THE ST. JOHN AMBULANCE NATIONAL CENTENNIAL BABY CARNIVAL. SOUTHERN SOUTH ISLAND DISTRICT

Rights Information
Year
1939
Reference
F2608
Media type
Moving image

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Rights Information
Year
1939
Reference
F2608
Media type
Moving image

This content is for private viewing only. The material may not always be available for supply.
Click for more information on rights and requesting.

Place of production
New Zealand/Aotearoa
Categories
Advertisement
Duration
0:02:55
Production company
Cinetone Productions
Credits
Camera: Lee M. Hill
Camera: Havelock Williams
Added piano accompaniment: Ella Hanify

A hand-cranked film camera is operated onscreen by cameraman Lee Hill and directed at a baby on a cushion. Intertitles: “Have YOU Entered YOUR Baby” and “In The St. John Ambulance National Centennial Baby Carnival.”

Two woman, one holding a baby, walking upstairs with girl [to filming area in upstairs foyer of the De Luxe Theatre, Wellington]. Woman puts baby on cushion on a table under gaze of the (onscreen) camera and operator Hill. He attracts attention of child by waving his hand and cranks camera with the other. Title: “See YOUR BABY On The Screen”. Girl holding koala bear doll smiles at the camera (i.e. she looks out at the viewer) before looking away. Two seated [twin] boys, one holding at a watering can, stare at the camera.

Titles appear over a collage of baby portraits: “St. John Ambulance Baby Contest District Stage”, “1st Prize. £500 Cash.” “2nd Prize £250 Cash Donated by the Proprietors of R.U.R, the Universal Health Remedy”, “.... and now from the Theatre Winners choose Your Representative ..... for the Southern South Island District”. A smiling baby boy is shown. Title: “That was Baby 30.” Another baby boy. Title: “That was Baby 31”. And so on up (including girls) to “... Baby 37”. Next title: “Your choice decides ... Voting Box in foyer ...”. Fade to black.

Soundtrack is a piano accompaniment.