HOLIDAY FILMOGRAPHY PART 1 (1896 - 1906)

Landing At Low Tide (1899)

This is the first of a series of blog posts listing all the Holiday film titles I have found during my research over the past few years. Most of the information here as been sourced from Gifford, 2001, except the films released after 1994, the information for which I have gathered from the BFI database, and from the films themselves.

I have excluded American-British co-productions which have been funded mostly by American money, or have American stars, writers and/or directors, and therefore appear more ‘American’ than ‘British’. These include, for example: The Light in the Piazza (1961), The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone (1962), Two For The Road (1967), Funny Bones (1995) and Mr. Bean’s Holiday (2008).

Unfortunately, most of the early titles in this first entry (1896 - 1906) have now been lost.

1896:

Landing At Low Tide, R W Paul, Directed by Birt Acres

Comedy, Brighton

1897:

Children Paddling at the Seaside, G A Smith, Directed by GA Smith.

Comedy, Southwick

1898:

Sloper’s Visit To Brighton, Directed by James Williamson, Comedy, Brighton, Donkey rides, bathing

1899:

Landing At Low Tide, Haydon & Urry. Comedy

Landing At Low Tide (1899) - this is the earliest holiday film of which the BFI has a viewing copy

The Interrupted Courtship, Warwick Trading Company. Comedy,

Couple try to steal kiss in busy hotel lounge

They Do Such Things at Brighton, Warwick Trading Company,

Cast: Will Evans.

Comedy

1900:

An Incident on Brighton Pier, Directed by GA Smith. Comedy

‘The masher mashed’.

A Wet Day at the Seaside, RW Paul, Comedy,

Children make ‘seaside’ in their bathroom.

1901:

Interior of a Railway Carriage – Bank Holiday, Hepworth. Directed by Percy Stow, Comedy

1902:

Tommy Atkins and His Harriet on a Bank Holiday, Directed by GA Smith, Comedy, Coster couple dance

The Swells, RW Paul. Comedy, Men peep into girl’s bathing machine and die of shock

1903:

A Trip to Southend or Blackpool, Directed by James Williamson. Comedy, discomforts of a crowded railway compartment

1904:

The Great Sea Serpent, Directed by James Williamson. Comedy. Boy puts worm in seaside telescope.

Professor Richard Codman’s Punch & Judy Show, Directed by John Codman, Comedy, Llandudno, seaside puppet performance.

Mixed Bathing, Directed by Alf Collins. Comedy, Brighton. Fat husband flirts with swimming girls

Lovers on the Sands (aka A Stroll on the Sands), Directed by Alf Collins. Comedy, Brighton

On Brighton Pier, Directed by Alf Collins. Comedy, Brighton

A Day at Brighton, Directed by Alf Collins. Comedy, Brighton

A Trip to Paris (USA: An Englishman’s Trip to Paris from London), Hepworth, Directed by Lewin Fitzhamon. Comedy

1905:

Mr Brown’s Bathing Tent, Directed by Percy Stow. Comedy, Folkstone. Boys pin ‘Ladies’ sign on man’s bathing tent.

The Inquisitive Boots, Hepworth, Directed by Lewin Fitzhamon.

Cast: Sebastian Smith

Comedy, Hotel ‘Boots’ peeps through keyholes

The Annual Trip of the Mothers’ Meeting, Hepworth, Directed by Lewin Fitzhamon.

Cast: Sebastian Smith, Thurston Harris

Comedy, Southend

Father’s Picnic on the Sands, Cricks & Sharp. Comedy

Peeping Tom, Cricks & Sharp, Directed by Tom Green. Comedy, Hotel guest bores hole in wall and is caught by girl’s husband

1906:

When Father Got a Holiday (Reissue: 1913), Directed by Percy Stow. Comedy. Mother, father and large family go for a cycle ride

Seaside Lodgings, RW Paul, (Directed by JH Martin). Comedy

A Lodging House Comedy, Directed by Alf Collins. Comedy. Boots has revenge on drunken toff by changing room numbers.

Our Seaside Holiday, Sheffield Photographic Company, Directed by Frank Mottershaw. Comedy, Family of six go to seaside by train

Seaside Views, Cricks & Sharp, Directed by Tom Green. Comedy, Tramps peep into bathing machine and get caught

Caught by the Tide, Clarendon (Gau) Directed by Percy Stow. Adventure. Couple cut off by tide, are hauled to cliff top.

The Troubles of a Seaside Photographer, Walterdaw. Comedy, Mishaps of a photographer at seaside

When Cripples Meet, Gaumont. Directed by Alf Collins. Comedy, Margate. Invalids fight when Bath chairs collide

Her Morning Dip, Gaumont. Directed by Alf Collins. Comedy, Margate. Peeping Toms surprised when comely girl is revealed by her costume as bony

Rescued by Lifeboat, Gaumont. Directed by Alf Collins. Adventure, Margate. Lifeboat launched to rescue capsized trippers