British Pathe

Title - 'The Road to Happiness'. Scenes from paediatric orthopaedic hospital with fresh air & sunshine treatment. London.

Opens with footage of nearly naked children playing in a pasture; picking flowers. They wear only black triangles over their groins; various plaster casts; & sunhats! (In...

Title - 'The Road to Happiness'. Scenes from paediatric orthopaedic hospital with fresh air & sunshine treatment. London.

Opens with footage of nearly naked children playing in a pasture; picking flowers. They wear only black triangles over their groins; various plaster casts; & sunhats! (In fact they never wear any more throughout the story). MS girl c. age 3 with leg in cast sitting on ground holding bunch of flowers. CU as some of the children pose with bouquets. Children cross pasture with their flowers; walking with difficulty; a nurse walks with them carrying the smallest girl. Children coming back through gates of hospital. Pan on exterior part of hospital. MS pan with small girl carrying plate across room; turns & smiles. MS child eating at table on patio. CU same. CU as girl sits on bed; eating. MS nurse spoon feeds sick girl lying flat on bed. Pan on girls eating at table. Wide shot patio: 2 children at table; others sit on very low chairs; nurse walks across. CU children in beds on patio under tree. Nurses walk on patio; past beds tucked under eaves. Wide shot section with greenhouse roof; no wall in front many beds inside; children play catch outside. MS prepubescent girl on bed; reading; with doll. LS she & another girl play catch from their beds. MS 2 children asleep in their beds. CU happy baby in pram. Doctors & nurses taking cast off child's upper body. CU putting cast on leg.

Van from Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital pulls up at building on city street. Driver opens back doors. Some more nearly nude children walk towards camera into building as people in street stare. 2 men carry in an older girl on stretcher. Next a man enters carrying girl (she is wearing a dress). Shot of waiting room with high ceiling; many people sit. Nurses examine several different patients in one largish room. MS girl c. age 12 in street clothes sits while nurse does test on girl's arm. 2 men (doctor; intern; ?) pick up girl from bed & put her in big metal brace contraption. Children wading in water at seashore. CU 2 toddlers on beach playing in sand with buckets & shovels. No one in these shots has braces; casts; etc. Then back to hospital. The 2 men lift girl from couch & stand her on the floor supporting her. She wears braces to the hips; which are connected to a sort of corset around her torso. She walks stiffly while holding doctor's hand. Nurse & a few other children sit at left. Title - 'Appeal Secretary Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, 234 Great Portland Street, London'.