1911 Film

[Chris Scott]

The cutting below is from the Evening Post (an Australian paper) of 18 Feb 1911
Does anyone know which film this is "dealing with the Whitechapel murders" at this early date?

[Rob Clack]

Could be a newsreel about the Houndsditch Murders and the Siege of Sidney Street. The timing is about right.

Rob

[Chris Scott]

Very good point Rob
Never thought of that
Many thanks

[spryder]

Might be this film, produced the month before this article cameo ut:

http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/489616

HOUNDSDITCH MURDERERS

(1911)

List of alternative names

* ANARCHISTENSCHLACHT IN LONDON

Copyright date
Not available

Production start date
03/01/1911

The Sidney Street siege. "HOUNDSITCH MURDERERS: THE GREAT ALIENS OUTRAGE AT MILE END SHEWING (sic) THE ACTUAL SCENES." A view looking along Sidney Street, with police standing near to the camera and puffs of smoke seen issuing from from windows on both sides of the road (34). "Police and soldiers firing from alleyways and windows." Troops, police and detectives are seen in the foreground and there are further shots of the street showing firing going on from both sides (128). "Back view and detectives firing on besieged building." Shots taken from the roof tops of other nearby buildings and a MSC of watchers on the top of one of the buildings (156). "Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill directing operations." Similar shot - Churchill not visible (169). "The beseiged house in flames." Smoke begins to pour from the windows (214). "Arrival of the fire brigades from all parts of London and entering the house." Roof-top shot of firemen fighting the flames and bringing up an escape ready to amek an entry (281); the item ends with a MS of firemen entering one of the windows of the house (284ft.) DIE HOUNDSDITCH MORDER. DAS GROSSE ANARCHISTEN ATTENTAT IN LONDON. AKTUELLE SZENEN (8) Oblique view of Sidney St, Whitechapel, with corner shop and terrace houses. Line of caped police across road holds back dense crowd (12). Grey, misty shot in opposite direction towards the besieged house. Caped police, 2 gents in toppers, mongrel collie, curious opensided car (32). Similar view further down street with crowd in side street. All attention is focused on house 100 yards down on the left (49). SCHUTZLENTE & SOLDATEN FEUERN VON SEITENSTRASSEN UND FENSTERN (54) Similar view from further right with better view of left side. People in doorways (60). Detail of crowd, including women, from behind (65). View down street with crowd at far end visible. Puffs of firearm smoke from ground floor of house on left (76). Oblique shot of police, bystanders and shops on right (80). Shot of skyline of corner building: The Rising Sun, with people silhouetted against sky (85) MCU of police and bowlerhatted men (89). View down street: puffs from both sides (109). Police from behind. Street with puffs of smoke. Heaving crowd from the front. Police outside corner pub. Scots Guardsman with rifle stamps his feet to get warm (142). Rooftop view of roofscape (153). [All the rest is shot from a 3rd floor rooftop] Good oblique view of the besieged house: last house in the terrace before the corner shop (155). MCU of backs of people on roof with foreground man sitting on the ridge smoking (163). View of the house: smoke comes from 2nd floor (176). DAS BELAGERTE HAUS IN FLAMMEN (179) Smoke comes from 3 floors (229). ANKFUNFT DER FEUERWEIR (232) Men approach along pavement. Crowd follows (241). Fireman hose 3 floors. Extending ladder approaches and is placed against 2nd floor. A fireman climbs and descends. 2 firemen on the ladder (293). Medium shot of fireman climbing in 1st floor window (297ft). Note: The copy described above is a German language version which is identical with English version (Silent Newsfilm catalogue N.354) except that the latter has an intertitle for the rooftop scene "Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill directing operations" (the shot does not show Churchill). The final scene of the fire matches a still from the Andrews Pictures Ltd coverage reproduced in The Bioscope 5 January 1911 p 9.

[Chris Scott]

Hi Stephen and many thanks - that may well the answer
Chris

[Rob Clack]

There's some footage here on the British Pathe site. I don't know if it's the same footage.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=82760

and

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=84933

Rob

[m_w_r]

Hi chaps,

If you can get into the British Pathe website, you can see some of this footage: this is the shot-by-shot synopsis.

London - Coverage of the Sidney Street Siege.

Back view of policemen looking down road.

Intertitle reads: "Police and Soldiers Firing From Alleyways and Windows".

Various shots of police moving about and holding back curious crowds. LS down the street people are standing in doorways. Quick shot of the Rising Sun public house. VS of more senior officials. LS of bullets hitting buildings. VS of the besieged house on fire. More shots of bullets impacting on walls of street. VS of police holding back crowds. More shots of bullets.

Intertitle reads: "Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill Directing Operations".

More shots of the burning building.

Intertitle reads: "The Besieged House In Flames"

More shots of burning house. Quick shot of police on roof of building. More shots of police holding back crowds.

Intertitle reads: "Back View and Detectives Firing On Besieged Building".

Different angles of the area around Sidney Street. More shots of burning buildings.

N.B. Item found in Unidentified Gazettes reel. No shot of Churchill visible to this cataloguer - MD

Regards,

Mark

[Chris Scott]

Thanks for the links and details
Enjoyed watching those a lot

[Chris]

Quick shot of the Rising Sun public house.

Of tangential interest to Ripperologists as the home of Aaron Kozminski's eldest brother, Isaac Abrahams, in 1915.

[Rob Clack]

The pub in question:



Rob