Courtesy of Scottish Screen Archive

James Gillespie Snr (filmmaker and picture house manager) took over management of the Palace Cinema, Rothesay, Isle of Bute, in 1913. Ever the publicist, he employed a Glasgow cameraman to make films of local events, such as Armistice Day 1918, Highland Games, or (as shown here) Lady Lauder's visit to the island, attracting crowds of local people, who would later duly flock to the cinema to see themselves on screen. In this film Gillespie also employed an additional marketing gimmick, attaching a placard to one of the beach donkeys - "Everybody goes to the Palace but me!". Gillespie made a point of appearing in cameo roles in all of his films. Here he is seen in frame before the shot of the sand modelling competition winners.

Kenneth Broom

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