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Friday 17 April 2020, London.
Pampered pooches or fabulous felines? From human companions to internet superstars who have millions of online followers and are lucrative brands, cats and dogs have long been in competition for the top spot in our affections. The BFI’s latest online collection, Cats v Dogs, available now for free on BFI Player explores this age-old infatuation. Long before the internet gave us Grumpy Cat, Surprise Kitten, Boo the Pomeranian or Minnie and Max Pugs we were capturing our fluffy friends’ antics on screen.
Since the very dawn of British film cats and dogs have been central to film narratives, from Rescued by Rover (1905) through to A Street Cat Named Bob (2016) these furry stars have become popular sensations. This new archive collection uncovers our devotion to our four-legged friends, from the earliest film, Me and My Two Friends (1898) through to Look What the Cat Dragged In (2017), our affection is laid bare in delightful home movies such as Ginger Tom (1950) and Boguy and Oger at Pen y Parc (1931) from loving homes and hearths across the UK.
Newsreels from cat and dog shows (Dogs of High Degree, 1922) across the decades, appearances in charity (Cats on the Hearth, 1957) and government sponsored films (Firewatch Dog, 1943), starring roles in dramas (Juno Helps Out, 1953, Rover Makes Good, 1952), comic skits (Dog Years, 2004) and even popular in animation form, introducing audiences to such loveable characters such as Bonzo the dog (Bonzo, 1924), and Charley the Cat, keeping us safe since 1973 (Matches, Strangers). Cats v Dogs is drawn from the collections of the BFI National Archive and regional and national archive partners across the UK. It’s the eternal popularity contest. But the big question is, which side are you on, #teamcat or #teamdog?
Collection highlights include:
Me and My Two Friends (1898)
The oldest film in the collection and a strong contender for the world’s first cat video, this charming four second film showcases the pin-sharp detail of William Kennedy Laurie Dickson's unique 68mm film format. It distils many of the modern stereotypes of Victorian Britain - pictorial, sentimental in its attitude to children and animals, and intensely patriotic – in this fleeting fragment. Monarch, the Worthing lifeboat dog who features can also be seen in Launch of the Worthing Lifeboat Coming Ashore (1898).
Lassie and her Dog (1901)
A pet dog submits to his mistress’s beautifying ministrations, as a young girl vigorously cleans and spruces her slightly reluctant canine companion.
Bonzo (1924)
Long before Gromit met Wallace, a silent British dog became a cartoon star. France may have had Felix the cat, but Britain had Bonzo, a puppyish, doe-eyed loveable scoundrel who was the creation of the artist George Studdy.
Cat Dog Life (1928)
Filmed at Alexandra Palace and Crystal Palace during animal shows with shot after shot of cuddly kittens and dashing dogs. Proof, were it needed, that long before the internet, the British public loved looking at our four-legged friends.
Firewatch Dog (1943) (Imperial War Museums)
Government sponsored film featuring an English Bull Terrier warning wartime cinema goers to put their cigarettes out with more care.
Almost Human (1943) (UEA’S East Anglian Film Archive)
Possibly the cutest and quirkiest road safety film you are ever likely to watch, featuring a purely canine cast and a grocery shopping trip.
Ginger Tom (1950) (The Box, Plymouth)
Nothing but the best china for this cat in this delightful home movie of a beloved ginger tom.
Rover Makes Good (1952)
Not to be confused with the Edwardian canine superstar, this early film from the Children’s Film Foundation is shot around Callington in picturesque 1950s Cornwall. On holiday youngsters Sheila and Tony find themselves in unexpected danger when they get trapped in an old, disused tin mine, luckily sheepdog Rover is on hand to go to their rescue.
Juno Helps Out (1953)
When two school children try to help their mum with the housework, family dog Juno is enlisted too. After being sent off to do the shopping, the happy-go-lucky hound is a guest at a tea party for dolls and pets. Juno the Great Dane was trained by legendary dog handler Mary Woodhouse.
Cats on the Hearth (1957)
RSPCA public information film a how-to of cat ownership, from basics such as feeding and baskets, to more complex issues like adjusting a cat to a new home. A pleased puss it would seem only comes with a harmonious home.
Pwtan the Kitten (1960) (Screen and Sound Archive, National Library of Wales)
Pwtan, a brave and adventurous kitten, manages to find her way off the back of a rocking horse and into a flower bed where she takes on the plants. Indoors, on a sofa, she meets her match: the film- maker’s daughter.
Hot Dogs (1970) (Yorkshire Film Archive) behind the scenes at a day’s whippet racing in West Yorkshire, where filmmaker Eric Hall perfectly captures the quirks of a typical local custom as practiced in 1968, with novices in winklepickers learning from the old hands.
A Cat is a Cat (1971)
A playful animated meditation on our feline friends with some beautiful artwork - applying mottled coloured paints directly onto animation cels - by Vera Linnecar, one of the great British women animators who worked with Halas & Batchelor, Larkins Studio and Bob Godfrey throughout her esteemed career.
Matches (1973)
Saving the 70s from one cat-astrophe after another, we have a lot to thank Charley the cat for. Tailoring safety messages for children young enough to play with building blocks requires strategy. With only 30 seconds to get a lesson across, a large ginger tabby cat who plays with you, looks out for you, and speaks in a hilarious garbled mewling is just the teacher you need.
Dog Years (2004)
Sweet and funny short about a potty-mouthed dog who loves his owner, reflecting on the complex relationship he has with his master.
Look What the Cat Dragged In (2017)
After Christopher becomes a prisoner in his own home, the persistence of a scratchy stranger tugs him back into reality- feet first.
For Press enquiries contact: Sarah Bemand, Press Officer, Archive & Heritage,
Tel +44(0) 207 957 8940 [email protected]
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION As well as being accessible to UK audiences through the BFI’s own website, BFI Player is also available through a range of video platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and to viewers in the USA on the Roku Channel.
A detailed BFI Player press pack, including highlights of the service, can be downloaded here: https://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-press-release-bfi-player-press-pack-march-2020- 03-31-v1.pdf
STILLS AND MOVING IMAGE ASSETS A selection of stills for the purpose of promoting BFI Player, and the titles available on the service, are available to download here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/g8sa2vr6ioca3jh/AAAMnzyJnsv0VK_JGTx7MS0ya?dl=0 Moving images assets for archive films only are available on an ad hoc basis, and are rights dependent. Please make any request for archive clips to Sarah Bemand in the BFI press office.
About the BFI The BFI is the UK’s lead organisation for film, television and the moving image. It is a cultural charity that: Curates and presents the greatest international public programme of World Cinema for audiences; in cinemas, at festivals and online Cares for the BFI National Archive – the most significant film and television archive in the world Actively seeks out and supports the next generation of filmmakers Works with Government and industry to make the UK the most creatively exciting and prosperous place to make film internationally
Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter. The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Josh Berger CBE.
About Britain on Film and Unlocking Film Heritage Britain on Film is one of the largest and most complex archival projects ever undertaken by the BFI, with over 10,000 titles made accessible for free online, many previously unseen. One of the most successful archive projects Britain on Film has had over 75 million online views to date. Unlocking film heritage for everyone in the UK was a key strategic priority for the BFI (2013-2018). Bringing together a partnership with Regional and National Film Archives and rights holder collections across the UK, this work included a sophisticated programme of data capture, cataloguing, copying to archival standards, meticulous preservation of original materials, thorough searching of archives across the country, new state-of- the-art equipment and digital storage facilities and the transfer of films to the BFI’s online video platform, BFI Player.
Unlocking Film Heritage and Britain on Film have been made possible thanks to £15 million funding from the National Lottery and the additional support of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
About the regional and national film archives The English Regional Film Archives and other National Film Archives (listed below) hold significant collections of film and video material specifically relevant to their regions or hold dedicated collections such as Imperial War Museums, preserved in specialised storage facilities and made widely available for education, research, communities and the wider public. • UEA’s East Anglian Film Archive • Imperial War Museums • London’s Screen Archives • Media Archive for Central England at the University of Lincoln • North East Film Archive • North West Film Archive at Manchester Metropolitan University • Northern Ireland Screen Digital Film Archive • National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive • Screen Archive South East • The Box, Plymouth • Screen and Sound Archive, National Library of Wales • Wessex Film and Sound Archive • Yorkshire Film Archive