British Pathe

Cunard - Liverpool, Merseyside.

Excellent footage of musical comedy stars Cicely Courtneidge and Jack Hulbert plus dancers and musicians; rehearsing for show on board the Cunard liner ship 'HMS Lancastria'.

Various shots of rehearsal; w/ the entertainers wearing street clothes (hats...

Cunard - Liverpool, Merseyside.

Excellent footage of musical comedy stars Cicely Courtneidge and Jack Hulbert plus dancers and musicians; rehearsing for show on board the Cunard liner ship 'HMS Lancastria'.

Various shots of rehearsal; w/ the entertainers wearing street clothes (hats and coats). Dancers; mostly women w/ a few young men; performing hornpipe with Charleston steps and high kicks incorporated. The chorus girls pretend to mob a male actor who doesn't really look much like idol material. Cut to M/S of a slightly chubby man posing beside the railings of the ship, looking out to sea - looks like one of the male stars. Cut back to a few shots of the girls all crowding around him; and running in a group towards camera. It looks like they are preparing for a show to be actually performed on board the ship.

Good shots of musicians in the band: great CU profile of piano player playing; w/ cigarette hanging out of his mouth. CU drummer playing. More hornpipe dancing. (I think Cicely Courtneidge is seen in the front row, wearing dark cloche hat - SL). Orchestra sitting in rows, playing for the dancing. Pan across the rehearsal scene, showing a small group of female spectators sitting on chairs.

Shot of a woman with a fur stole with her back to us, chatting to some men and smoothing her hair. She turns round and we see it is Cicely Courtneidge, chatting to husband and fellow performer Jack Hulbert and another man. Cicely smiles for the camera, fusses with her gloves and flings her fur over her shoulder. Nice footage. Jack watches the company going through very energetic routine (finale?), without their hats and coats this time. Cicely wears sailor hat. More of the girls dancing - doing Charleston steps. Cicely and the chorus girls pose for photographers.

Girls climbing up the rigging; their skirts blowing around - but not too much. CU Cicely and Jack pose w/ their heads stuck through ship's life ring (name of ship 'HMS Lancastria'). M/S of the performers, led by Cicely and Jack, coming down the stairs from upper deck to lower.