BFI

In two series and over 20 films, the filmmakers of Wonderful London (1924) captured a fascinating and complex portrait of London in the mid-1920s. Travelogues are not known for their depth of social insight, but in its own naive way Wonderful London often looked beyond the stereotypes to show unconventional views of the city. Even the concept of contrasting the world of the well-to-do and the working class in this film makes a kind of political statement, whether intentional or not.

The format of the film, using the all-knowing but down to earth coachman as guide and narrator, is innovative for the period and was used in other films in the series. This playfulness and humour should be credited to co-directors Harry B. Parkinson and Frank Miller, who had previously worked together on the series Tense Moments from Famous Plays (1922). A short series of Wonderful Britain films in 1926 appears to have been less successful.

Jez Stewart

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