Moments from "Merry Merry"

Series

Series Name: Eve And Everybody’s Film Review

Issue

Issue No.

408

Date Released

28 Mar 1929

Length of issue (in feet)

966

Stories in this Issue:

Story

Story No. within this Issue

6 / 6

Summary

NoS Summary - Peggy O’Neil, A.W. Baskcomb and W.H. Berry at the Carlton Theatre.
British Pathe synopsis: Extracts from the new musical comedy from the Carlton Theatre in London called "Merry Merry." Peggy O’Neil plays the famous "star" Sadie La Salle and A. W. Baskcomb plays Henry Penwell. C/U of the two actors in a taxi. Henry puts a silly hat on his head and Sadie laughs. Henry starts making a pass at Sadie, kissing her hand and trying to cuddle her. She doesn’t look very happy. They speak into what is presumably an in-taxi communication system: "Drive 20 miles off the map - slowly - " Henry then starts grabbing her in earnest. She turns away as if pretending to be coy. She then stops moving and Henry pulls a face. "That began the trouble for Peggy developed a broken rib from her admirer’s big squeeze, and had to see a Doctor, (for Journalistic effect)." Sadie wears an elaborate sequinned night gown with two nurses dressed in white. W. H. Berry plays the doctor. He looks over the top of screen and sees Sadie having her medicine. Sadie puts on a fur trimmed dressing gown. The doctor puts on a very large fake beard, top hat and gloves. Sadie pretends to be at death’s door and the nurses make a great fuss of the doctor. The doctor takes her temperature and listens to her chest with a stethoscope. She laughs as he tickles her with it. A character called Penwell has his doubts about the doctor. They have an argument. The chorus girls do a high kick routine wearing long frilly frocks. We see this in L/S and also from the orchestra pit - getting a good view of their legs. Various shots of the routine. The girls end the routine by bending over and holding on to the girl in front around the waist then scuttling off stage in a long line.

Keywords

Performing arts

Locations

London; England

Footage sources

Pathe

Written sources

Kinematograph Weekly 4 April 1929 p43.
Pathe Inventory File Tin No.108
British Pathe Database 1997 Reference No.EP108 Used for synopsis
D. Gifford ‘Entertainers in British Films’ (Westport, 1998) p16.
National Film Archive Catalogue

Credits:

Production Co.: British Pathe Ltd.

Length of story (in feet)

259

This series is held by:

Film Archive

Name: British Film Institute (BFI)
Email: For BFI National Archive enquiries:
nonfictioncurators@bfi.org.uk
For commercial/footage reuse enquiries:
footage.films@bfi.org.uk
Web: http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web
Phone: 020 7255 1444
Fax: 020 7580 7503
Address: 21 Stephen Street
London W1T 1LN
Notes: The BFI National Archive also preserves the original nitrate film copies of British Movietone News, British Paramount News, Empire News Bulletin, Gaumont British News, Gaumont Graphic, Gaumont Sound News and Universal News (the World War II years are covered by the Imperial War Museum).
Series held: View all series held by British Film Institute (BFI)

Name: British Pathe Ltd
Email: info@britishpathe.com
Web: https://www.britishpathe.com/
Phone: 0207 665 8340
Address: 3.29 Canterbury Court
1-3 Brixton Road
London
SW9 6DE
Notes: Pathe now also handles the Reuters Historical Collection, which includes the British Paramount, Empire British, Gaumont Graphic and Gaumont British newsreels.
Series held: View all series held by British Pathe Ltd

Record Stats