British Pathé Synopsis: Newsreel footage from Plymouth, Devon, shows the crew of Mayflower II setting sail for America. Purr Blur: The ship’s cat, a tuxedo kitten, is seen being held by one of the crew. While not mentioned in this short, the kitten’s name was Felix. Felix can also seen in Castle Films’ The Voyage […]
Category Archives: Newsreel
Dog on Wheels (1951)
British Pathé Synopsis: Newsreel footage from Welwyn, Hertfordshire, England, features Willie the dachshund who uses a little chariot to get around. Reality Cat: Willie, whose back legs are paralyzed, is shown scampering around aided by a small chariot. In one shot Willie is running by a fence, apparently barking at a tuxedo cat who is […]
Farm Life (1922)
British Pathé Synopsis: Newsreel footage features a man on his farm somewhere in England. Reality Cat: At the beginning of the segment the unknown man is seated on a gypsy caravan with two dogs and a longhaired cat. The man turns the cat to face the camera. Final Mewsings: All farms should have cats! To […]
Catty Comments (1939)
British Pathé Synopsis: Newsreel footage features cats and kittens at the Paddington Cat Show in London. Reality Cats: The segment starts with some blue Persian kittens in a basket trying to climb out. A variety of cats are shown in close up. A Siamese cat struggles in its owner’s arms as the narrator says, “A […]
Film Star Animals (1963)
British Pathé Synopsis: Newsreel footage showcases performing animals at the Cats’ and Dogs’ Drama School (F.A.C.T.S.) in Benson, Oxfordshire, England. Reality Cats: Many different animals are seen being trained. A fox cub is eating from a dish of food with a long-haired white cat with tabby markings. A black cat is sitting next to a […]
Youth on the Keys (1946)
British Pathé Synopsis: A nine year old boy from Leicestershire performs on the piano. Reality Cat: The boy, Colin Sherratt, climbs in through the window and then sits at the piano where he performs a song. Moments later a white and orange tabby cat also comes in the window. Actually someone pushes the cat through […]
Pets! A Canadian Cameo (1930)
British Pathé Synopsis: Silent newsreel footage highlights Pet Day in Toronto, Canada, with a parade of animals and their owners. Reality Cats: Dogs are the focus of much of the newsreel segment, but a tabby cat dressed in knitted baby clothes apparently won first prize in the Toronto Humane Society Pet Parade. There is a […]
The Pets Perform! (1938)
British Pathé Synopsis: Newsreel footage shows animals performing tricks at a zoo in Prague. Reality Cat: The animal tricks are part of a circus show put on at the Prague Zoo for the amusement of its young patrons and the zoo animals as well. Among other animals, a tabby and white cat is shown jumping […]
Queer Companions (1932)
British Pathé Synopsis: Newsreel footage shows a woman who owns cats, dogs, a rat, a tortoise and a rabbit as pets. Reality Cats: In the opening scene a woman is holding three cats on her lap; a black one and two tuxedos, as well as a dog. The rabbit, rat and tortoise are all sitting […]
Mobile Pet Clinic (1957)
British Pathé Synopsis: Newsreel footage shows a Blue Cross mobile pet clinic making a stop in Victoria, London. Reality Cats: Owners are standing in line with their pets to visit the clinic. Two women are holding two different cats, a black and a tuxedo. Inside the clinic waiting room these same women are sitting with […]