Harry Birrell
Acting
Biography
Harry Birrell was given his first cine-camera as a boy in 1928 and spent his life recording incidents great and small - his entertaining and errant adventures are recorded in over 400 films, diaries and photographs that were recently brought to life by his granddaughter, Carina Birrell. His home movies of family events and fine romances now ache with fond nostalgia but Harry's life was also filled with far away adventures and the film captures a vivid sense of wartime years spent in Bombay, the jungles of Burma and the mountains of Nepal. From commanding a battalion of Gurkhas in the Indian army at the start of the WWII, to a dangerous mission deep behind enemy lines in Burma at the war’s end; from the Ballroom dances of his youth in the 1930s to teaching his children to twist in the 1960s – Harry filmed his whole life with the intimacy of home movies but on the scale of Lawrence of Arabia. In 2019, Matt Pinder's beautifully composed, captivating documentary 'Harry Birrell Presents Films of Love and War' edits together film footage from across Birrell’s lifetime, delivering one man's cinematic vision of the 20th century and his own incredible journey through it.
Known For
A documentary about Harry Birrell, an amateur film-maker who documented his life extensively on film. The documentary focuses specifically on the films he shot, and diary entries he wrote during the pre-war and wartime years.
Harry Birrell Presents: Films of Love & War
An array of brave 1950s water skiing girls and guys bring a bit of Hollywood glamour to the chilly waters of Loch Earn.
Skimsters
Military cadets at training camp in Dunbar; on parade, at bayonet practice, and taking part in various sports, including many scenes shot at Dunbar Outdoor Pool.
Officer Cadet Training Unit 165
Made over two years with the co-operation of the Scottish Ski Club and Dundee Ski Club it shows both learners and experts skiing on the slopes of Ben Lawers.
The Scottish Snow Grounds
A reconstruction of the building of the Forth railway bridge using contemporary footage and stills.
The River Is Spanned
Shots taken at night of the 1938 Empire Exhibition in Glasgow, showing the building, statues, and fountains lit up by neon lights.
Empire Exhibition
Scots from overseas arriving at Prestwick airport on a BOAC aeroplane. The visitors are escorted from the airport by pipes and drums.
Prestwick Airport Arrival
Amateur footage of a group of conscripted soldiers at Hamilton Barracks at the start of World War II, including shots of daily activities such as route marching, rifle range practice and relaxing in the cookhouse.
The Film In Wartime: An Autobiography of the War
Scenes of the lochs and mountains of the Highlands.
North and West of the Great Glen
Winter holiday scenes at Pitlochry and in France (Paris and Lake Annecy, Alps).
Old Time Scenes
Views of the landscape of the Highlands of Scotland, including Glencoe, Rannoch Moor, Mallaig and the island of Arran.
Highlands of Scotland
Short comedy of an announcement of an engagement at a dinner party.