Sidecar Boat (1960)

M/S of a man climbing astride a motorbike; attached to the bike is a sidecar with a young woman sitting in it. They are parked outside a row of houses in a suburban street in Romford, Essex. C/U of the couple as the man starts the motorcycle; M/Ss as they drive off, and then from a moving vehicle in front of them as they drive along. M/S as they come up a road; the man hand signals to turn left and they turn off towards a bridge leading to a lake. As they turn we see that the sidecar is shaped like a boat.



M/S as the motorbike drives into view and comes to a halt on a muddy track next to the lake; the man gets off the bike and goes round to the other side to help the woman out of the sidecar. He is wearing a raincoat, wellington boots, leather gloves and flat cap; she wears red trousers, brown jumper and a cream scarf tied at the neck. C/U of the couple as she climbs out then M/S as they lift the boat off its wheels and set the boat down - the woman is wearing extremely impractical high-heeled shoes! M/S of the man as they put the boat down on the water. C/U of the woman smiling.



M/Ss of the man as he walks off to take off his raincoat; the woman standing by the boat as the man walks into shot now dressed in a grey suit. He helps her into the boat and holds it steady; she sits down in the back set and he climbs into the front. C/U as the man settles in his seat and starts to drive off. M/S as the boat moves along towards us; C/U of the couple as the woman waves to someone on the bank; M/S of a young man fishing who waves back. C/U of the couple in the boat moving along and the man driving. M/S of the couple in the boat as we pull back from them quite quickly - the woman is smiling to camera all the time.



Note: much of the unintentional humour (for me) comes from the fact that the man looks very much like a deadpan Harry Hill. Documentation on file includes newspaper cutting, brochure and correspondence from Canterbury Sidecars Ltd of South Ockendon, who manufactured the vehicle.
FILM ID:103.12

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