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Title: DEATH OF A QUEEN, the

Reference number: T0419

Date: 1972

Director: d. Russell Galbraith

Producer: Russell Galbraith

Production company: p.c Scottish Television

Sound: sound

Original format: 16mm

Colour: col

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 26.30 mins

Description: The life of the passenger liner "Queen Elizabeth" from being built on the Clyde in 1938 to ending her days on fire in Hong Kong harbour in 1972.

Credits: rep. Bill Kerr Elliot
film research Marjorie Orr
archival material John Brown's Clydebank, Imperial War Museum, Movietone News and Pathe Gazette
sd. Garry Coleman, Len Southam
film cameraman Varick Easton
ed. Iain MacKenzie, Bill Robertson

Shotlist: No opening credits. Shots of reporter talking about the plans for "Queen Elizabeth" now sunk in Hong Kong harbour; gvs archive footage of Queen Elizabeth; reporter outlines former plans to turn her into a floating university (1.53); Contrast drawn between present condition and heyday of ship; archive footage, including ints. (2.21); talking head: Commodore Geoffrey Marr, last Captain of QEI, talks about the ship, John Brown's in background (3.22); archive footage: gvs industry and construction in John Brown's Shipyard, including slip No. 4, the launch place of the Queen Elizabeth; rivetting (5.08); Launch of the liner (6.33); Mixed photographic stills and archive footage illustrate Liner leaves UK for USA to escape bombing during the war, sailing to Singapore for conversion to troopship and attempts to sink her during war (10.21); First "real" maiden voyage taking American forces home after the war; c/u carved grafitti on wooden fittings of ship (11.42); QE is re-fitted for passengers; ints. ship (12.56); Speed trials with Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and her daughters present; Newsreel camera, "Movietone" shooting footage on board; first passenger voyage with shots of life on board ship; shots famous passengers, Charlie Chaplin?, Prince Edward and Mrs Simpson; Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy; send-off, shot Commodore Sir James Bisson?; arial shots arrival of ship in New York harbour; women using horse riding? simulators; intv. massaged passenger; intv. lady passenger dressing for dinner with the help of a maid, speaks of enjoying the service that she does not have at home; dinner (18.53); section of newsreel: gvs Overhaul in 1953; incudes scrubbing, sanding, polishing and cleaning; electricians; cleaning propellers (20.27); 1966, liner returns to Clyde for re-fitting, but economically unfeasible, so she makes her last voyage (20.44); Liner sold to American consortium and berthed at Fort Lauderdale in Florida as a tourist attraction, but firm bankrupted still owing £2 million to Cunard (23.00); talking head: Commodore Marr talks about the liner (24.55); Ariel shot: liner on fire in Hong Kong harbour; v/o speaks of court verdict that sabotage sank by persons unknown; reporter standing on hulk (25.39); Shots of the QE after the fire with "Queen Elizabeth" Clydebank 1938 -Hong Kong 1972 superimposed over the picture (26.30).