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Title: SIR HARRY LAUDER VISITS THE REGENT PICTURE HOUSE, GLASGOW, TO VIEW HUNTINGTOWER

Reference number: 7936

Date: 1928, October 5

Director: [d. James Hart]

Sponsor: [ Regent Picture House, Glasgow]

Sound: silent

Original format: 35mm

Colour: bw

Fiction: Non-Fiction

Running time: 2.21 mins

Description: Sir Harry Lauder visits the Regent Picture House, Glasgow, to view "Huntingtower" (the feature film adaptation of John Buchan's novel). Footage includes long queues outside cinema, and Sir Harry shaking hands with both cast and cinema personnel.

This short, local topical film was made on the Friday morning by James Hart. By teatime the newsreel film had been developed and printed as was run as a prologue to the main feature. Audiences delighted in spotting themselves in amongst the crowd up on the big screen.

William McGaw, manager of the Regent Cinema at the time the film was made, and featured in this film, won awards for showmanship during his career as a cinema manager, he was a great publicist. See also the Minutes of the Glasgow Picture House Co. held at National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive.

"HUNTINGTOWER", the feature film adaptation of John Buchan's novel is a 'missing believed lost' British silent film. See LOST BUT NOT FORGOTTEN booklet held at National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive.

George Pearson, director of HUNTINGTOWER, is believed to have sold the negatives of that film for a number of his company's films in the 1930's when he was in financial straits. These negatives were sold to a chemical company to be re-cycled for the silver elements.

Shotlist: [Please note film has been shotlisted at 18fps. Actual running speed is 16fps]

Sir Harry Lauder visits the Regent Picture House, Glasgow, to view Huntingtower (0.08) tracking shot along very long queue of people snaking along street and round corner. They wear coats and hats against the cold. Shop fronts visible in background (0.41) slower panning shot, featuring the "Gorbals Die Hards" in full costume who stand on the front steps of the Regent (the front of the cinema has been dressed up like a baronial castle). Sir Harry shakes the boys hands and poses for camera, smoking his pipe (1.00) closer shot of one of the boys shaking Sir Harry's hand. The three boys have beaming smiles (1.01) Sir Harry received by Mr McGaw, manager of the Regent (1.06) shot of same (1.13) and Mr Jackson Hamson manager of the famous Lasky in Scotland (1.19) Sir Harry now shaking his hand (1.26) Sir Harry shakes another man's hand [unid.], then makes his way through crowd, presumably into cinema (1.38) exts Regent Cinema with sign 'Sir Harry Lauder in Huntingtower'. Queue of people as seen from across the road (1.45) further gvs queue, people bustling about in street, shop fronts [including exts "Archd. Cameron" ] next door to the cinema (2.21)