British Pathe

Produced c. 1952

Spinning Dunlop Tennis ball Logo with Title 'Tennis "Greats"'. Made by Pathe Documentary Unit.

Women playing singles tennis match in 1900. Men's doubles match at Wimbledon (paperwork says this is 1914, commentary says it is a Davis Cup match in 1913). The stands are...

Produced c. 1952

Spinning Dunlop Tennis ball Logo with Title 'Tennis "Greats"'. Made by Pathe Documentary Unit.

Women playing singles tennis match in 1900. Men's doubles match at Wimbledon (paperwork says this is 1914, commentary says it is a Davis Cup match in 1913). The stands are almost empty. C/U Suzanne Lenglen carrying tennis rackets. King George V and Queen Mary in Royal Box Wimbledon (1925). Lenglen playing singles, crowd watching and applauding. Ms Lenglen and her opponent walking off court (1925). Big Bill Tilden practising his strokes in front of a crowd. (1921). Henri Cochet playing at Wimbledon (1927). He obviously hasn't hit good shot as he waves his racket in frustration. Rene Lacoste playing stroke (1924). Jean Borotra playing (he wears a beret)(1928). Crowd watching match. Borotra (at far end of the court) plays, finishing with a big smash. He starts to walk off court. Crowd throwing cushions onto court (Paris 1930). C/U Big Bill Tilden. Crowd shots. Tilden playing (France 1930). Sidney B. Wood (described as the American Wonder Boy) standing with opponent before starting match at Wimbledon (1927). Crowd watching match. Wood serving and playing. (At this stage Wood is around 16 years old and is wearing plus fours and a very natty pair of socks). Sidney B. Wood (now grown up) playing (1931). Donald Budge serves and plays. Ball boy throws ball to him at the end of the point (1937). Ellesworth Vines playing, he is in the near court (1931). Suzanne Lenglen surrounded by a crowd of men. She is holding two large bunches of flowers. Helen Wills playing, she is wearing a sun visor (1924). A ball boy collects the ball from behind her while the play continues. Cut away to show Ramsay (Ramsey sp) MacDonald (Prime Minister) watching the match. Helen Wills and Suzanne Lenglen, both holding rackets before match (1924). Helen Jacobs smashing a ball (1933) (She is the first player shown in the film wearing shorts). Helen Wills returning ball. Helen Jacobs receiving Wimbledon Ladies Trophy (Cup) in 1936. Helen Wills standing at net holding racket and balls. She has a small dog on a lead. C/U Helen Wills (wearing sun visor). Helen Wills playing with a small white dog.

Alice Marble wearing cap and holding rackets. Crowd applauding. Alice Marble playing tennis, she finishes with a smash. Crowd shot. Senorita de Alvarez playing. Betty Nuthall serving in doubles match. Betty Nuthall as a child with tennis racket standing with young boy. M/S Kay Stammers, holding racket. Crowd shot. Kay Stammers playing (cuts between Shots of her and high angle shots of the court). Dorothy Round playing at Wimbledon (cut with crowd scenes)(1937). Men's double match - G. P. Hughes and C. R.. Tuckey in far court. H. W. Austin and opponent walk onto court at Wimbledon (1934). Crowd cutaway. H. W. Austin playing (he was know as "Bunny" Austin). Doubles match Fred Perry (serving) and his partner G. P. Hughes. Crowd cutaway. Perry playing singles. Davis Cup presentation. The man who has received the cup walks backwards towards the players. J. H. Crawford playing. John Bromwich playing. Cuts to shot of umpire and net judge. The umpire is wearing a straw boater hat. High Angle shot of tennis court (commentary suggests that Bromwich is playing in the far court). Kay Stammers playing (1946). Jean Borotra playing . He removes his beret and leaps over the net upon winning. Dark shot of King George VI presenting cup at Wimbledon to J. A. Kramer (Jack), with him is Tom Brown (1947). Robert Falkenburg lying on court and then getting to his feet. Richard Savitt serving and playing. Crowd applaud. Yvon Petra makes winning shot and shakes hands with opponent. Jaroslav Drobny serves (he is wearing sunglasses). Frank Sedgman playing. Tilt up the legs of "Gorgeous" Gussie Moran. C/U of Gussie, she appears to be modelling a new outfit. Doris Hart practising (1952). Louis Brough playing. Brough (in the near court) appears to laugh after hitting her opponent with the ball. Ball girl collects ball from court during this incident. Maureen Connolly (known as "Little Mo") playing. High angle slow motion shot of Connolly playing. Crowd applauding. Connolly shaking hands over her head after victory. Dissolves to End Titles. "Dunlop Wishes You Good Tennis".
Note: Documentary tracing Tennis from the turn of the century to the early 1950's. Documentation includes shot list noting which reel shots come from. All dates come from this paperwork and may not be correct. Commentary and other paperwork available.