SOOTY puppet movie found!

[Bruce Grenville]

Hi folks, don't know if this is a "missing episode" or not, but one of the other obscure black-&-white 16mm film prints in my collection is an episode of "Sooty" with Harry Corbett and puppets.

The episode is titled "Sooty's Chemist Shop", and features Sweep coming down with Swine Flu or similar, so Sooty the Chemist feeds him up on obscure medication! (This would surely be banned from screening today, as it may give kids bad ideas on what medications to feed their ill rellies!)

The film appears in very good condition.

[LanceM]

Hello Bruce,
Have just checked the lostshows.com database (a great resource by the way when it comes to archive tv material inquiries).Which does not list this particular edition.However,also found a listing on the BFI site which states this is from 1957.and no copy is listed as being available.Lostshows does list some editions of Sooty to be missing.However no editions from this timeframe were listed among the missing shows.Further investigation on this item would seem to be in order here.

Hoping this is if some assistance here on this item.

Cheers,Lance.

[Bruce Grenville]

Thanx for providing its date, that's good to know.

So anyone want to watch this film, or should I try to transfer it to DVD and put it on Youtube?

[Ray Langstone (was saintsray)]

Honest answer - both! I always think the best way to archive something is to make it as publicly accessible as possible!

[Bruce Grenville]

Yes, that was the approach I took when I found the missing Doctor Who episode "The Lion" in 1999. Get it widely around (albeit in inferior video copies) and it is lost no more!

Sadly my level of technology is not yet up to making dvd copies of 16mm film. Anyone able to offer advice or help on how to do this?

[Gary Critcher]

You need to get it telecined professionally onto videotape, then make dvd copies from that - that's if you own the copyright!

[Peter Stirling]

Jan 5, 2010 9:14:24 GMT Bruce Grenville said:

Yes, that was the approach I took when I found the missing Doctor Who episode "The Lion" in 1999. Get it widely around (albeit in inferior video copies) and it is lost no more!

Sadly my level of technology is not yet up to making dvd copies of 16mm film. Anyone able to offer advice or help on how to do this?

Well done Bruce and I expect the Dr Who community will be eternally greatful?.

The Sooty films were mainly distributed for kiddies parties if I recall correctly, in the days when Mum would hire a man with a projector to come along and put on a film show with cartoons and TV stuff to keep the kids quiet for an hour or so.



-

[cperry]

Hi Bruce

Can you check the producer/director credit?

There are many Sooty films in circulation but mainly they are not TV episodes, but remakes made for the home cinema market.

Either way still lovely to find and keep, if it's a BBC edition then they'll def want it back. If it's a home cinema version no one seems to be collecting them for future preservation, though we have transferred a number over the years so they are not lost forever.

c

[Bruce Grenville]

OK, you have given me incentive to play it again, so I'll get back to you with that info.

[Deleted]

Thanks for informing us of this find, Bruce. If you ever have any other items you think may be missing, feel free to post (either on the board or via a personal message) and we should be able to put you in touch with the right people who can help you get it transferred and a copy back to the relevant archive.

[davemachin]

How many Sootys were made for cinema as opposed to television? I assume some of those were colour much earlier on. I would be interested to know of what years the films ran.

Sooty equals Sunday teatimes just before the early evening news in the sixties to me. Ah!

Dave

[Bruce Grenville]

Hi guys, just screened the film (after a near disaster: opening the "Sooty" can, putting it on the projector, and finding it was a different film entirely! Locating the can labelled for the other film revealed the Sooty!)

So here are the details:

"Sooty's Chemist Shop", black & white, written by & starring Harry Corbett & puppets. Directed by Frank Gilpin. Presbury's Film Productions, London. Running time = 12 minutes. Condition = B.

Plot: Harry has a cold, so arrives at the chemist shop, operated by Sooty. Sooty tries to sell him a toothbrush, then hair-restorer (& gives him free samples of both: the hair-restorer does rapid wonders!) Then as Harry insists on having his prescription made up, Sooty offers a bottle of "Sooto", which Harry knocks back with good results. Sooty then offers a gargle, Harry tries it, while Sooty knocks the remaining gargle over, ruining Harry's suit and trousers. Then Sweep arrives, suffering a cold too, so Sooty offers him a throat spray, then talcum powder, which seem to cure Sweep who departs. Sooty eventually puts on his glasses, and mixes up the prescription, which fumes vigorously. Harry drinks it down reluctantly and is cured.

================

So it looks like this may be one of those "made for kiddie parties" mentioned above, rather than a BBC production, which I had assumed it was.

I can recall seeing b/w stills from a similar Sooty film (Harry & puppet Sooty) in a "Sooty Annual" hardcover children's book I had as a child. I hadn't seen any Sooty films then, we did not have TV in New Zealand until about 1960.

I think I will now add this to my list of films offered for sale or barter. Anyone interested?

regards, Bruce.

[cperry]

Hi Bruce

It isn't a BBC show, as we suspected, but if you do want to sell or barter it please email me at [e-mail].

We have lots of dupe film stuff and we are trying to collect together these old Sooty films so they don't get mislaid again.

Thanks

Chris

[Nick Gilbert]

There's a colour version of this film doing the trading rounds. I've got the following, all from film (traded from the chap with the 16mm prints):

8x16mm sound films B/W Sooty's Garage, Sooty's Engineering Company, Bath Night, All Star Variety. Colour - The Champ, Toy Shop, At the Organ, Chemist's Shop.

Nick

[Ray Langstone (was saintsray)]

It's another find!