This film is part of Free

Official Opening of the Classic Hammersmith including Hammersmith Regatta News Reel

Who needs the Boat Race? Not Hammersmith, with its own regatta - complete with greasy pole competition. Nearby, the Classic Cinema reopens to fanfare.

Non-Fiction 1951 5 mins

Overview

Bored by the Boat Race? Wondering who comes third? The Hammersmith Regatta declares itself the everyman's rowing event in this local newsreel, and makes a strong case with the addition of a greasy pole competition. Away from the riverbank, the reopening of the Classic as a repertory cinema gathers much interest - and not just because of the free sherry on offer.

An opening double bill of American B-movie thriller The Brute Man (1946) and Silvana Mangano in the Italian Bitter Rice (1949) suggests a somewhat eclectic programming strategy. Unfortunately the cinema was closed before the decade was out, and the building was later demolished.