Next month, there’s a chance to watch a 1928 film set on the London Underground that examines the lives of Londoners and the romance between them.
Underground (1928)
Anthony Asquith’s 1928 drama Underground, starring Brian Aherne, Elissa Landi and Cyril McLaglen is based around a trio of ordinary Londoners caught up in a love triangle, set on and around the London Underground.
It’s notable for being set at a time when the Underground was breaking down social barriers in a way that seems ordinary to us, but at the time, the notion that a gentleman would share the same carriage as a shopgirl was quite radical.
The atmosphere of the Underground is immediately conveyed in the documentary-style opening shot of the film, as the camera, mounted on the front of a train, approaches a crowded platform. Once inside the carriage, the tone shifts to comedy as the passengers, a cross-section of metropolitan society, are surveyed. The rakish Bert pokes fun at a well-dressed businessman; shop girls gossip excitedly, to the dismay of the prim lady sandwiched between them; and Nell scores a minor victory over Bert by tossing his hat into the midst of a group of mischievous schoolboys.
The film is both a romantic comedy and a chance to see some very old footage of the London Underground.
The film will be shown at Wilton’s Music Hall in Whitechapel on Wednesday 15th November 2023 at 7:30pm, and tickets are on sale here – make sure you book the 15th Nov tickets.
As a movie from the silent era, it will have live music accompaniment provided by The Lucky Dog Picturehouse.
Wiltons Music Hall is a short walk from Aldgate East or Tower Hill tube stations.
That photo looks AI generated. Look at the hands of the lady in the front. And the focus, sharpness and blur varies for objects.
Or you could just do a quick google search and see that it’s a well used still from the film.