Landships II

Another oddity from Murray Sueter's book:

"Many of my old Air Officers and myself were much amused at the Kitchener Tank film that was shown at the Pavilion Theatre, London, in November, 1921. Invitations were sent to prominent public people, such as Members of the House of Commons, and many others. I accepted, and saw to my amazement depicted on the film Captain Bede Bentley presenting to Lord Kitchener a drawing of the famous Tank.

A large audience witnessed the film and appeared greatly interested. At the end I stood up and protested most strongly 'that the film was contrary to the true facts, as we had them in official papers and and photographs of the Naval Airmen's caterpillar experimental work at the Admiralty. The film did not depict the accurate story of the evolution of the Tank.' That was the last I ever heard of Captain Bede Bentley's Tank film."

As discussed elsewhere on the Forum, Bentley claimed that he had designed a tank on Kitchener's instructions. He claimed £300,000 (nearly £15 million today) for having "invented the Tank." He took out a civil case, but lost. I think I read somewhere that the judge virtually called Bentley a liar and forger.

I'd never heard of the alleged film before, but it does raise some questions:

Why would you film the handover of some drawings? Would Kitchener have tolerated it? If the drawing was legible on the film, then surely it would confirm or refute Bentley's claim, because you'd be able to see and compare it to other drawings, including the one(s) Bentley put before the court. If not, then (assuming the flm existed) it would just be a film of someone handing over a piece of paper or an envelope, which proves nothing. Then again, if the film existed, Bentley could have just copied the drawing and claimed it as his own.

Has anyone else heard of this film before? It all seems rather odd.

No mention of film here: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1922/09/03/118333662.pdf