London Traffic - Early (1932)

Unused / unissued material - no paperwork - dates unclear or unknown
Lovely footage of London traffic. Nicely filmed. Difficult to date but probably early to mid 1930s.
Various locations including in front of the Bank of England. Policeman directing traffic (on "point duty"). Lots of buses and cars and lots of pedestrians. Still a few horse drawn vehicles around. Nice shots of policemen directing traffic and signalling for pedestrians to cross. Nice moment when a little old lady comes and asks the policeman for directions. Man in bowler hat makes a run for it across the road.
Another location - wider road, still London presumably. Nice segment filmed from a moving car with man leaning out of the car waving something in the air (this looks like it is from a feature - it might be Bobby Howes in the car). He looks peeved when the policeman stops him. Bobby Howes (if it is he) pulls off the glove of a woman in a car next to him then she speeds off. Strange!
Small blackboard has the words "Fires of Fate" chalked on it. Possibly the name of a feature? More general traffic scenes. Moving shot of shop front of Thomas Cook building. Street scene - pedestrians and minor traffic moving past the camera. More general traffic shots.
Note: British International Pictures made a film called "Fires of Fate" in 1932 so some of this footage was presumably shot for that. Bobby Howes wasn't in it though! Presumably Pathe took this footage for stock shots of traffic?
FILM ID:568.15
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British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website. www.britishpat...

[@marjoriejonas8299]

My parents were born in the 30’s (sadly both now dead)..I was have always been in or of this eara. How fascinating I enjoy comparing & understanding the major changes they went through

[@websitesthatneedanem]

Incredibly good quality!

[@robnewman6101]

Law & Order in town.

[@brianpimblett657]

It looks amazing. I'd love to go back in a time machine and see old London like this before the blitz

[@staypress8611]

incredible to think that 95% of the people in this film are now dead and buried or cremated

[@anthonygeorge7827]

Of course not, only the infants might be alive, in which young adults then would be +116 years old in 2016!

[@lew832]

The traffic Officers certainly earned their money ! So many different modes of transport as well. I can remember when we had Traffic police with the black and white striped cuffs. I was a postman with dark blue uniform, Jacket, waistcoat, trousers, and a peaked hat. I forgot the red piping.

[@jacksugden8190]

My parents were born in the beginning of the 1900 century and the the late 1920, they are both dead now, wondering whether they appeared anywhere in this film.

[@bertiewooster3326]

The policeman was my son.

[@SpiderPigggg]

I'm Batman

[@caroljones4511]

Amazing so many cyclist 84 years ago.

[@andycharity9096]

Someone pointed out elsewhere that these scenes seem to have been shot for the 1932 drama film The Fires of Fate, which was based on a successful stage play and novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

[@Mr.1.i]

Miss the sound.............there's a few films about electricty without sound it's heartbreaking

[@missasinenomine]

2:08-11. Chappie jumps off the bus.......& jumps onto another one! 4:46-48 "Excuse me Constable, which way to the Lyons Tea Rooms?" 5:07 Hurry up Sir; you'll be late!. 5:47-6:16 What on earth is going on here?! Reg UU 4600. The man with the black glove is irritated by something or other. What's he saying? (5:51 Small boy on bicycle). Next, we see him taking his glove OFF the driver next to him, with left side drive. European or American? Then this car cuts off the glove driver, in hurriedly turning left. Then he's cut off again(!)by Reg GB 2302, turning right. Finally, after waving 6:12, he roars off left in frustration.

[@gurt49]

It would be great to know the make and model of the of the old cars . !!

[@stevelawson4533]

what make is the large lorry stopped at the police point next to the morris close up/ ?

[@johnobrien8398]

You don’t see police around the streets anymore.

[@dieseldragon6756]

Not since the Tories started -cutting- *massacring* the policing budget... 👮💸🤔

[@janfellstrom]

Amazing!

[@rodjames]

0.40 two men walking arm in arm, very futuristic

[@EarlEBird-fz6yr]

Weird to think my mum was born in London this year. She lived in Hampstead with my grandparents.

[@robnewman6101]

19th, 20th & 21st Centuries Emergency Services. Constabulary. Police.

[@blobfish1954]

The cheese sandwich van made me smile

[@missasinenomine]

Nothing wrong with a cheese sandwich!

[@succulent951]

Odd to see the policeman in a rather machine-like way not prioritising the pedestrians

[@urbanvoice8318]

when London was not a cesspit

[@ChrisM-lb8xw]

And everybody knew their gender 🙃