British Pathe

London, Elstree Studio, Crayford.

GV. Leicester Square cinema, zoom illuminated title "These Lights Must Not Go Out." Empire Leicester Square at night. The intertitle reads "The whole cinema industry staggers under a backbreaking burden, the entertainments tax. Relief must come." Crowd in a...

London, Elstree Studio, Crayford.

GV. Leicester Square cinema, zoom illuminated title "These Lights Must Not Go Out." Empire Leicester Square at night. The intertitle reads "The whole cinema industry staggers under a backbreaking burden, the entertainments tax. Relief must come." Crowd in a foyer - people in dinner jackets and great frocks. Crowd in front of cinema greets the starts who arrive with smiles: Jack Hawkins, Gary Cooper, Richard Todd. Inside the cinema more stars are seen: Kenneth More, John Mills with wife and daughter, Marilyn Monroe, Diana Dors chatting to Sir Laurence Olivier, nice C/U shot of Janette Scott. This is probably one of the Royal Performance nights.

Several shots of people queuing to by tickets. Projectionists working in the projection box. Several shots of the piles of film tins. Film cameramen lined up, shooting - strong arch lamps behind them. Nice shot of Elstree studio. Top shot of the studio set being prepared and lit by huge arch lamps. Men working in the studio: carpenters mostly. Several shots of the people painting sets. Woman painting set. Succession of shots of the closed cinemas - abandoned buildings. Pathe reporter interviews people at the street (natural sound). He asks a woman with a child: "Do you miss your cinema now that it's closed?" She answers that she does, and her children even more. She says that her children went once a week and they miss it very much. Reporter asks elderly man the same question. He also misses it - he misses the entertainment.

C/U of a sign reading 'Crayford'. Crayford lost its only cinema last year - says voiceover. Several shots of the streets of Crayford and Crayford Town Hall. Reporter goes to interview the Chairman of the Urban District Council. C/U the Chairman sitting at his desk talking (natural sound).

He talks about the town's efforts to keep its cinema but at the end they had to close it. Several shots of mass of children entering a cinema. Children seated in cinema waiting for ilm to start. Great succession of C/U shots of the faces of children while watching film.

Cinema foyer with Christmas tree and a small girl giving present to Father Christmas to be put under the tree - donations for sick children are collected in local cinemas. Several shots of the old people seated at a long table having a party. Nurses deliver food and drinks - another action organised by local cinema. C/U of 101 year old Mrs Budd for whom the local cinema held a birthday party.

Cinema manager saying goodbye to its staff after being forced to close down. Outside the cinema lights go off for the last time - dark street. Pathe reporter interviewing cinema manager after the closure. Manager feels that something must be done to stop the cinema closure. He says he will contact his MP about it and urges all cinema goers to do the same. GV. Leicester Square cinema, zoom illuminated title "These Lights Must Not Go Out."

(Orig.)