This film is part of Free
Down by the Sea
Peacehaven, near Lewes, gets the star treatment in this spiffing celebrity travelogue.
Overview
Picturesque Peacehaven, near Lewes, is the co-star of this spiffing travelogue. The other lead role is taken by stage and screen star Hilda Bayley, touring the Sussex resort: an early example of celebrity endorsed promotional filmmaking. The film was produced by Pathé, possibly for its Pathé Pictorial cinemagazine series, but more likely as a stand-alone piece sponsored by an outside agency for tourist promotion purposes.
The experienced professionalism of Pathé’s technicians shows in some strikingly well-composed scenic views, the vivacious Ms Bayley often placed in the foreground. The actress is best known today for playing opposite Ivor Novello in his debut feature Carnival (1921) and for her starring role in the notorious Cocaine (1922), which is available on BFI Player.
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.