LOST MANCUNIAN FILMS
The BBC’s ‘Treasure Hunt’ their search for lost radio and TV programmes, which was launched in 2001, has happily turned up some missing gems, including two episodes of ‘Dads Army’ and an early episode of the comedy ‘All Gas and Gaiters’. With the BBC being such a prominent body, their search naturally aroused interest not only here in Britain but around the globe. Stories were given prominent positions worldwide in countless newspapers, radio and TV shows. Quite rightly, too, as of course these missing shows, many of which are classics, are part of our national heritage.
However, on a smaller scale our own endeavours at trying to trace ‘lost’ films made by The Mancunian Film Corporation are not bearing much fruit. Not having the same muscle as the BBC, we cannot even make one line in a national newspaper. Yet, these films certainly form part of Lancashire’s regional history and should be preserved. Our aim is to try and have a Mancunian Film collection housed at the North West Film Archive in Manchester.
When many of the negatives formerly housed at the Kay Film Laboratories were disposed of during the early 1980s, many of the Mancunian Films negatives were also destroyed. Obviously, from this point on no new prints could be struck and consequently the only films available today are from surviving positive prints. The films held by Blakeley’s Films today are unfortunately mostly ex-projection prints with many containing splices, cuts, scratches and bad sound. Only a few are of television broadcast quality. The London produced Butcher-Mancunian films have faired better and most survive in good quality versions. The British Film Institute at the National Film and Television Archive (NFTA) in London preserves some of the films and many of the extracted ‘short’ films are held at The North West Film Archive (NWFA) at the Manchester Metropolitan University.
During the 1950s and 1960s, several of the Mancunian films were released onto the burgeoning 16mm collectors’ market. Through the diligence of Michael Blakeley, some films that were once classed as missing have been tracked down to collectors. Although these films have been copied to preserve them, they are not in the best of condition. There must still be better quality prints out there somewhere.
The following list documents the ‘lost’ films The biggest loss is the feature film ‘Somewhere in Politics’ which starred
Our own search did reveal a copy of ‘Under New Management’ being held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive in California and arrangements were set in motion to have the film repatriated to Britain.
If anyone has copies of these on FILM please contact
History on your Doorstep.
Frank Randle, Tessie O’Shea and Josef Locke.
This has now become the Holy Grail of the Mancunian Films. 
Tessie O’Shea and Josef Locke
Lets Have a Murder – 1950 Starring Jewell & Warriss
What A Carry On – 1950 Starring Jewell & Warriss. This does survive in a truncated version.
Calling All Crooks – 1938 starring Duggie Wakefield
Dodging the Dole – 1936 starring Roy Barbour
Love, Mirth and Melody – 1934. With Graham Payn, The Royal Merry Four, Little Teddy Grey, Arthur Pond.
Two Little Drummer Boys – 1928. Silent. Starring Wee Georgie Wood, Derrick de Marney.
Laughter and Tears – 1928. Silent two reels. Starring Pearl Hay.
Cameo Operas
Series of 12 two-reel operas
Eleven of the twelve are lost
1: The Bohemian Girl: 2: Lily of Killarney: 3: Rigoletto 4: Maritana: 5: Faust.
6: Carmen. 7: La Traviata: 8:Daughter of the Regiment: 9: Martha:
11: The Ring: 12: Samson and Delila:
The following films DO survive but there must still be better quality FILM versions of them out there somewhere. Can You Help?
School for Randle – 1949 starring Frank Randle
What-a-Carry-On! – 1949 starring Jewell & Warriss
Holiday’s with Pay – 1948 starring Frank Randle, Tessie O’Shea
Cup-Tie Honeymoon – 1947 starring Sandy Powell
Hooray for Jollywood
Frank Randle’s Film Fun
Local books
About the Authors’ & HOYD Publications
Email: HOYD Publications
The Story of John E. Blakeley & The Mancunian Film Corporation
Randle’s Cartoon Capers culled from the pages of British Comic ‘Film Fun’
Concerning Ashton-under-Lyne.
Ashton-under-Lyne
Flickering Memories
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