan Law

Shotlist: [shotlisted from VHS copy, manual control track]

Dalziel Cine Club presents - title - FROM A POEM BY THE LATE HAROLD STEWART OF THE "DAILY RECORD" - shots of men playing bowls - measuring distances for scores (1.05) shot of man buying pint of beer at bar, joining his friends at table in pub - they all drink up as the barman points at the clock showing 10.30pm (2.18) drunken friends stagger out of pub - Tam staggers off down the lane on his own but is hailed by the Devil as he passes the bowling green - shots of the Devil standing on the path swinging his tail - Tam looks aghast as the Devil challenges him to a game of bowls - Tam and the Devil head for the clubhouse, get their bowls and start the game - intercut with c/u shots of jack and bowls (5.41) shot of scoreboard, reading "De'il, Tam' (6.19) scoreboard reads 19-19 with one bowl left each - shot of the moon - the Devil bowls and knocks the jack into the ditch - Tam bends down to mark the bowl, there is a clap of thunder and the Devil disappears at the sign of the cross on the bowl (7.54) Tam's friends invite him for a game, but he never sets foot on a green again - THE END (8.49)