This film is part of Free
Champion Athletes at Birmingham (1902)
Crowds enjoying the spectacle at Birmingham Athletics Club.
Overview
Amateur athletics was hugely popular in the Edwardian era, but sadly only three films of athletics meetings survive in the Mitchell & Kenyon collection. This film is densely packed, with fine coverage of track and field events, presentations and crowds, and vignettes of the champions. Plus there's an early screen heartthrob in American sprinter Arthur Duffey, who teasingly blows a kiss to camera.
Duffey's fellow American Samuel Jones, the champion high-jumper, is also singled out by the filmmakers. These shots reflect the extent of American domination of athletics at the time. Duffey - the Usain Bolt of his day - had been the hot favourite for the 1900 Paris Olympics, but injury denied him victory in the 100 yards final. Look out for the on-screen advert for the New Century Pictures cinematograph exhibition at Birmingham's Curzon Hall, where this title was shown, alongside a range of other films including Lord Kitchener's Return. The Birmingham Daily Mail review delighted at the "capital animated pictures of the Birmingham Athletic Club Sports on Saturday."
Related
Hull F.C. v Hull Kingston Rovers (1902) Hull F.C. v Hull Kingston Rovers (1902)
Non-Fiction 1902 4 mins Silent Location: Kingston upon Hull
Rugby arch rivals lock horns in Hull.
Leeds Lifeboat Procession and Sports at Roundhay Park (1902) Leeds Lifeboat Procession and Sports at Roundhay Park (1902)
Non-Fiction 1901 19 mins Silent Location: Leeds
Jolly japes and jumping in the lake - it's the water carnival in Leeds on Lifeboat Day.
Leeds Athletic and Cycling Club Carnival at Headingley (1902) Leeds Athletic and Cycling Club Carnival at Headingley (1902)
Non-Fiction 1902 7 mins Silent Location: Headingley
Athletes and acrobats wow the crowds at the annual Cycling Club carnival.
Great Local Derby, Accrington v Church Cricket Match (1902) Great Local Derby, Accrington v Church Cricket Match (1902)
Non-Fiction 1902 5 mins Silent Location: Accrington
Rare film record of an Edwardian local league cricket game between two Lancashire sides.
Arthur Mold Bowling to A.N. Hornby (1901) Arthur Mold Bowling to A.N. Hornby (1901)
Non-Fiction 1901 9 mins Silent Location: Old Trafford Cricket Ground
Did he bowl or did he throw? A fascinating record of an early cricketing controversy.
Burnley v Manchester United (1902) Burnley v Manchester United (1902)
Non-Fiction 1902 2 mins Silent Location: Burnley
First-ever footage of Manchester United in a tense Edwardian football fixture.
Wheelchair Access Wheelchair Access
Magazine and Review show 1981 7 mins Location: Selly Oak
From Selly Oak to Birmingham's Head Post Office in a wheelchair - how hard could it be?
New Fifty Pence Piece New Fifty Pence Piece
News 1969 2 mins Location: Birmingham
Don't become a victim of the new fifty penny piece!
Arthur Dooley Arthur Dooley
News 1971 8 mins Location: Birmingham
A middle class designed city with no style - Arthur Dooley pulls no punches in Birmingham.
Decent Place with Hot and Cold Decent Place with Hot and Cold
Documentary 1970 27 mins Location: Birmingham
An impressively stark documentary study of Birmingham slums - past and present.
Pakistani Bus Driver Pakistani Bus Driver
News 1974 2 mins Location: Birmingham
Bus timetables are sacrosanct to some but to others there are more important things in life - and faith is one of them.
Indian Businessman Indian Businessman
News 1975 4 mins Location: Leicester
He arrived in Britain with £3 and went on to become one of the richest business men in the Midlands. How did Amrat Parmar do it?
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archive’s role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.
Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels
Short documentary 2024 12 mins
Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI national archive, explores the origins of a series of comic travelogues, and Michael Powell's involvement in making them.
New Perspectives: Oldboy New Perspectives: Oldboy
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Discover why Dan George of Northumbria University believes everyone should experience Oldboy at least once.
New Perspectives: Wings of Desire New Perspectives: Wings of Desire
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Trixie Parkin-Christie of Northumbria University offers fresh insight into why Wings of Desire remains essential viewing.