Welwyn Studios

British Pathe Newsreel of Herbert Wilcox and Anna Neagle in "I Dream of Grosvenor Square"

British Pathe

Welwyn Film Studios
Welwyn Garden City Library

The newsreel shows various shots in a replica of Rainbow Corner (hangout for servicemen and women in wartime London) built at Welwyn Studios for the Herbert Wilcox / Anna Neagle film ‘I Live In Grosvenor Square’.

There are good shots of producer / director Herbert Wilcox talking to actors about the scenes being shot. Actress Anna Neagle (in WAAF? uniform) touches up her make-up while a woman adjusts her hair under her service cap. Actor Dean Jagger (in US Air Force sergeant uniform – wow!) sits in a chair looking over his script.

Nice shot of Wilcox adjusting Anna’s tie and uniform. Cameraman Otto Heller checks lights with his meter for a scene involving a glamorous girl singer. Wilcox and Heller check the set-up and confer by the camera. Continuity girl makes notes. Anna and Dean sit drinking tea with extras. Camera on crane moves through scene of dancing couples. Good general views of the studio.

Then we see several shots of Anna attempting to jitterbug / lindy hop (not very well, but maybe that’s what her characterisation called for!) with a sailor, then dancing with another serviceman. They seem to be rehearsal shots.

‘In The Mood’ is playing in the background throughout the film.

This page was added on 21/06/2010.

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