London Entertains

London Entertains is a 1951 British quasi-documentary film that combines a travelogue around London with film of various variety stars including The Goons and Bobby Breen. The film was conceived by Jimmy Grafton and produced and directed by Edwin John Fancey.[1]

London Entertains
Directed byE. J. Fancey
Produced byE. J. Fancey
Written byJimmy Grafton
StarringEamonn Andrews
Distributed byWatsofilms
Release date
  • 1951 (1951)
Running time
48 minutes[1]
CountryGreat Britain
LanguageEnglish

The film uses the pretext of girls returning from a Swiss finishing school and setting up an agency called At Your Service to show tourists to London around the sites of the 1951 Festival of Britain.[2] They are aided by BBC radio presenter Eamonn Andrews who uses his show-business contacts to get the girls in to see variety shows.[3]

Entertainment locations visited include the Windmill Theatre and Grafton's, the public house owned by the film's writer Jimmy Grafton, where The Goon Show (then known as Crazy People) was recorded.[2][3] The film also includes footage of actress Gloria Swanson touring the construction site of the Royal Festival Hall and the Southbank Centre.[4] The actresses playing the girls were members of the Eastbourne Girls Choir.[3]

References
  1. Gifford, Dennis, ed. (2001). The British Film Catalogue: Volume 2. Routledge. p. 585. ISBN 978-1579581718.
  2. Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' film. BFI. p. 119. ISBN 978-1844573196.
  3. Lewis, Roger (1995). The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. Arrow. p. 282. ISBN 978-0099747000.
  4. The Year's 16mm films. Current Affairs Ltd. 1954. p. 154.
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