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Pigeon by Barbera Allen synopsis

"Pigeon is an exploration of the natural and cultural history of the pigeon, and the evolution of its relationship with humanity through the ages. Written out of love and fascination with a humble yet important bird, Pigeon relates its cultural significance, as well as its similarities and differences to its close counterpart, the dove. While the dove is seen as a symbol of love, peace, and goodwill, the pigeon is commonly perceived as filthy and ill-mannered, a 'rat with wings'. To say the least, the pigeon has a bad reputation, but Barbara Allen offers several examples of the bird's importance - from a source of food and fertilizer, and a bearer of messages during times of war; to a pollution monitor and an aid to Charles Darwin in his pivotal research on evolutionary theory. She goes on to connect pigeons and doves with writers and poets from Shakespeare, Dickens, and Browning, to Beatrix Potter, Proust and I. B. Singer, who she shows have all celebrated the birds' beauty and attributes. Readers will find in Pigeon an enticing exploration of the historical and contemporary bonds between humans and these two unique and closely-related birds, bonds which have been in existence since their domestication over 3,000 years ago. Allen intends to correct the many stereotypes about pigeons and doves with hopes that the rich history of the relationship and the acknowledgement of what is one of the oldest human-animal partnerships will be both admired and celebrated."

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Ealing Comedies Part 4

The Ladykillers

Who Done It?

Barnacle Bill

Davy

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Ealing Comedies Part 3

Meet Mr. Lucifer

The Love Lottery

The Maggie

Touch and Go

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Ealing Comedies Part 2

The Magnet (1950). Johnny trades 'an invisible watch' for a horseshoe magnet but the other boys nanny chases him calling him a thief. When Johnny nearly gets hit by a car, he decides to get rid of the magnet only for it to be used by an older boy to cheat at pinball, leaving Johnny implicated and given the magnet by a policeman. When he comes across an iron lung maker, he gives him the magnet in leu of money. The iron lung maker embellishes this story, telling people that a Dickensian orphan gave him the magnet because it was all he had. This encourages people to donate and he eventually gets enough for the iron lung. Meanwhile, Johnny is convinced he has killed the boy he stole the magnet from when he overhears his nanny talking about her dead budgie. When he see's the police officer, he hides in a truck that transports him to Liverpool, where he ends up saving a boy who fell through a pier. The boy ends up in the iron lung Johnny inadvertently helped fund and gets a medal for his bravery, which he trades for 'an invisible watch' to clear his conscience.

The Lavender Hill Mob

The Man in the White Suit

His Excellency

The Titfield Thunderbolt

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Ealing Comedies Part 1

From 1947 to 1957, Ealing Productions created a series of comedy films. They were considered to reflect post-war Britain, were ranked among the greatest British films, and are acclaimed internationally.

The films included:

Hue and Cry (1947). Considered a thriller for children, Hue and Cry was shot almost entirely on location. It paints a vivid picture of post-war London as the damage of WW2 is still visible in the backdrop. A group of boys called the 'Blood and Thunder Boys' enjoy reading 'British boys' Magazine'. Their leader, Joe Kirby, realises that a group of thieves are executing their robberies by copying the content of the magazine. After a long investigation, they realise that the authors work is being altered after publication, providing instructions to the thieves. Kirby's boss, Nightingale, is the mastermind behind the scheme. There is pandemonium as a fight breaks out between the city boys and the criminals which ends when Nightingale falls through the floor of a bombed multi-story building.

Another Shore (1948). Gulliver Sheils, an Irish revenue commissioner, has recently left his job due to recieving a small pension. He formulates a plan to sit in St Stephen's Green waiting for a wealthy elderly person to fall down so he can help them and be rewarded with enough money to retire to Rarotonga. He does this every day except Sunday, when he sits on the beach and dreams about Rarotonga. This is where he meets Jennifer, who falls for him because he is the first man to ignore her. He eventually realises that Grafton Street is a better location for his plan so he goes and sits on the courtroom steps, acquiring a performing dog so he isn't shooed away. Eventually, a man Sheils met earlier in the film visits the Courthouse, bemoaning the loss of his wife due to her running away with his chauffeur. They plan to go to the South Seas together but, on their way to the boat, their car crashes on Grafton street. Gulliver stays with Jennifer and Jennifer's friend takes his place on the trip. They marry and Gulliver returns to his job.

A Run For Your Money (1949). Two coal miners from 'Hafoduwchbenceubwllymarchogcoch' (a fictional town filmed in Nant-y-Moel and directly translating to  'Shed over the cess-pit of the red knight') win £100 and tickets to a Wales Vs England rugby match in England. When they get there, they are separated when Dai is picked up by an attractive con-woman called Jo after she overheard them talking about their prize money. Twm meets with a harpist and singer Huw and they go on a pub crawl whilst looking for Dai, eventually giving up and getting to the rugby match as it ends. Meanwhile, Jo and her accomplice Barney have been trying to get Dai's money. Eventually Jo succeeds and a chase ensues, resulting in Dai getting back his money but being told to hand it back by a police officer, which he does to avoid trouble. However, as Dai and Twm's train is leaving, Jo throw's his money back to him, Dai having won her over in the time they spent together.

Whisky Galore! (1949) is based on the true story of the running aground of the SS Politician. The weather was so poor in Barra that filming overran by 5 weeks. The 80 crew lived with locals during production, resulting in more authentic accents and the enlisting of a Scottish body double for one of the dancing scenes where a local's feet were filmed. Todday, a fictional town, was not affected by rationing until their whisky runs out, which leaves the town demoralised. Macroon, an old shopkeeper, has two daughters, Peggy and Catriona. The former is being courted by Sergeant Odd who is on leave from the army and the latter is engaged to George Campbell, a school teacher with an overbearing mother. When the SS Cabinet Minister runs aground, the townspeople rally to rescue the crew and as much of the 50,000 cases of whiskey as they can. Campbell escapes his room, helps in the rescue, and consumes some whisky (after previously being teetotal) which gives him the courage to tell off his mother. Captain Waggett, a stuffy English commander, and Mr Farquharson, a customs and excise officer, try to confiscate the whiskey but the locals have hidden it diligently, including in Waggett's other boats, resulting in Waggett being recalled to the mainland and the locals coming out triumphant.

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949). The film is a flashback framed in Louis D'Ascoyne Mazzini's memoirs, which he is writing as he is about to be hanged. Louis is the product of an elopement between an Italian opera singer and the daughter of the 7th Duke of Chalfont. After his mother dies being denied a burial in Chalfont Castle, his childhood friend rejects his proposal, and Ascoyne D'Ascoyne causes him to lose his job, he vows to kill Ascoyne D'Ascoyne and the 7 people before him in line to Dukedom. He arranges a fatal boating accident, puts paraffin instead of petrol in a photographers darkroom, poisons after-dinner port, shoots down a hot air balloon, and puts a bomb in a jar of caviar, all while climbing the social ladder and deciding the widow of his second victim should be his Duchess. One heir conveniently decides to go down with his ship and one dies from shock upon learning he's become the duke, meaning Louis doesn't have to kill him. He is now the Duke. Ironically, Louis is tried and found guilty of a murder he never even considered: the murder of the husband of his childhood best friend. Sibella, the childhood best friend, reveals that her husband's suicide note and his wife's death would allow them to marry. She provides it to the police and Louis goes free, only to realise that he has left his memoirs in his cell, resulting in the police gaining his full confession for the other murders he committed. Alec Guinness played all of the members of the Ascoyne family. Costume, make-up, and the actor's ability to differentiate were very important. The film was based on 'Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal' but was altered to to being too dark at parts and sensitivity to antisemitism after WW2 (the main character being Italian instead of Jewish so as not to perpetuate negative stereotypes).

Passport To Pimlico (1949). After WW2, an unexploded bomb detonates in Miramont Gardens, Pimlico, revealing an abundance of treasure and manuscripts that, after being considered by Professor Hatton-Jones reveal that Edward 4th had given the land to the Duke of Burgundy in 1477 and, as it had never been revoked, Pimlico was still a part of Burgundy and the British government has no authority. As this means that they aren't subject to rationing, the area quickly fills with black marketers, which results in the British government surrounding the area with barbed wire. The Burgundians respond by stopping and underground train and asking for passports, only allowing those who can present them passage. The British government cut off power, food, and water but sympathetic Londoners provide aid by throwing parcels over the barbed wire fence. The government is under pressure to resolve the situation and agree's that the treasure will be considered a loan from the Burgundians to pay back. For the film, outdoor shots were not shot in Pimlico. Instead, they were shot on a large WW2 bombsite south of Lambeth Road. After filming, the site was returned to it's bomb-damaged state so the locals could still claim war damage compensation.