This film is part of Free

Title of error

Tennis; The Most Democratic of Games for Both Sexes

Anyone for tennis? Give your game the professional touch with the help of this enlightening 1920s instructional film.

1924 12 mins Silent

Overview

If you’re looking to perfect your backhand or tweak your serve then look no further than this enlightening and lighthearted instructional film from the 1920s. In this era tennis was all the rage in Britain and female champions such as Helen Wills, who appears towards the end of the film, were achieving international celebrity. This rare sporting equality is alluded to in the film’s title, but it’s still the male tennis experts who are shown doing most of the instructing.

The step-by-step approach and slow motion action help to convey the experts’ tips. The film is one in a series offering guidance on all kinds of sports from rowing to swimming and boxing, but producer the Stoll Film Company was better known for glossy feature films including The Hound of the Baskervilles (1921), and popular cinema series like Fu Manchu. It was the biggest studio in Britain in the 1920s. Helen Willis (nicknamed 'Little Miss Poker Face') went on to win eight Wimbledon titles and four French Open titles, and she also triumphed at the US Open seven times.

Director

John Betts

Country

United Kingdom

Language

No Dialogue with English subtitles

Watch for free

Sue Barker plays Evonne Goolagong Sue Barker plays Evonne Goolagong

Sport 1971 9 mins Location: Torquay

A young pretender takes on the Wimbledon Champion

Watch for free

Festival Wimbledon Festival Wimbledon

Sport 1951 22 mins

Extended highlights from the 1951 Wimbledon Tennis Championships

Watch for free

Centred on Wimbledon Centred on Wimbledon

Sport 1947 23 mins Location: Wimbledon

An account of the 1947 Wimbledon tennis championship

Watch for free

Colourful Wimbledon Colourful Wimbledon

Sport 1954 47 mins Location: Hampton

Wimbledon 1954, from the meticulous preparation of the 16 tennis courts to the finals and the glory on Centre Court.

Watch for free

Duke Beaten at Wimbledon Duke Beaten at Wimbledon

Non-Fiction 1926 1 mins Silent

The future King George VI takes to the court at Wimbledon Tennis Championships.

Watch for free

Sue Barker in the Ladies Tennis BP Cup Sue Barker in the Ladies Tennis BP Cup

News 1977 5 mins Location: Paignton

It's a question of Sue: tennis player Sue Barker competes against an American opponent in the Ladies Indoor Tennis BP Cup.

Watch for free

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.

Watch for free

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.

Watch for free

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.

Watch for free

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.