British Pathe

Four reels of cuts exist for the documentary "Lure of the East" which traces an expedition by car from Leeds to India in 1924. It is very difficult to identify the locations featured in this material. Shots do not seem to be in any kind of order. Further research will be undertaken.

Reel 2...

Four reels of cuts exist for the documentary "Lure of the East" which traces an expedition by car from Leeds to India in 1924. It is very difficult to identify the locations featured in this material. Shots do not seem to be in any kind of order. Further research will be undertaken.

Reel 2 of the cuts features the following: Felix II driving on a railway line, men moving sand with shovels as camels walk behind them. Soldiers on horseback - nationality unknown - possibly Persian. Landscapes, locals, soldiers on the march (Persian army?), marching band, our travellers being met by His Highness Kawam-ul-Molk in a garden (Turkey?).

01:44:40 - desert landscape, local people, our travellers taking tea and smoking with Kawam-ul-Molk - see next paragraph - (he smokes a hookah - our men just smoke cigarettes!), large unidentified temple (could be Mosque at Adrianople), street scenes, trams, soldiers admiring Felix mascot (who is looking a little worse for wear), desert landscape, camels in the road, ancient ruins.

01:47:34 intertitle reads: "Built around 700 B.C. and destroyed by Alexander the Great at the whim of Thais, the Courtesan, it still gives us a faint idea of the wonderful state of civilization of Persia two thousand years ago." (some of these cuts must have actually been part of the finished film). Iran - ruins. The Commander of the Garrison turns out the troops to meet our travellers. Persian army is modelled on the Russian style we are informed. Various shots of the army on parade. "Incidentally, the British Consul here has just a guard of "Hodsons Horse" as smart a set of Indian troopers as one would wish to meet". Shots of troopers on horseback. "We also met His Highness the Kawam-ul-Molk. Head of the five great tribes of the Khamseh. Worth probably about £400,000 a year he can raise an army of 20,000 men in twenty-four hours." Our men sit and smoke with the Kawam-ul-Molk.

01:51:44 Reel 2 of the cuts (continued): intertitle reads: "And another hundred miles from Shiraz we had another nervous moment (remembering our previous experience with the Bedouins)". High angle shot of a man in white running across a desert landscape with large number of men on horseback chasing after him. "We were thankful to find, however, that these were decidedly more friendly, and the Chief, especially, seemed very pleased indeed to offer us hospitality." Chief on horseback arrives and shakes hands with Forbes-Leith. Men stand around holding guns as the two chat. "The tents of these nomadic tribes are made of goat-hair and camp can be struck in five minutes." Shot missing.

01:53:05 - "The meal - an endless assortment of foods. (Fingers were invented before knives and forks so the latter were dispensed with)." Nice shots of flat bread being laid down on a blanket and our travellers sitting down to eat with their hosts. "As a special favour, we were allowed to film two of the Chief's wives - and the son and heir" shot missing. "After the wonderful hospitality we encountered, we were really sorry to leave, but they gave us a great send off - " Men on horseback are gathered and point their guns into the air. Large number of men on horseback are seen lined up next to Felix II. A shy and beautiful local woman smiles at the camera.

01:55:01 - treacherous road, village scenes, woman on horseback (surely in England somewhere), men tinkering with aircraft door (seems out of place here).

01:56:10 Reel 2 of the cuts (continued): street scene. Intertitle reads: "We visited too, the remains of the old Seven Walled Palace of Xerxes, where pilgrims still deposit offerings on the feet of an ancient lion shrine". L/S of our party and an unidentified woman standing beside a rock which resembles a lion. "After a few days in Hamadam (where Redknap had the bad luck to strike a second dose of malaria), we got on the move again and reached Kasvin." Shots of Kasvin / Qazvin in Persia / Iran.

01:57:19 "Outside the town threshing the crop was in full swing - in precisely the same primitive way that sufficed five thousand years ago" (shot missing). A group of locals bid the explorers farewell as Felix drives off from Dalbandin (?). Intertitle reads "Near Mushki, five miles from the Afghan frontier, we had the inevitable struggle, but gradually nearing Quetta, the road was improving." Felix moves slowly over rough ground. Intertitle refers to "The pebbles on our beach", then we see local men moving boulders from Felix's path. Caravan of 4 camels walks past. Felix struggles over rocky ground and crosses a stream.

01:59:06 "Thirty miles from Quetta we were met by another car, and followed the great Military road -". Travelling shot of the other car following behind. Locals with camels by side of the dusty road. One small camel trots along the road behind us.

02:00:12 Intertitle says the explorers first see Quetta; very light general view of the road as we move slowly along - Quetta is probably seen in the far distance but very difficult to make out. Felix drives along a road and up to the Military quarters. Forbes Leith and another man get out and walk off. Locals and soldiers crowd around Felix. Some of them subject the Felix mascot to some manhandling. Intertitle: "And here our 5 1/2 months journey of 8,500 miles - 3,000 of it over roadless country and desert - was ended - the trail had been blazed." The explorers pose with a small group of people, including two women, beside Felix. Final intertitle: "And so, friends, goodbye!".

End of Reel 2 of cuts.