1st Item.
R.A.F. Lancaster Bombers in mid air, air to air shots and night landings. Pilots and crew leave the aircraft. The air crews gather in the operations room to report on their raid. King George V1 visiting the Dam Busters and Wing Commander G.P. Gibson, D.S.O., D.F.C. in front of Lancaster's on the runway. Guy Gibson and the King look at photos of the raid. Three shot of Gibson and King and Queen. Ext. Buckingham Palace with crowds. VG shots of Gibson and his team from 617 squadron. 12 years later in the lounge of the Empire theatre the Dam Busters, in civvies, are crowded in front of a large model of the Dam. VG shot of Barnes Wallis and the airmen. Also featured are, Wing Commander Micky Martin, Sq. Leader Shannon, Mrs Hopegood, Joe McCartney, Jimmy Buckles, Basil Feneron, Bill Townsend and Dudley Heal. General shots of the airmen and their families in the foyer.
Ext, shot of cinema and spectators with their umbrellas up, "Dam Busters" sign is lite up.
Crowd waves as Princess Margaret arrives. Margaret is greeted in the foyer by Lord de L'Isle and Dudley, and Lord and Lady Tedder.
A guard of honour from R.A.F. line the route through the theatre. After Margaret is presented flowers, she is introduced to the actors by Richard Todd. Barnes Wallis then introduces his family and youngsters who lost their fathers in action.
Lord Tedder presents the actual Dam Busters, and Eve the widow of Guy Gibson chats with Margaret followed by the mothers of those who failed to return from the raid. WS as reception moves into the theatre, and MS of Margaret as she sits in her seat. Opening titles from the film followed by "Dam Busters" sequence.
2nd Item, Pathe Newsreel.
"Dam Busters Royal Premiere" This is different coverage of the same event, there are better shots outside the Cinema of the stars including Janette Scott, Patrick Barr and Air Commodore Mills. There are more shots of the crowds waving enthusiastically and better shots of the cinema hoarding. More coverage of Margaret arriving with Billy Wallis and her meeting the stars and Airmen in the foyer.
FILM ID:2267.01
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