Cricket Notes 1924

1924-09
Silent
1m

Rain may stop play, but never the British sense of humour.

Bad weather interrupting cricket has always been a cue for humour, on the radio in the Test Match Special, on TV coverage and elsewhere. Meteorological records show that the summer of 1924 was unusually wet and cool, leaving a cricket-shaped gap for the newsreels to fill. In this instance, Gaumont Graphic rose to the occasion with two animated cartoons, An Umpire Inspecting the Pitch and The Last Man In, which provide a comical commentary on the situation.

Early Animation

The dawn of a new celluloid art: Britain's animation pioneers at peace and war

When you're creating a new art form, everything is experimental. The pioneers of animation in Britain cast a range of subjects as the stars of their films - the toys of an Edwardian child; insects and animals; Kaiser Bill and John Bull. But even the richest of fantasies on display here offer a window into the turbulent era in which they were made. When the nation went to war, animation was conscripted to meet its propaganda needs. In peacetime, the industry sought success as an entertainer, but found a career in sales.