This film is part of Free
Xmas 1937
Join at the Yeatman family's Yuletide celebrations with this delightful home movie of their 1937 Christmas dinner.
Overview
Take a peek at the Yeatman family's Yuletide celebrations with this delightful home movie of their 1937 Christmas party preparations and dinner. The star of the show is the plump and glistening Christmas pudding brought out by the family's uniformed maid, and it's a real treat to see the joy and silliness it inspires in the paper-hatted diners.
Ronald Yeatman, who shot and composed this film, was a keen amateur filmmaker, and made a whole host of home movies documenting family occasions from the mid-1930s to the early-1950s. For this particular episode, he's made inventive use of what was known as 'pre-tinted' film stock - black and white film which was specially dyed a certain colour - as he cuts between the festive green of the intertitles and the rich red of the picture for a charming Christmassy tone.
Related
Toys Will Be Toys Toys Will Be Toys
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1988 5 mins Location: South Shields
Barbie dolls in pink battle khaki killing machines in a Christmas animation that cocks a snook at the “Disney Doctrine”.
A Bronte Christmas A Bronte Christmas
Documentary 1980 14 mins Location: Haworth
Richard Whiteley joins children on the Worth Valley Railway Santa’s Special, while the Haworth Town Band sing On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at.
Christmas in Belfast Christmas in Belfast
Government sponsored film 1977 2 mins Location: Belfast
Christmas in Belfast at the height of 'The Troubles'. Not the most wonderful time of year.
Christmas Play Christmas Play
1959 18 mins
Taking the lid off the creative process - of a group of theatrically-minded 11-year-olds as they stage the nativity.
Wartime Cinema Christmas Greeting Wartime Cinema Christmas Greeting
Announcement 1940 1 mins
A thoughtful Christmas message in hope of peace from early in WWII - the absence of loved ones hit hardest at holiday times.
Family Christmas Family Christmas
Amateur film 1952 4 mins Silent Location: Norwich
Christmas Day, Norwich 1952 and following the traditional lunch for 4 generations of the Youngs family and offspring - the party is out in the back garden for some fun and fresh air.
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.
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.
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.
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.
New Perspectives: Oldboy New Perspectives: Oldboy
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Discover why Dan George of Northumbria University believes everyone should experience Oldboy at least once.
New Perspectives: Wings of Desire New Perspectives: Wings of Desire
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Trixie Parkin-Christie of Northumbria University offers fresh insight into why Wings of Desire remains essential viewing.