• Short Summary

    Stars gather for the funeral of great composer Ivor Novello.

  • Description

    Golders Green Crematorium, London.

    GV. Massed crowds in ground of Golders Green crematorium. SV. Cicely Courtneidge, the star of his latest show, arrives with husband Jack Hulbert, musical comedy star. SV. Linda Christian (Mrs Tyrone Power) arriving. SV. Lord Beaverbrook walking from car. LV People around entrance of Chapel watching arrivals. CU. Bill Wright, Novello's friend and dresser. SV. Actor Jack Buchanan and wife arrive and enter Chapel. SV. An actress waiting to enter chapel carrying sheaf of lilies. SV. Officials walking towards chapel carrying two small sprays of flowers. GV. Down crowd lined road, cortege moving towards crematorium, SV. Pan crowds on pavement watching. GV. Top view cortege driving into gates of crematorium. LV. Crowds watching. SV. Top view, cortege driving past crowds. SV. Crowds waiting at entrance. SV. Cortege driving up to entrance of Chapel. SV. Two old women. SV. Pall bearers carrying coffin through archway into chapel. LV. Crematorium with crowds listening to service. SV. Crowds around archway, listening to service. SV. Masses of white lilacs, specially flown from France, inside Chapel. LV. Crowds watching personalities leave chapel. SV. Cicely Courtneidge, Jack Hulbert and others leaving Chapel. SV. Crowds watching - flowers in foreground. SV. Lord Beaverbrook followed by comedian Leslie Henson leaving chapel. GV. Top view, crowds looking at wreaths and flowers in memorial gardens. SV. Crowds looking at wreaths, pan down to flowers.

    (Orig. Neg.)

  • Tags

  • Data

    Film ID:
    1443.12
    Media URN:
    47199
    Group:
    Pathe newsreels
    Archive:
    British Pathé
    Issue Date:
    15/03/1951
    Sound:
    Sound
    HD Format:
    Available on request
    Stock:
    Black & White
    Duration:
    00:01:36:00
    Time in/Out:
    01:17:52:00 / 01:19:28:00
    Canister:
    51/22

Comments (1)

  1. Unknown user says

    (Timecode 1.25-1.29)
    Clearly visible in the newsreel - leaving the chapel (after Cicely Courtneidge and Jack Hulbert) - are Sir Laurence and Lady Olivier (Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh). Oscar winner, Vivien Leigh had made one of her first stage appearances with Ivor Novello in "The Happy Hypocrite" in 1936. The couple were good friends with Ivor Novello.

    The commentary is rather curious. It has a negative, dismissive, condescending tone as if whoever wrote the narrative felt that "normal" people would view the world of the theatre that Ivor Novello inhabited as freakish, unwholesome and bizarre. The thousands of people who evidently attended the funeral presumably would have disagreed with the critical tenor of the voice-over. At the time of his death, Ivor Novello had two shows running in London's West End - King's Rhapsody and Gay's The Word. He was pleasing and delighting the public not repulsing it!

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