Press-Gang Girl
Standard 8mm film Black & White Silent 1940s 8:20
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Summary: Press-Gang Girl
Title number: 22265
LSA ID: LSA/29325
Description: Still of dance poster during Battle of Britain Week (Royal Air Force Association). Image of woman singing on stage; people dancing. Shot of woman and older man sitting down at a table at the dance hall.
IT: These Things Get on my Nerves - Can't I have a Holiday?
The older man shakes his head to say no; they continue talking and a second man comes up and asks her to dance and she accepts. While dancing she keeps glancing at the exit. Two men come in via the exit door and she excuses herself from her dance partner and goes up to the two men. Her partner looks on tilted. One of the two men hand her a card that says "The Ardale Chronicle and Petty Advertiser". The dance partner looks on disapprovingly.
IT: Then You'll "Kidnap" Me After the Dance
Shot of threesome talking to each other then the two pressmen leave.
Exterior shot of people leaving the dance hall. A car pulls up, closeup of her and older an looking on. A policeman looks on and gets out notebook and jots something down. Shot of an office with two men and woman. She is smiling although her hands are tied behind her. She is released. Shot of door with sign 'Keep Out'. A third man comes into the room.
IT: We'll be having a visitor for a few days - Meet Anne Dumaine the film star
IT: Anne wants a holiday so she has come here. During her stay we organise a search for her and so...
Close up of the Sales Chart with graph with one man showing how they will go up. She puts on her coat and they all leave together.
Close up of a headline in Daily Mail - 'Car bandits kidnap No 1 pin up girl'. Another headline from a different newspaper - 'Film start kidnapped after dance'.
Shot of man at printing press and sales graph showing sales going off the charts. Exterior shot of Fleet Street and close up of door with sign 'General Office' followed by hand opening door. Another door with sign 'Editorial staff only' with hand opening that door. Another door with 'Assistant Editors Only, Strictly Private' - hand opens that door. Final door with 'Editor' sign and that door is opened. Shot of presumably the Editor sitting at his desk. He is handed a copy of the Arndale Chronicle - headline says 'Chronicle organises search for missing film actress'. He makes a phonemail.
Exterior of building with sign: 'Super Film Productions', another sign says Mr Winklebaum who is the same man she was at the dance with and asking for a holiday from. An assistant brings him a copy of the Arndale Chronicle. He makes a phonecall - presumably the Arndale Chronicle. Close up of front page of newspaper with headline 'Where is One Dumaine'. Close up of someone typing and man at printing press and repeat of close up shot of from of newspaper. Closeup of the word 'Where'.
External shot of lake or river with punt with three people, two of them canoodling, one of them being Anne Dumain. Close up of couple (possibly her dance partner). They kiss as they slowly punt down the river. Closeup of couple kissing and the rower is so interested he hits a tree and falls in river. New shot: policeman walking along with his bike. A car passes and he recognises it as the car involved in her kidnap. He checks his notebook and confirms this. Gets on his bike and cycles after the car.
New shot: the car pulling up to a row of shops where a man gets out and goes into shop. The policeman gets off his bike, looks at car and meanwhile the man inside the shop sees the policeman and runs out the back.
New shot: back in the Arndale Chronicle office and a man lights Anne Dumain's cigarette and the man arrives and says:
IT: The cops are after me, let's get out of here
Three of them including Anne leave the office and walk out onto the street. A policeman and group of men and young lad see them and chase after. Two (incl Anne) of the fugitives get in a car and the third gets on a bike.
New shot back in the office, the printer lets police and those assisting into the dark room then closes the door on them. Exterior shot of fugitive's car and bicycle driving along a country road. They stop and talk to each other.
IT: I think we must "find" Anne soon, you'll keep the secret won't you?
Anne and the driver kiss passionately while the cyclist looks on. He cycles off. New shot of Mr Winklebaum speaking to the cyclist who is in a phone box.
IT: Yes the Chronicle has found Anne for you
Mr Winklebaum puts down phone and shouts in delight, kissing his assistant. Shot of Fleet Street editor on his phone talking the cyclist in the phone box who then cycles away from the phone box.
New shot: a car (with sign on side stating Super Films Productions) pulls over on a road with other cars following suit. They all start walking down the road.
Shot of cameras on tripods. A little boy appears from the undergrowth followed by a group of lads, themselves followed by a woman who is calling them back. They run in front of cameras knocking them over.
Shot of man on bicycle stopping to speak to a man on the road
IT: Have you seen a young couple around here
The man turns and points followed by shot of cyclist staring with his mouth wide open. He cycles through the countryside, shouting. Meanwhile the camera people have reset themselves. Man on bike cycles through and disrupts them all knocking over cameras and Mr Winkelbaum is on the floor.
New shot of the young couple walking along a country path kissing. They turn around and see all the young lads looking on. The older woman tells the boys to move away and the couple return to kissing and stop again as man on bicycle appears.
Close up of a sign "W. D. Danger Mines'. The man cycles onto the site and the young couple look on in horror. A new sign that says "Unexploded Mines'. He carries on cycling, they look away and there is an explosion. The couple run towards the explosion and we see the cyclist sitting on the ground with his broken bike, putting his hat on. The young couple are delighted as he is unharmed.
IT: The End
Credits: Leslie Pitt (Camera operator); K Law; J W Mitchell; Brian Gibson (Director)
Cast: Joan Taylor (Anne Dumaine), Brian Gibson (Dickie), William Kelsey (Bert), R F Allen (Mr Winklebaum), John Howard (Old Moore), R Robbins (PC Higgins)
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