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Fortynine

1928

Cat no. 2682

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A broker goes missing and a colleague sets out to investigate.

A horror drama film. A missing broker makes headline news, while a work colleague searches his coat left at work and finds a scrap of paper with an address written on it (the no. 49 of the title) and decides to investigate for himself. Arriving at no. 49 the second broker breaks in through a sliding sash window and finds himself in an altar room at the Cult of Raven. Hiding behind a curtain he waits while the rooms fills with cult members preparing for a sacrifice which turns out to be of the original missing broker. The second broker watches as the executioner prepares by smoking a cigarette and polishing his sword, but one of the group of dancing maidens in the cult spots the second broker and screams drawing attention to him, thus marking him for sacrifice instead. However the maiden intervenes and suggests that he shouldn't be killed here, the priestess agrees and passes the execution duties to the maiden and gives her one hour to present the head of the second broker at the altar. The maiden later interrupts the executioner and asks for his help, he points at a metal presentation dish and suggests a ruse. Next the maiden sneaks into the room where the two brokers are now locked. With pen and paper she allows them to write a notice asking for help. She then smuggles this to the outside world and gets a stranger to take the note to the brokers’ employers. With time running out the maiden presents the head of the stock broker on a plate at the altar. The plate has a hole cut in it and under the altar table is the very much alive rest of the broker. The incense burning as part of the ritual however creates a fly in the ointment as it blows across the supposedly disembodied head, after a little bit of false jeopardy where the broker nearly sneezes. The broker is not so lucky the next time and is unable to stifle his sneeze therefore causing the ruse to be rumbled. Fortunately at this exact moment the police arrive to save the day, having been contacted by the broker's office upon receipt of the note asking for help the maiden smuggled out of the cult headquarters. Finally the broker and the maiden kiss (after removing the metal dish with a hole in it from his head) and then the executioner releases the original captured broker. After the credits there is a final scene where a policeman comically tries to remove the altar from the cult whilst trying to keep his wooden top police hat on.

  • Director : George Sewell

  • Distributor : Institute of Amateur Cinematographers

  • Script : George Sewell

  • Camera : R.B. Miller

  • Camera : J. Ahern

  • Other : B. Carleton (Lighting)

  • Other : Ahern, Carleton, Sewell (Properties and Sets)

  • Editor : G. H. Sewell

  • Other : G.H. Sewell (Title Drawing)

  • The Maiden Mrs N. Pfeil

  • The Priestess Miss M. Leslie

  • The Prioress Mrs F. Nicholson

  • Mrs Royle Miss V. Cork

  • John Royle, The Missing Man Al. Smith

  • Herbert Tennant, His Secretary R. Durcan

  • James Ward, His Partner R.H. Dark

  • The Executioner J. Tolman

  • The Dwarf E. Heimann

Manifestations

Fortynine

  • Award:
    • Group 1:
      • Note: Awards (data migration 25/06/2021): Based on a prizewinning story in the Amateur Cinematographers Association Competition [1975 listing]

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