British Pathe

Islington, London.

M/S of a glamour girl wearing a sexy Father Christmas outfit made of red velvet trimmed with white fur. She has a brightly coloured parrot sitting on her arm and poses against a curtain backdrop which has little bits of cotton wool attached (to represent snow presumably)....

Islington, London.

M/S of a glamour girl wearing a sexy Father Christmas outfit made of red velvet trimmed with white fur. She has a brightly coloured parrot sitting on her arm and poses against a curtain backdrop which has little bits of cotton wool attached (to represent snow presumably). A very bizarre sight! Camera pans down to show that the skirt of the outfit is very short, carries on to show her lovely legs and little red bootees!

This is a greetings card studio in Islington. The model is Vanda Hudson. London Zoo have allowed the artists to borrow live animals to use as models. L/S of Vanda in the studio. A man walks into shot - a quintessential artist, he wears a beret, an artist's smock and smokes a pipe. He walks over to Vanda and pulls her skirt up even shorter. The artist is King Gridley. Designer Davy Kaye is also mentioned. Over the shoulder shot of King at work. C/U of Vanda - she looks unreal, like a waxwork or someone in a Pierre et Gilles photograph. Camera pans for a better shot of the Tropical Macaw on Vanda's arm. L/S of King at work - pipe in mouth.

Another shot of the illustration taking shape. Narrator states: "Live models are adding to the artistic value of the present day greetings card. Until recently, human figures - if they were used at all - were painted from photographs or from memory." King approaches Vanda and she relaxes her pose a little - they chat. She stretches out her legs and gets down from the podium. C/U of the card featuring Vanda.

M/S and C/Us of various card designs. Another model - Eunice Melville - sits on the podium posing with a furry African potto (honestly!). Another artist - presumably Davy Kaye - arranges her pose. M/S of Eunice who wears fishnet tights and bright pink long gloves posing with the potto. L/S of King hard at work and C/U of his design focussing on Eunice's lovely legs. C/U of the potto enclosed in the pink gloved hands of Eunice. C/U of the painting taking shape. C/U of a new design - it is a card combined with a gift. One features jewellery attached to the card, another a lighter. A rather plain woman (compared to the aforementioned glamour pusses) looks at the cards. C/U of a "get well" card which features a pinup girl design. Another card which reads "Just peeping in to wish you ..." on the outside and "A Merry Christmas" on the inside features a "peep hole" device which upon opening reveals the painting of Eunice and her big legs!

Note: Truly awesome story! Has to be the most bizarre and wonderful Colour Pictorial story this cataloguer has yet seen. It really is a Christmas treat!

Paperwork includes a letter from the company featured "Kaye-Kards" (sic) and a letter inviting Vanda to appear in this film. Kaye-Kards was based in Laycock Street in Islington. According to paper records this film story was filmed at Isow's Restaurant in Brewer Street. Eunice's pins were insured for £7,000!

A potto is also known as a Kinkajou! (SL)