Lost World Of Mitchell & Kenny - Britmovie

tonewheel · 25-11-2005, 11:38 AM

I have been watching the reruns of mitchell & Kenny on sky .The films are stunning, we see people going about their daily lives in the year 1900, we see how terrible the conditions were for the working people, but how happy they looked on camera. Some of the old people filmed would have been around in Georgian times. some would have fought in the Crimea.But now all will be long dead.We see women wrapped in shawls and young children leaving factories after long grinding shifts. We see hundreds of people walking in parks in their Sunday best, every one of them wearing a hat. These films are not to be missed. They should be essential viewing for everyone. Forget the apalling Big Brother, the purile X Factor, These films encapsulated people as they were, for all to see, for all time.
Cheers,
Tonewheel

arty-dave · 25-11-2005, 01:32 PM

Couldn't agree more - I bought the DVD set and found part of it was filmed in my home town of Morecambe - not really changed either!

PS It's Kenyon, not Kenny

samkydd · 25-11-2005, 02:31 PM

Quote:

(arty-dave @ Nov 25 2005, 01:32 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Couldn't agree more - I bought the DVD set and found part of it was filmed in my home town of Morecambe - not really changed either!
[/b]

As we said previously, this series was fascinating to say the least. Many of those young boys captured on film would have gone to fight in The Great War, and so many volunteered for military service to escape the awful industrial slavery of the factories and mills. A lot of people today whinge about how awful society is now, but 100 years ago it must have been hell on earth for the poorer folk, who lived in fear of the gentry, the factory owners, the landlords and the police!

I particularly liked the young Harvey Smith in his pre show jumping days, giving the V sign to the cameraman in the first episode. The worst thing about the series was the fact that it's so spooky, and the clarity of the film is so good that it makes it even more scary when you realise that all those people are no longer with us!

My grandparents came from the same background post WW1, and lived in the back to back inner city slum housing with too many children, working continuously seven days a week to feed the family. That's why I get so annoyed when some immoral people abuse the welfare state to avoid working, and live a life of complete idleness, using E-Bay and car boot sales to supplement their unearned income!

Jackdaw · 25-11-2005, 03:11 PM

When these were first shown on BBC2,I was astonished by the quality of the print compared with that of cinematic films from a much later period.Perhaps some of our members with technical expertise can account for that.
With regard to the content of the films,they were apparently made with no editorial input,that is the cameramen just went out and pointed the camera at both everyday and special events,and to me,over one hundred years on,therein lies their particular appeal.
In the words of Jim Croce,we are being presented with 'time in a bottle', a document of social history uncompromised by contemporary opinion,something very unusual in our times.Furthermore there are no '"celebrity" talking heads' interrupting from their studio couches,although we do have a narrator,(Cruikshank?),unnecessarily appearing in shot.
It's the very mundanity of the films that appeals,demonstrating that there is far more of interest in the lives of ordinary people than in those of crowned heads,aristocracy and politicians.

Cheers
Jacky

Holland · 25-11-2005, 04:54 PM

I was staggered to dicover recently that I'm related to someone who appears in one of their films. Albeit somewhat distantly.

Ready? Deep breath.

My dad's father was born in 1917 in Tipton Staffordshire. His father Harold (b 1888 Ocker Hill, Tipton Staffordshire, died 1925), one of 9 children, had a sister called Alice (b 1876 Ocker Hill, Tipton Staffordshire) who married a man called Ben Thickett ("the holder of a well known Walsall name"). His cousin was Henry Thickett who was a star fullback for Sheffield United and played in their FA cup and league winning sides around the turn of the century. He would have been a team-mate of the enormous goalie

[attachmentid=65]

During the time Harry played for The Blades the team won the First Division Championship once (1898) and the FA Cup twice, with Final victories over Derby County (4-1 in 1899); Southampton (2-1 in 1902 after a 1-1 draw). They were also beaten finalists once; losing to Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 after a 1-1 draw in 1901.

Mitchell and Kenyon filmed Sheffield United playing against Bury and I'm told it's possible to pick Thickett out on the film.

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25-11-2005, 11:38 AM	#1
tonewheel has no status. Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: East Midlands Posts: 59 Country: iTrader: (0)	I have been watching the reruns of mitchell & Kenny on sky .The films are stunning, we see people going about their daily lives in the year 1900, we see how terrible the conditions were for the working people, but how happy they looked on camera. Some of the old people filmed would have been around in Georgian times. some would have fought in the Crimea.But now all will be long dead.We see women wrapped in shawls and young children leaving factories after long grinding shifts. We see hundreds of people walking in parks in their Sunday best, every one of them wearing a hat. These films are not to be missed. They should be essential viewing for everyone. Forget the apalling Big Brother, the purile X Factor, These films encapsulated people as they were, for all to see, for all time. Cheers, Tonewheel

25-11-2005, 01:32 PM	#2
arty-dave has no status. Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 577 iTrader: (0)	Couldn't agree more - I bought the DVD set and found part of it was filmed in my home town of Morecambe - not really changed either! PS It's Kenyon, not Kenny

25-11-2005, 03:11 PM	#4
Jackdaw is currently busier than a one-armed taxi-driver with crabs Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: W5 5EP Posts: 398 Country: iTrader: (0)	When these were first shown on BBC2,I was astonished by the quality of the print compared with that of cinematic films from a much later period.Perhaps some of our members with technical expertise can account for that. With regard to the content of the films,they were apparently made with no editorial input,that is the cameramen just went out and pointed the camera at both everyday and special events,and to me,over one hundred years on,therein lies their particular appeal. In the words of Jim Croce,we are being presented with 'time in a bottle', a document of social history uncompromised by contemporary opinion,something very unusual in our times.Furthermore there are no '"celebrity" talking heads' interrupting from their studio couches,although we do have a narrator,(Cruikshank?),unnecessarily appearing in shot. It's the very mundanity of the films that appeals,demonstrating that there is far more of interest in the lives of ordinary people than in those of crowned heads,aristocracy and politicians. Cheers Jacky

25-11-2005, 04:54 PM	#5
Holland has no status. Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 42 iTrader: (0)	I was staggered to dicover recently that I'm related to someone who appears in one of their films. Albeit somewhat distantly. Ready? Deep breath. My dad's father was born in 1917 in Tipton Staffordshire. His father Harold (b 1888 Ocker Hill, Tipton Staffordshire, died 1925), one of 9 children, had a sister called Alice (b 1876 Ocker Hill, Tipton Staffordshire) who married a man called Ben Thickett ("the holder of a well known Walsall name"). His cousin was Henry Thickett who was a star fullback for Sheffield United and played in their FA cup and league winning sides around the turn of the century. He would have been a team-mate of the enormous goalie [attachmentid=65] During the time Harry played for The Blades the team won the First Division Championship once (1898) and the FA Cup twice, with Final victories over Derby County (4-1 in 1899); Southampton (2-1 in 1902 after a 1-1 draw). They were also beaten finalists once; losing to Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 after a 1-1 draw in 1901. Mitchell and Kenyon filmed Sheffield United playing against Bury and I'm told it's possible to pick Thickett out on the film.