While many programs and playbills from the early days of Scottish panto still exist very few images of the actual shows themselves were taken or archived. This was probably due to the difficulty of the cameras of the day capturing such large scenes without sufficient light or shutter speed.
We have taken stills from the Collins Pantomime films and present these rare glimpses of the performers at ‘work’ here:
‘Forty Thieves’ starring Dave Willis, filmed at the Edinburgh Theatre Royal during it’s 1931-1932 run.
’40 Thieves’ 1931 Dave examines some dodgy paintings
’40 Thieves’ 1931 Dave Willis and Alex Foster
’40 Thieves’ 1931 Dave Willis and Betty Warner curtain call
’40 Thieves’ 1931 Dave Willis and Betty Warner curtain call
’40 Thieves’ 1931 Dave Willis’ big number
’40 Thieves’ 1931 the march of the thieves
‘Sinbad the Sailor’ starring Dave Willis, filmed at the Glasgow Pavilion Theatre during it’s 1936-1937 run.
‘Sinbad’ 1936 acrobats
‘Sinbad’ 1936 Big Chief Dave Willis
‘Sinbad’ 1936 Cliff Harley
‘Sinbad’ 1936 curtain call
‘Sinbad’ 1936 Dick Tubb and Edna Thompson
‘Sinbad’ 1936 Edna , Charlie and chorus
‘Sinbad’ 1936 Edna , Charlie and chorus
‘Sinbad’ 1936 Edna Thompson and chorus
‘Sinbad’ 1936 Edna Thompson and chorus
‘Sinbad’ 1936 Edna Thompson and chorus
‘Sinbad’ 1936 Edna Thompson and Peggy Stamula curtain call
‘Babes in the Wood’ starring Harry Gordon, filmed at the Edinburgh Theatre Royal during it’s 1936-1937 run.
‘Babes’ Chorus and Dogs
‘Babes’ Chorus
‘Babes’ dance sequence
‘Babes’ Harry Gordon Backstage
‘Babes’ Harry Gordon Backstage
‘Babes’ Kilted shenanigins
‘Babes’ Schoolroom scene
‘Babes’ the Babes meet some unsavoury characters
‘Babes’ village chorus
‘Babes’ washhouse song
‘Forty Thieves’ starring GH Elliot & Jack Anthony, filmed at the Glasgow Pavilion Theatre during it’s 1937-1938 run.
’40 Thieves’ lighting effect 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
Abdullah (G H Elliot ) with his 40 Thieves 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
Abdullah (G H Elliot ) with his 40 Thieves 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
Carlton Emmy & his Mad Wags in ’40 Thieves’ 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
Cast Curtain Call for ’40 Thieves’ 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
Chorus Curtain Call at ’40 Thieves’ 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
Dance number with the 12 Loretta Girls ’40 Thieves’ 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
GH Elliot & Chorus song & dance number from ’40 Thieves’ 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
GH Elliot & Chorus song & dance number from ’40 Thieves’ 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
GH Elliot as ‘Abdullah’ in ’40 Thieves’ Pavilion ’37-’38
GH Elliot’s curtain call at ’40 Thieves’ 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
GH Elliot’s curtain call at ’40 Thieves’ 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
Jack Anthony takes his curtain call in ’40 Thieves’ 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
Jack Anthony takes his exit in ’40 Thieves’ 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
Maudie Edwards & Lola Cordell ’40 Thieves’ 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
Maudie Edwards & Lola Cordell curtain call ’40 Thieves’ 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
The 40 Thieves parade 1937 Glasgow Pavilion
‘The Queen of Hearts’ starring Florrie Forde, filmed at the Edinburgh Theatre Royal during it’s 1937-1938 run.
‘Queen of Hearts’ 1937 Bert Denver and Feed
‘Queen of Hearts’ 1937 Bert Denver
‘Queen of Hearts’ 1937 Florrie Forde opening scene
‘Queen of Hearts’ 1937 Florrie’s big number
‘Queen of Hearts’ 1937 Harry Niblock and Jimmy McKinlay
‘Queen of Hearts’ 1937 Josh Clyton’s Five X-Rays
‘Queen of Hearts’ 1937 Sherman Fisher girls
‘Queen of Hearts’ 1937 Sherman Fisher girls
‘Queen of Hearts’ 1937 Sherman Fisher Girls
‘Queen of Hearts’ 1937 Stella Peters
‘Queen of Hearts’ 1937 the lovers plead with the Queen
