A compilation of  nine short reels of film made by Maurice Brunton and Geoff Spark from the Teesside Film Club of the Middlesbrough Scouts Gang Show for 1953. The show was performed by local scout groups at Middlesbrough’s Empire Theatre between February 9th to 14th  of that year. The films shows the Scouts in choirs, singing songs in small groups and doing extravagant costume presentations and sketches. The first film shows two figures in formal dress dancing on stage, in front of a large...

A compilation of  nine short reels of film made by Maurice Brunton and Geoff Spark from the Teesside Film Club of the Middlesbrough Scouts Gang Show for 1953. The show was performed by local scout groups at Middlesbrough’s Empire Theatre between February 9th to 14th  of that year. The films shows the Scouts in choirs, singing songs in small groups and doing extravagant costume presentations and sketches. The first film shows two figures in formal dress dancing on stage, in front of a large arched ‘window’. Curtains close across the stage. Boys in Sea Scouts uniform (?), stand on stage in front of a closed curtain singing. According to the programme this may have been a performance of song at the opening of the show called ‘Sea Scouting’. The second film starts with a high angle shot showing six singers on stage. Three of the performers wear striped blazers, the other three are dressed as girls. Standing in a row, they sing a song. This is part of a routine listed in the programme as ‘We’re Not Supposed to Know’. The film cuts back to a high angle close up, then back to a view from a distance (not well framed). The third film The film opens with an exotic ‘South Sea Island’ set on stage, including a desert island. Boys in costume line up shaking maracas, other groups of boys dressed in grass skirts dance. This is part of the ‘Bambaloozian Way’ routine as listed in the programme, close up view follows taken at the front of the stage. In the fourth film performers gather in a changing or dressing room. Close ups follow of make-up being applied to performers faces, or being helped into costumes. Film cuts to an elaborate stage set, where an Indonesian style temple has been constructed. A Buddha figure appears in the centre of the stage set. This is part of the show which in the programme is given the title; ‘The Idol’. The performers appear on stage wearing traditional costumes, dancing a very convincing traditional dance, in honour of the Buddha(?) General views follow of the audience behind the orchestra pit clapping and views of audience members in one of the ‘boxes’ to the side of the stage. The fifth film opens with a brief shot of a tiered platform on stage followed by an ‘Indonesian’ dancers entering the frame from the right, part of ‘the Idol’ sketch. The film cuts to an underexposed and blurred shot of the audience clapping. Cut to the scout choir on the tiered staging singing and marking time with their feet. More lines of scouts join the choir at the back. They all sit down and put their hands in the air. This choir section is probably footage of the opening of the show. In the sixth film, on stage a line of Scouts in white uniforms stand in front of a stage curtain, possibly part of the Grand Finale. The curtain opens revealing a tiered section on the stage behind them, with more Scouts singing. The boys at the front leave the stage as the performers on the tiered section continue to sing and they stamp their feet. The front line step down one tier while another line of boys joins them at the back on an upper tier. This action is repeated until the stage is filled with a full choir. The all sit down and continue singing with hand and arm actions. The stage curtain closes. In the seventh film a troop of Scouts performs a song on stage, according to the programme this is likely to be‘Knocking on the Door for Mabel’. The film cuts to an underexposed or blank section. Next a conductor guides the theatre orchestra in front of the stage. The camera pans right showing rows of Scouts standing on a tiered structure on stage. They sing and, in time with the music, do arm movements with folded arms. Possibly part of the Grand Finale. Very dark footage follows of random shots of stage or house lights (?). Possibly an attempt to film the audience, however the view is underexposed. A spotlight helps to reveal a little more of the audience. A view of the full Scout choir on stage, closes the sequence. The eighth film shows a choir of Scouts on stage, they are wearing white uniform. The film is out of focus. The film cuts to an actor in costume coming down a set of stairs on stage. Another actor comes down the same set of stairs dressed as a woman carrying a fan. Possibly the section in the programme called ‘Glamorous Girls’. Cut back to Scout choir on stage, and more footage of the Grand Finale(?) again out of focus. The ninth and final film shows the Scouts’ choir in white uniform on stage in front of the curtain. The curtain opens revealing the rest of the choir on a tiered section of the stage. They mark time with their feet and sing. The compilation ends with part of the grand finale (?) as other lines of singers join the tiered section at the back until the stage is full.