Rootes Group Films
We list below films from Stanley Schofield and others that are in
the British Pathe Archive.
Stanley Schofield Productions.
Rootes took part in many sporting events, and recorded their
participation by having them filmed in 16mm format. From 1950 onwards
they used Stanley Schofield Productions to carry out the filming,
prior to this date it is known that films were made, but details of
these films are hard to find or just not known (but see below). The
following titles made by Stanley Schofield Productions (and others)
are believed to be about Rootes vehicles.
See list of films on the
BFI Web site here.
"x" indicates films held by Chris McGovern that have been
transferred to video (VHS + Umatic). Any person who has details of
other films made by the Rootes Group please inform Bob Allan or Ian
Fleet. It is noticable the Alpines at Sebring are not listed, a film
would have been made as it was Rootes Policy, so by whom? and what is
the title? The list will be updated as more information becomes
available. The dates shown are when the film was registered at the
BFI, London and may not be the same as the year of the event.
Many thanks to Ian Fleet for correcting and updating the first list
in Aug-Sep'2011. We will be publishing details of his forthcoming book
soon.
Items marked "*" are available on DVD.
- 1913 - Vulcan Assembly - 5mins
- 19?? - Hillman Wizard - 15mins
- 1940s - Wheels of Victory - Rootes in War Production - 25
mins
- World War II? - Progress - the Story of Rootes - 35mins
- 1950 - Alpine Steeplechase - Alpine Rally - Sunbeam Talbot - 18
mins
- x 1951 - Alpine Adventure - 1951 Alpine Rally - 27 minutes
- 1952 - Operation Europe - Humber Super Snipe Mark IV - Oslo to
Lisbon non-stop (incl. Stirling Moss) - 20 mins
- 1952 - Destination to Cape Town - Humber Super Snipe Mark IV - 20
mins
- 1952 - Monaco Incident (Schofield, but not Rootes film) -
Monaco Grand Prix (pile up)
- 1952 - Journey to the Snows - Monte Carlo rally AKA "Travel to
the Snows" - Talbot 90 - 17 mins
- x 1952 - Conquest of the Alps - 1952 Alpine Rally - 31 minutes
- 1953 - Overland Ordeal - Humber Snipe - 65,000? (Ian thinks
this should be 10.500 kms) - Redex Round Australia Trial - 30
mins
- 1954 - Tulip Rally - Sunbeam Alpine Mark III? - 25 mins
- x 1954 - Gold Cup - 1954 Alpine Rally - 27 minutes
- 1954 - Operation Boomerang - Humber Super Snipe
- 1955 - Triple Crown of Victory - Monte Carlo Rally - Humber -
25 mins
- 1956 - Team Champions - Monte Carlo Rally - Sunbeam Rapier - 27
mins
- 1956 - 1,000Km (Castrol film) Nurburgring 1,000kms Sports Car
Race
- 1957 - Thruxton Marathon (Schofield-BP film) motorcycle racing
- 1957 - European Holiday - Sunbeam Rapier - 22 mins
- * 1957 - 1,000 miles in 14 hours - Mille Miglia - Subeam Rapier -
AKA "Story of the Mille Miglia" - 20 mins
- 1957 - Minx to Moscow - Hillman Minx Convertible - 20
mins
- 1957 - Grand Prix de Monaco (Schofield-Castrol film) Grand Prix
- x 1958 - Shock Treatment - Hillman Minx covering 15,500 miles in
3 weeks - 16 minutes
- x* 1958 - The Rally Breed - 1958 Monte Carlo Rally + intro to
Rapier Series II - 20 minutes
- * 1958 - Alpine Experience - Alpine Rally - Sunbeam Rapier
- 1959 - Bold Adventure - Vancouver, Canada to Alaska - Hillman
Minx - 30 mins
- 1959 - Alpine Challenge - Alpine Rally - Sunbeam Rapier
- 1959 - New Sunbeam Alpine - advertising film - 8 mins
- x* 1960 - Ordeal in the Alps - 1960 Alpine Rally - Rapier - 19
minutes
- x* 1960 - Acropolis Rally - 1960 Acropolis Rally - Rapier
- 24 minutes
- 1961 - Two Laps of Honour (Schofield-BP film) Grand Prix with Stirling
Moss
- x* 1961 - Rally Control (Rallye Controle) - 1961 Monte Carlo Rally
- Rapier - 29 minutes
- x 1961 or 1962 - Performance Plus - Sunbeam Alpine at 1961 Le Mans - 16
minutes
- 1961 - Golden Mountain - details of this film unknown, could be
the Isle of Man TT
- x* 1962 - Rally Grand Prix - Monte Carlo rally - Rapier - 20
minutes
- x* 1962 - A Rally Recalled - a personal account of the 1962
Tour de France - Rapier - 22 minutes
- 1962 - Hillman on Safari - East Africa Rally - Minx - 20
mins
- 1961 or 1962 - Safari on Wheels - East Africa Rally - Humbers, Hillmans
and Sunbeams - 22 mins
- 1962 - Guards Trophy Brands Hatch 1961 (not Rootes film) Grand
Prix race
- 1963 - Works Entry (Castrol film) Alpine Rally - features
Mini
- 1962 - A Rally Recalled - same as 1962 film
- * 1963 - The Rootes Group - "Making the Imp" - 19
mins.
The
development and production of the Hillman Imp car at the Linwood
industrial plant.
National Libraries of Scotland Scottish Screen
Archive http://movingimage.nls.uk/film/0085
- 1963 - Young in Heart - 24 mins. The development and production
of the Hillman Imp car at the Linwood industrial plant.
National Libraries of Scotland Scottish Screen Archive
http://movingimage.nls.uk/film/1480
- * 1964 - Mountain Imp - 18 mins.
Robin Chalmers contacted us in
2012 to say in 1963 I was one of a group of eight Scottish
mountaineers who "borrowed" two Hillman Imps from the Rootes Group to
drive out to Turkey to climb in the Taurus mountains. I shot a film
of this small expedition which shows the Imps being driven through
rugged terrain. The film is called "Mountain Imp" and is about
eighteen minutes long. You may have this in your archive but if not
the Scottish Screen Archive of the National Library of Scotland have a
digital copy. It's available in CD form and it may be on their site.
Hope this is of interest.
- 1963 - Hillman Non-Stop - Finland endurance test - Super
Minx
- * 1965 - Highland Imp - mainly 1965 Scottish Rally - 25
mins
- * 1965 - Special Section - Monte Carlo Rally - Tiger - 23
mins
- 1964 or 1965 - Tiger sharpens its Claws - Geneva Rally and Le mans -
Sunbeam Tiger - 18mins
- x* 1965 or 1966 - Miss Smith and her Imp - 1965 Alpine Rally - includes
Tiger - 17 minutes
- * 1966 - Record breaking Imp - All major rallies and races of the
- 1965/6 season - 22 minutes
- 1966 - Race against time (Schofield-Castrol-Longines film) - rally and
hillclimbs
- * 1966 - North American Imp - Miami to Alaska endurance test - 20
mins
Credits (.20); Shots of a Rootes Hillman Imp car pulling up in a
garage and filling up with petrol (.55); General views of people as
the Hillman Imp prepares to make its journey from Miami to Alaska,
including Miss Miami, Miss Alaska and Miss Scotland (1.17); Shots of
the Hillman Imp starting out on its journey (1.32); General views of
the Hillman Imp and its police escort driving through Miami
streets. Shots of the Hillman Imp at Toll Gate. General views of the
Imp itself (2.43); Map of Canada and the USA with route marked out
(3.03); General views at the start of the Scottish-Canadian Coast
Range Expedition. Six mountaineers (Scottish) set off to climb
various mountains (3.38); General views of the expedition arriving
at medicine hut. Various scenes taken while driving through Canada
and shots of the climbers setting up camp (5.25); General views of
the Hillman Imp arriving in Texas, including shots of the city and
countryside (7.23); The Hillman Imp arrives in Utah and Idaho
(9.28); General views of climbers driving through British Colombia
and the Yukon. Aerial shots of mountains (13.36); The Hillman Imp
arrives in Calgary. Aerial shots of the car as it passes through the
countryside (18.41); General views of the Hillman Imp arriving in
Alaska (19.50)
National Libraries of Scotland Scottish Screen
Archive http://movingimage.nls.uk/film/1599
- x* 1967 - Monte Carlo Imp - 1967 Monte Carlo Rally - includes
Tiger - 20 minutes
- 1967 - Monte Carlo (not Rootes film) - called "Moss on the
Monte" - features Mini
- x 1968 - Marathon - 1968 London to Sydney marathon - Hillman
Hunter - 21 minutes
A Selection of Films from the British Pathe Archive which may be
relevant to Rootes Vehicles and History.
You can search yourself via the Web site:
http://www.britishpathe.com.
Other Films
- Motorfilms Quarterly Vol.3 "Tigers at Le Mans The Rootes Group"
(1964). Works Sunbeam Tiger on the Geneva Rally, available on DVD,
see http://www.motorfilms.com/videos.php?id=63
- Motorfilms Quarterly Vol.17 "Special Section" (1965), Rootes Group
(20:12). Raymond Baxter excels in coverage of the 1965 Monte Carlo
Rally –- full-colour footage on-board with Peter Harper and Ian Hall
in the Sunbeam Tiger. Available on DVD, see
http://www.motorfilms.com/videos.php?id=131
- East Anglian Film Archive, 1966 Dunstable, Beds.
Anglia Television programme looking at life in the Bedfordshire town of Dunstable.
http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/205999