This is a film made by Huddersfield school teacher Lucy Fairbank of the trip she made on the Queen Mary in August, 1936, when it captured the Blue Riband for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by a passenger liner.  It shows the ship leaving from Southampton docks and entering New York, with passengers resting and playing games on the journey. Title – Holiday Memories 1936 To America by R.M.S “Queen Mary” The film begins showing the Queen Mary docked at Southampton.  It is next to...

This is a film made by Huddersfield school teacher Lucy Fairbank of the trip she made on the Queen Mary in August, 1936, when it captured the Blue Riband for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by a passenger liner.  It shows the ship leaving from Southampton docks and entering New York, with passengers resting and playing games on the journey. Title – Holiday Memories 1936 To America by R.M.S “Queen Mary” The film begins showing the Queen Mary docked at Southampton.  It is next to the Cunard White Star building and being filmed from a small boat.  A friend of Lucy Fairbank’s, possibly Miss Mountain the Headteacher at her school, accompanies Lucy on her travels.  Dockworkers unravel the holding rope.  Then there is a view from on deck down onto the railway siding adjoining the docks.  People on the dock wave goodbye as the tug boats pull the ship out to sea, and those on board watch as the boat pulls out.  The holding rope is slowly let loose.  A light aircraft accompanies it as it leaves, along with many small vessels.  Another passenger is filming from the deck. Intertitle – We meet Mrs J Bamforth and the Misses Bamforths and exchange greetings. A group of women are on deck chatting. Intertitle –Recreation on board The women play a game on the deck where they must get the rings onto a board with numbered and lettered squares.  This is followed by a kind of crazy hockey game.  Another game of having to throw rings into a circle is being played by men.  Passengers lounge on the deck with members of the crew, and are served tea.  Other games being played include into throwing a ring over a net.  Passengers and members of the crew generally relax as Lucy goes around the deck.  Another passenger is filming on the top deck (not the same as the previous one).  The waiters return with their trays for tea and cakes. Intertitle – Approaching New York Harbour As they come into the harbour, a plane flies in front of the Statue of Liberty.  They travel up the Hudson River, with Manhattan to their right, looking out at the docks and skyline as they pass, with the Empire State Building in the distance.  They pass a similar looking cruise ship.  The second person with a cine camera is among those looking over the side of the ship. Intertitle – Filming John, D Rockefeller, Jnr. (the richest man in the world.) There are several film crews with 35 mm cameras rigged up for Rockefeller to be filmed, with Lucy getting a good close up shot.  About six tug boats pull the ship into dock, again up to a Cunard White Star building, with people waiting for the ship.  A few people wave to the camera as the film comes to an end.