This B&W film most likely from the late 1930s provides a tour of London, highlighting places to visit while there. It opens with Buckingham Palace, guarded by sentries in full uniform. The changing of the guard ceremony is shown, complete with a uniformed band (:29-1:25). Leading from the Palace is Constitution Hill Road, which leads to Hyde Park (1:27). Political activists (1:37) stump there. The aristocrats of Mayfair now take their morning horseback rides (1:41). Originally named Route du Roi, French for King’s Row, it was later corrupted to Rotten Row. Two nursemaids push prams (1:54) through one of London’s parks with a pond. School boys dash down the stairs (2:17).Places to visit include the British Museum (2:23). The Regents Park Zoo shows bears playing as peacocks strut by (2:28). A Komodo dragon flicks its forked tongue (2:44). Piccadilly Circus, one of London’s busiest streets, shows a mix of people and vehicles (2:53-3:04). A woman sells flowers to a passing gentleman (3:05). Trafalgar Square hosts the National Gallery, the Church of St. Martin’s on the Field, and Nelson’s Column with its four lion statues. A horse guard rides past the Palace of Whitehall, where Charles I was executed in 1649, and the Admiralty Building. We next visit Number 10 Downing Street, the home of the Prime Minister of England. The gentleman shown may be Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister from 1937-1940 (13:52). It appears to be King George VI shown placing a wreath at the Cenotaph, an empty memorial tomb, on Armistice Day (4:08-4:31). Guarding the streets are the Scotland Yard policemen (4:33-4:41), known as bobbies. Even women can be a bobby. Also shown are street cleaners, known as dusters, who wear felt hats (4:44). Costumed men, known as pearlies, solicit charitable donations (4:52). On the left bank of the Thames River stand the Houses of Parliament (5:00). Big Ben looms tall (5:15). Close by is Westminster Abbey. The opening of the courts shows a parade of judges wearing 15th century clothing (5:18). Also shown is Lambeth Palace, the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. On the Victoria embankment, a bronze Egyptian sphinx statue (5:52) towers over pavement artists (5:58). At the top of Ludgate Hill sits St. Paul’s Cathedral (6:06). The Bank of England is across from the Royal Exchange (6:26), where women telephone operators connect calls around the world. The brokers at the Stock Exchange on Throgmorton Street (6:50) are identified by short dark coats and striped trousers. Two famous towers are shown: the notorious Tower of London (6:58) and the Wakefield Tower, where the Crown Jewels are stored and shown in close detail (7:12-7:49).
London is a port, spanned by the London Bridge (7:58). The workers pour out into the streets, with many on their way to the London Underground subway (8:28). Some board busses (8:39) and others take a cab (8:45). Day turns to night as the neon lights come on (9:06-9:17). A final look is shown of Buckingham Palace (9:24) and Big Ben (9:38).
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