British Pathe

No title. Animation by Joe Noble. Through animation the words "Not counting the foot, the human leg contains three bones. The Femur (or thigh bone) and the Tibia and Fibula." appear on screen. The bones are drawn beside the words. The bones are labelled.

"People's trades and habits can be...

No title. Animation by Joe Noble. Through animation the words "Not counting the foot, the human leg contains three bones. The Femur (or thigh bone) and the Tibia and Fibula." appear on screen. The bones are drawn beside the words. The bones are labelled.

"People's trades and habits can be "read" in their legs! F'rinstance... The Toe-Dancer is known by a pronounced development of the gastrocnemius. The fleshy calf muscle is compressed when we raise the heel." The gastrocnemius is shown as an animated legs moves. "The tailor is known by pronounced development of the sartorius or tailor's muscle. This muscle... the longest in the body, is "stressed" when we sit cross-legged." Illustration shows where this muscle is found. Various shots of tailors at work. One sits on the table cross legged as he sews a piece of fabric. "The housemaid is known by her knee. Very humorous if it's not you who's got it." A knee in striped stockings swells in and out. "Our rich uncle is known by his "parcel" Animated sequence of man with large bandaged foot being pushed around in a bath chair by a man smoking a pipe. "The Japanese girl is known by her tiny feet. Her poor little "dogs" are tightly bandaged from infancy to retard normal growth." A drawing of a Japanese girl accompanies this text. This is followed by an intertitle which reads: "So, just to spoil the effect, she has to wear the ugliest shoes in the world."

Live action sequence of Japanese child taking off one pair of shoes and putting on another. Low angle shot of scantily clad women doing a high kick routine. They wear little bikini style outfits with fig leaves painted over the appropriate spots. "Dancers! Correct, who told you? They're the London Pavilion Team.)" Low angle shot of the dancers' legs.

"Old-timers" were just as keen as we are over legs - they even put legs on trains!" We see the pages of a book being turned. Pictures of locomotives are shown. A pencil is used to show the legs mentioned. Drawing of a locomotive has the caption: "A genuine replica of Brunton's Mechanical Traveller A.D. 1812." The feet are labelled.

"Glance at an old-time version of the "Hit and Miss" line - " Animated sequence shows the locomotive moving along because the feet are walking. "For speed, our patent attachment turns the local "tar engine" into a nifty sports model - " Animated sequence of a locomotive moving along. "And finally, here are the perfect legs of Ziegfeld's perfect girl - " C/U of woman speaking to camera (no sound). Camera tilts down, she lifts up her skirts to show off her legs.

Was an item in Eve's Film Review issue number 581.