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Some of My Best Friends...

Jewish people - and a few Gentiles - muse on what it means to be Jewish in 1960s Britain. The challenges of maintaining faith and culture outside Israel, and in a society where ‘Jewish’ and ‘English’ are seen as mutually exclusive identities are perceptively explored in this astute documentary. Some secular Jews are keen to distance themselves from traditional Judaism and especially Zionism (one defines himself simply as a Marxist). Gentiles are on hand to cheerfully perpetuate some of the old stereotypes, and we’re treated to colourful snapshots of the Jewish community in London: the rag trade, a kosher butcher and restaurant.

Some of My Best Friends...

NR 1969
African Awakening

Among the many parts of the world in which Unilever companies operate, West Africa has a special place. The Africa of popular imagination is a land of jungles, swamps and mud huts; but side by side with the traditional, a new Africa is growing and the film "African Awakening” is an expression of this, of the attitudes of those African men and women who are today the driving force of West African progress. “African Awakening”, a colour film which runs for 38 minutes, is one of a series of Unilever films dealing with different aspects of African life.

African Awakening

NR 1962
Les Bicyclettes de Belsize

A 1968 British musical short film (30 mins) starring Judy Huxtable and Anthony May. It was directed by Douglas Hickox. It tells the story of a young man (May) cycling around the Hampstead (NW3) area of London on a Raleigh RSW16. After crashing into a billboard he falls in love with a fashion model (Huxtable) depicted on it. Despite the title, the Belsize Park area does not actually feature. There is almost no spoken dialogue, and the soundtrack to the film is musical virtually throughout. The title song of the film has been a hit for Mireille Mathieu and Engelbert Humperdinck (a top ten hit in the UK and a top 40 hit in the USA) amongst others. The title is derivative of the French film, Les Parapluies de Cherbourg; apart from a musical theme there is no other obvious link.

Les Bicyclettes de Belsize

7.4 1968
Trapped

When three year old Willy wanders away from home he falls among thieves. They are forced to kidnap him. The police ask Dickie, his elder brother and his friend, Johnny to help in the search. Johnny's friends all join in and meet with varied adventures. The children find Willy in a disused warehouse but cannot rescue him. Three more are caught by the gang who lock them in with the now unconscious gang leader and escape with the jewels. The police, alerted by the children, capture the gang, recover the jewels and finally rescue the children, including Willy

Trapped

NR 1964
The Court Martial of Major Keller

Lawrence Payne stars as Major Kellor, a well respected and decorated officer who is being court-martialled for the murder of his commanding officer Colonel Winch. The facts of the case are shrouded by the mayhem of war and the effects that fear, pressure and duty have upon a soldier. Did the Major covet the Colonel's wife? Was the Major ambitious and kill Winch to secure a promotion? Or had the Colonel cracked under the pressure of an illustrious battle career? To prove his innocence Major Keller must rely on the evidence and testimonies given in court, however when he himself is the only witness, his word may not be good enough to win his freedom.

The Court Martial of Major Keller

7.0 1961
Stop the World: I Want to Get Off

The Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse London and Broadway musical hit Stop the World, I Want to Get Off is given literal treatment in this filmization. Newley stars as Littlechap, whose allegorical rise to success is countered by the instability of his private life. Like the play, the film is staged impressionistically, with Newley decked out in mime makeup and periodically stopping the action to address the audience, and with all the women in his life -- German, American and "Typically English" -- played by a single actress (Millicent Martin, taking over from the stage version's Anna Quayle). In Wizard of Oz fashion, the play itself is lensed in color, while the brief prologue, showing the actors preparing for their performance, is in black-and-white. The production includes such standards (and perennial audition pieces) as What Kind of Fool Am I? and Gonna Build a Mountain.

Stop the World: I Want to Get Off

5.0 1966
Love's Presentation

'Love's Presentation' may be a time capsule of a rising art-world star, but it also pokes fun at the perspective of a celebrity profile. In its opening sequence, an antsy-looking Hockney squirms as a narrator reads aloud critic Jasia Reichardt’s introduction to his star persona. Scott’s portrait of Hockney is more expansive, spurning the growing popular image of the artist in favor of following him at work; He’s described the film as a “how-to” documentary. Filmed in April '66 in Hockney’s ground-floor apartment and studio, Hockney himself improvised the narration while watching the film. We watch the artist carve delicate lines into the plates, submerge them in an acid bath outside his window, then wipe his hands on the window curtains... A rare, relaxed close-up on Hockney’s creative process.

Love's Presentation

6.5 1968