British Pathe

Clacton, Essex.

L/S of a crowd of adults and children all watching something. The camera pans across to where they are looking. Several young women are lining up in front of a table where a redcoat is standing, her name is Margaret Higgs. She picks up a mask and ties it over the mouth and nose...

Clacton, Essex.

L/S of a crowd of adults and children all watching something. The camera pans across to where they are looking. Several young women are lining up in front of a table where a redcoat is standing, her name is Margaret Higgs. She picks up a mask and ties it over the mouth and nose of the first girl. The narrator tells us this is a contest to see who has the most beautiful eyes and the masks help the judge concentrate on the eyes and not the whole face.

M/S of the girl, who is wearing a green swimming costume, with the mask over her face, Margaret gives her a board with the number '1' on and she walks off. Margaret puts a mask on the next contestant. C/U of the girl and Margaret tying the mask at the back. The third contestant is stood on the left. The second girl is given her numbered card and walks off, the third girl steps forward and smiles at the camera, she is Miss Pamela Kemp aged 22. M/S of the people in the crowd smiling. C/U of Pamela's face with the mask on as Margaret ties it at the back. C/U of a board with number '3' on being picked up from the table. C/U of Pamela's masked face again, she turns and walks off. C/U of a man smiling in the crowd. M/S of the back view of one of the girls as she joins the others behind a screen. M/S of the front of the screen which is red with white dots. There are four window shapes visible with red curtains behind them, contestants 2 to 5 line up at the windows and hold their boards up so they can be identified. Contestant number 4 is Rita Higgs aged 18 and number 5 is Pauline Mitchell aged 19.

The judge walks past them, he is Don Cook aged 31 and is the comic at the camp. The camera moves with him to show contestant number 1 stood at her window. He takes her chin in his hands and moves her head from side to side looking at her eyes. He moves over to contestant number 2 and does the same. C/U of him holding her face and looking at her eyes.

C/U of the eyes of another contestant. C/U of another contestant with dark hair. C/U of Pauline's face shot at an angle. C/U of her eyes. C/U of another contestant behind her window with a green mask on, she is shot at an angle. C/U of a lady in the audience watching. M/S of Don walking up to Pauline and looking at her eyes. M/S shot from behind Pauline, Don pulls down her mask and kisses her on the lips. C/U of two children laughing in the audience. M/S of Don as he replaces Pauline's mask, he turns towards the audience looking pleased with himself. M/S of a man and woman in the crowd smiling.

M/S from behind of the girls standing at their windows. M/S of the crowd shot from behind one of the contestants looking through the window. L/S of Don at the windows, other girls are lining up ready to take their place and a girl holding a board with number '10' on is having a mask tied round her face. Contestants 1 to 5 move away from their windows. M/S of the previous couple in the crowd applauding. L/S from behind the crowd of the windows and the judge. C/U of a girl in the audience smiling. L/S of the windows and crowd, a man consults with Don and then summons Pamela forward as she has been chosen as the winner "by the fraction of an eyelash"! Everyone applauds and she walks forward and shakes hands with Margaret the redcoat. M/S of Pamela accepting her prize from Margaret. She pulls her mask down and turns round to face the audience. M/S of the crowd applauding enthusiastically. C/U of a man in the audience asleep with his head resting on his hand. C/U of Pamela's prize which is a cosmetic set with perfume and soap. The camera moves up to a C/U of Pamela's face smiling with the audience applauding in the background.

Please note: There are noticeable scratches on this film.