From the personal archive of the late cinema and theatre manager, Percy Swanwick, a keen amateur photographer and imaginative award-winning promoter. As far as we know, no copies of these images were ever copied for retail or public distribution. Swanwick was consistently creative and theatrical in his promotions.
This image is of a tank, presumably somewhere in the vicinity of the cinema (we believe it may Luton, as Swanwick worked there, possibly at the Reston cinema, during the 1930s). The movie 'All Quiet on the Western Front' starred Louis Wolheim and Lew Ayres, etc, and was released in 1930.
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On looking at the photos properly, the upper one has different lights either side of the cab and the crowds around the cinemas have damaged one of the headlights. It has also lost or gained (depending on the timeline) the spot light above the cab. All in all, it's a lot of work to create this vehicle, even if it was just plywood over a lorry body.
I assume that the name of the film (running over the tracks) is illuminated, so it would have made quite a sight touring the town to promote the film.
jh
-- Edited by jchinuk on Thursday 26th of September 2019 04:55:59 PM
-- Edited by jchinuk on Thursday 26th of September 2019 04:56:22 PM
-- Edited by jchinuk on Friday 27th of September 2019 09:10:39 AM
I can't really see how it's the same vehicle, to be honest - the shape at the top of the radiator cover, the bolt arrangements either side of the grille, the dimensions & layouts of the front panels, the lights (inc. sidelights), the horn position, the shape of the scuttle below the windscreen, the details on the 'turret' front, and the lettering are all subtly (and not-so-subtly) different in the two photographs, so I'd say there must have been two vehicles.
The number plates as far as I can see are from two quite different registration areas, and there would be no reason since the Roads Act 1920 to re-register as the vehicles would retain their original plates wherever they went in the UK, no doubt the body and deco where mocked up for the occasion (wooden?)I guess its possible these two vehicles had frequent changes to advertise different popular movies...
I can't really see how it's the same vehicle, to be honest - the shape at the top of the radiator cover, the bolt arrangements either side of the grille, the dimensions & layouts of the front panels, the lights (inc. sidelights), the horn position, the shape of the scuttle below the windscreen, the details on the 'turret' front, and the lettering are all subtly (and not-so-subtly) different in the two photographs, so I'd say there must have been two vehicles.
I agree that there are numerous detail differences, but it seems remarkable that they needed two (or more?) vehicles to advertise one film. As another points out, the registrations are quite different, I speculate that the vehicle was used in the UK and on the Continent, requiring re-registration, and the detail changes were made at that point?
HP 844 is certainly in London (Fleet Street).
jh
-- Edited by jchinuk on Friday 18th of October 2019 10:21:53 AM
Just a thought - but how many copies of the "All Quiet" movie would have been in circulation? I have a vague recollection that movies used to be
very expensive to copy and distribute so the number of copies in circulation had to be kept to a minimum. I can see a promotional campaign involving the vehicles
with one vehicle for each copy of the movie. Simultaneous release of movies in multiple cinemas wasn't a thing until the 1960s (I think). Just a hypothesis....
Would agree with charlie that there would have been at least two copies available for the UK possibly more, the film premiered in the UK in London as you might expect and would normally have gone round the Major cinemas/citys first with a limited time frame for each theatre, then on to smaller venues further afield...
Would agree with charlie that there would have been at least two copies available for the UK possibly more, the film premiered in the UK in London as you might expect and would normally have gone round the Major cinemas/citys first with a limited time frame for each theatre, then on to smaller venues further afield...
The Saturday Matinee was always a must see...
While I agree that there might have been two promotional vehicles, they were obviously not so pressed for time that they could not afford a schlep down "Fleet Street".
Getting back to the original question, it's quite an impressive piece of work for the relatively short life of promoting a film, a lorry with a big sign would work just as well.
When you think about it, the story takes place from the view of a German soldier, and the German military had very few tanks. A German car or truck would be more suited advertising.
