CHILDREN & FAMILIES

KEYWORDS: CHILDREN, FAMILIES.

There are thousands of stories in the Pathe archive about children and family life.

Basically, whatever adults did children did much better. A multitude of activities were undertaken by young children for the absolute delectation of the Pathe audience. They included; spelling, charity work, painting, soapbox racing, skiing, modelling, dressing up, ballroom dancing, shopping, holidaying, horse riding, rodeo, swimming the channel, playing music, paddling, going to the circus and the zoo, playing table tennis, ballet, driving cars, making films, judo, exercise, gardening, acting, doing magic, rowing, farming, acrobatics, gymnastics, tennis, hunting, fishing, fencing, golf…

And most of all PLAYING!

Perhaps the most famous Pathe family were the "The Windsors" of Buckingham Palace. Pathe were very privileged to film the Royal Family for the first time ever at leisure in the Palace Gardens in 1937 for the story "OUR ROYAL FAMILY AT HOME".

Less famous families were filmed in less traditional habitats throughout the Pathe period; police stations, castles, floating homes, caravans, holiday camps….

They were also filmed doing slightly more exotic things than playing with their Corgis; tandem holidays, hop picking, bread making, decorating for Christmas, riding the wall of death, flying around the USA, acrobatics…

Many celebrities were also filmed with their families, perhaps the most amusing being Norman Wisdom and his son preparing for a photo portrait!

SOME HIGHLIGHTS

49/33: "YUM YUM!"; Children celebrate the end of sweet rationing in the spring of 1949.
EP 68: "FATHER! AND WHY NOT"; 50 stone US man with his extended family.
EP 161: "FAMILY FOOTBALL"; Father and 11 sons make up a football side. And referee!
G 116: "THE OMNI BIKE"; A bike designed for an entire French family!
39/5: "SOUTHAMPTON'S FAMILY OF 32!
52/12: "12, SHE DRIVES BLIND FATHER".
52/74: "KIDS ART" (displayed at the Royal Institute in 1952)
52/76: "COLES, COLES, COLES, & COLES" (Cole Quads celebrate 2nd Birthday)
53/51: "LEEDS CHILDREN'S DAY"
55/56: "PRAGUE - CHILDREN'S PT DISPLAY" (classic newsreel mass demo by 600 kids)
56/56: "SOME FAMILY!" (Canadian Farmer adopts 25 children)
57/78: "NEW BOY - PRINCE CHARLES"
58/31: "LITTLE GIRL COMES TO TEE" (6 year old golfer)
50/3: "STONE-AGE MAKES COMEBACK" (American family live in cave)
54/8: "6 PAIRS OF TWINS IN 6 YEARS"
56/8: "THE VOYAGE OF THE SCOLOPAX" (Cornish Family set sail for a new Coral Island home)
57/76: "BALMORAL HOLIDAY" (Royal Family at leisure)
58/75: "THE JOYOUS OCCASION" (Churchill celebrates Golden Wedding anniversary)
59/1: "CAVE FAMILY GETS HOUSE AT LAST"
59/74: "QUIVERFUL" (Scottish family of 21; The Simpsons!)
60/63: "HOLIDAY EVERYWHERE" (well, Brighton and Bournemouth actually…)
62/80: "REAL LIFE CINDERELLA" (a girl from Birmingham who looks after her siblings)

KEYWORDS: CHILDREN, FAMILIES.