An eccentric parade of mechanical toys to tantalise 1920s kids - and to remind us that Christmas consumerism is nothing new.

Mechanical toys have become a favourite sinister device in horror cinema, and to modern eyes the wind-up wonders captured in this Topical Budget newsreel carry almost equal parts creepiness and charm. Toys like these may once have been the "uppermost thought in every young heart", but few 1920s children would have been lucky enough to find such expensive gifts under the tree on Christmas morning.

"As Christmas draws near toys become the uppermost thought in every young
heart - and this year's novelties promise to be better than ever." (0.09). A
mechanical crocodile follows a mechanical fur kitten and snaps at its tail
(0.20); a mechanical elephant (0.24); a mechanical fur bear (0.28); a cat and
dog with moving eyes and mouths (0.38); a cat with moving eyes and mouth
(0.47). Topical Budget logo (0.48).