This film is part of Free
The Whisky of His Ancestors
Dewar’s were so proud of making one of the world’s first cinema ads, they recycled it seven decades later
Overview
Let’s toast one of the world’s earliest cinema ads. Dewar’s were so proud of the rediscovery of this Victorian-era film commercial that they used it again on TV in 1977. The idea of ancestral portraits coming to life to share a wee dram had been used in earlier print ads and merchandising, and it had already been adapted for film in the US in 1897.
No original copies of this British version are known to survive, only this reissue which unfortunately played back the footage at the wrong speed, making it unnaturally fast and a little ridiculous. Stay tuned to our version, as the original advert is repeated at a more appropriate frame rate, making the narrative and performances much easier to appreciate.
Related
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.