This film is part of Free
Are We Down-hearted?
Cecil Hepworth’s Vivaphone film features Hay Plumb singing George Robins’ optimistic 1906 ditty.
Overview
Cecil Hepworth’s Vivaphone film (an early system for matching mimed action to music recorded on 10” disc) features well-known actor, director and writer Hay Plumb singing George Robins’ optimistic 1906 ditty concerning the mischievous responses of a poor family to regular visits from the bailiffs.
Plumb is assisted onscreen by a chorus of Hepworth studio regulars: Madge Campbell, Jack Hulcup, Chrissie White, Alma Taylor, Jamie Darling (“Whimsical Walker”), and Frank Wilson, who probably directed it, as the bailiff. The accompanying Vivaphone disc featured Charles Bignell and was issued in December 1910.
Cecil Hepworth launched his synchronized sound system, the Vivaphone, in 1909. The device synchronised pre-recorded phonograph discs with a film picture which featured actors miming to the recording. This film from the BFI National Archive has been synchronised to its corresponding original recording, supplied to the BFI by Tony Barker. Special thanks also to Glenn Mitchell for coordinating the project and digitising the recording.
This synchronised Vivaphone film has been supported by The Adam S Rubinson Charitable Fund.
Related
Spelga Dam Spelga Dam
Industry sponsored film 1960 17 mins Silent
A concrete reason to give a dam about water supplies in Northern Ireland, in the heart of the picturesque Mourne Mountains
Credo Credo
1978 23 mins
Blood on the Streets. Bengali youth fight back against racism and the National Front after the death of Altab Ali.
H Block Hunger Strike H Block Hunger Strike
Documentary 1980 33 mins Location: Belfast
An unflinching look at the experience of the 1980 H Block hunger strikers and the potentially stark consequences of their actions.
Jamaica Street Glasgow (1901) Jamaica Street Glasgow (1901)
Non-Fiction 1901 3 mins Silent Location: Glasgow
A flood of pedestrians and horse-drawn traffic in Edwardian Glasgow.
Connah's Quay Carnival and Fete 1965 Connah's Quay Carnival and Fete 1965
Amateur film 1965 14 mins Silent Location: Connah's Quay
The Connah's Quay Old People's Association demonstrates that it's not just the young that are embued with carnival spirit.
It's No Joke Living in Barnsley It's No Joke Living in Barnsley
Lifestyle show 1976 26 mins Location: Barnsley
Barnsley-born actor Brian Glover returns to his Yorkshire hometown in this RTS-winning portrait of 1970s working-class northern life.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.
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.