This film is part of Free
An incredibly joyous TV musical about a young woman's search for her long-lost cousin.
Musical 1964 70 mins
A delightful Christmas musical about a young Jamaican woman who flees her humdrum Liverpool lodgings in search of her glamorous London cousin. Broadcast live on 28 December 1964, this rare TV musical is one of few to have survived from the 1960s. A tale of Afro-Caribbean immigration, the show is unusual for its time in that it doesn't labour the issues around racial tensions in Britain, but simply celebrates Christmas and family.
The star of the programme, Millie Small, had scored a worldwide pop hit in the spring of 1964 with her breakthrough single My Boy Lollipop. She's joined by established entertainers Elisabeth Welch and Ron Moody and popular 1960s TV faces like Kenny Lynch and Brian Mosley (Corrie's Alf Roberts) in this entertaining musical fantasy full of Christmas cheer.
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1990 24 mins
Autobiographical account of a mother-daughter relationship, exploring beauty standards and female sexuality.
Drama 1992 12 mins
A young black ballerina rejects prejudice and finds her African spirit in Swan Lake.
Documentary 1981 18 mins Location: Notting Hill
West London echoes to the sound of reggae and steel pans in this kaleidoscopic record of the 1980 Notting Hill Carnival.
Inside Film 2014 24 mins
The director of Academy Award-nominated Timbuktu talks about his personal connection to the true story of quite rebellion against religious extremism.
Documentary 1992 40 mins
Meet the Abrews, a unique showbiz family whose imprint on British culture began in Scotland in the 19th century
News 1980 6 mins Location: Leeds
In this celebratory short film, Leeds is transformed with colour and spectacle during the annual West Indian Carnival.
Performance 1979 36 mins Location: Liverpool
Black music and culture in the community
Non-Fiction 1901 2 mins Silent Location: Liverpool
All ashore! Passengers disembark and crew offload after a long Atlantic crossing.
Advert 1952 2 mins Location: Liverpool
Mrs Elizabeth Baker unwinds after a busy day with a nice cup of drinking chocolate.
Charity appeal 1936 26 mins Silent Location: Liverpool
Bookbinding and a bagatelle: training for disabled people in the interwar years.
Student film 1952 12 mins Location: Liverpool
Student life and all that jazz - a visit to Liverpool University in1952.
Student film 1962 14 mins Location: Liverpool
It's a hard life being an misunderstood genius - I really should get out more.
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1936 8 mins
Spoiler alert! The fox is always going to outsmart the hounds in this delightful, balletic cartoon that heads from the countryside into 1930s suburbia.
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1936 9 mins
Carmen get your cartoon opera fix in this (very!) loose version of Bizet’s classic tale of romance and treachery.
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1909 4 mins
Toy Story meets Fatal Attraction in this tale of an Edwardian childhood romance scuppered by poor finances and a stalking dolly
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1940 8 mins
Who does he think he’s kidding? This parodic day-in-the-life portrait of Mr Hitler is one of the very few British examples of comic cartoon propaganda from WW2.
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1919 10 mins Silent
Remember when Charlie Chaplin went into space? Reality is no obstacle in this endlessly inventive silent cinema cartoon of the 'Little Tramp'
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1925 6 mins
1920s canine icon Bonzo the Dog tests the Entente Cordiale to the limit in this silent British cartoon
Do you recognise a place, building or location in this film?
Help us populate the Britain on Film map by spotting and plotting the street or location you know. This is a BFI project and anyone can help.
Go to our Britain on Film crowdsourcing site and contribute to our mapping mission – to identify locations within our archive films.
Add a location
