Cinema audiences in Britain are being given the chance to watch a special compilation of original films which would have entertained their counterparts in 1914.
‘A Night at the Cinema in 1914’ – produced by the British Film Institute National Archive – goes on release at venues around the UK from August 1st 2014.
Bryony Dixon, Curator of Silent Film, says the archives have been trawled to give a real taste of the period: “Cinemas, or ‘picture houses’ as they were known then, were beginning to boom and attract millions of people, from courting couples to children who would go regularly.”
“It wasn’t only a social event, also a chance to catch up with the world beyond your local high street.”
A century later, the BFI National Archive says it’s recreated the glorious miscellany of comedies, dramas, travelogues and newsreels which would have constituted a typical night out in 1914.
The news ranges from Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination in Sarajevo to Ernest Shackleton’s plans for another Antarctic expedition.
A colour-tinted travelogue captures Lord Kitchener, as British Consul-General in Egypt, reviewing troops.
And there’s ‘The Perils of Pauline,’ a popular American import starring Pearl White as a feisty heroine pursued by villains eager to get their hands on her fortune.
A trailer for ‘A Night at the Cinema in 1914’ can be seen here
Details of venues and dates are available here
Information & images supplied by BFI National Archive
Posted by: Peter Alhadeff, Centenary News