British Pathe

Soho, London.

M/S of seven glamorous but scantily dressed women getting out of a London taxi - "a bevy of beauties and a party about to begin - what more lively combination could you ask for"? They walk past a doorman in a top hat and enter Fleming's hotel.

M/S of five men with handlebar...

Soho, London.

M/S of seven glamorous but scantily dressed women getting out of a London taxi - "a bevy of beauties and a party about to begin - what more lively combination could you ask for"? They walk past a doorman in a top hat and enter Fleming's hotel.

M/S of five men with handlebar moustaches in vests sitting at a restaurant table, one of the men is wearing a sombrero and they all have garlands of pasta around their necks. The women saunter past and the men stand and doff their hats. Two of the men pretend to have a scuffle, as if they were trying to get to the women. The women take a seat at a nearby table. M/S of the restaurant and the two tables. Panning shot along the table of waiters serving large plates of spaghetti to the women. The narrator explains "the party is, in fact, a contest to see who can swallow spaghetti fastest - the beauties from London's Talk of the Town, or the hairy gentlemen of the Handlebar Club - who are recognised (in some places!) World Champion Spaghetti Eaters". M/S of the men - they are wearing ties but no shirts and all have different types of caps and hats on. Panning shot of plates of spaghetti having the sauce poured onto them. C/U of a man in a flat cap, Bunny Austen. The waiter ladles sauce onto his plate and Bunny starts to mix the spaghetti violently. The narrator explains that boxing gloves are worn by the men as a handicap. C/U of a waiter sprinkling cheese onto Isobel Hull's spaghetti.

M/S of all the competitors looking expectantly towards the judging waiter. At the sound of a gong, they all tuck into their spaghetti. C/U of Pat Cocks (nearest the camera) and Ivor Ridd stuffing their faces with spaghetti, uninhibited by their gloves. C/U of Terry Tracy/ Jones trying to shovel spaghetti into her mouth and still look sexy. C/U of Pat filling his face. C/U of Shirley Ambrose having trouble eating spaghetti from the fork. C/U of Bunny eating very rapidly. C/U of a girl in a spangly leotard, Jean Muir, leaning over Valerie Kay helping her to shovel in the spaghetti. C/U of Bunny swigging a pint of beer before returning to his pasta. M/S of Isobel leaning over and stealing Mike Horton's almost empty plate. While he comically looks around for it, she empties her spaghetti onto his plate - "cheating is allowed, if it's not too obvious". The waiter takes Mike's plate from Isobel. C/U of the top of Harry Jaffa's sombrero as he chows down. C/U of Jean helping Carole Dowell to eat. Panning shot of the men's table as they finish their spaghetti and lick their plates clean - "the girls have the spirit but not the knack of carefree gorging which is the mark of your true champion".

M/S of the men as a waiter claps his hands to mark the end of the race - they stand and raise their hands in victory - revealing that they are not wearing trousers (Bunny is, in fact, sporting a rather fetching pair of patterned Y-fronts!). C/U of Carole and Shirley delicately dabbing their mouths with napkins and shrugging defeatedly. M/S of the women getting up from their table and walking over to the men. The women lean over the table and tuck a red rose behind the ear of each male competitor. C/U of Harry Jaffa standing as one of the girls admires his pasta necklace.

Please note - the Jean Muir in this item is not the fashion designer!
- Terry's surname is given as Tracey in the commentary and Jones in the paperwork.