"Terpsichore" by Xenia and Aston

Series

Series Name
Eve And Everybody’s Film Review

Issue

Issue No.
494
Date Released
20 Nov 1930
Length of issue (in feet)
853
Stories in this Issue:

Story

Story No. within this Issue
6 / 6
Summary
NoS synopsis: Xenia and Aston - "the well known dancers dancers from Victoria Vanities etc." perform an exhibition dance. They represent Grace and Strength respectively. C/U of Xenia lying on a cushioned couch. Aston leans over her as she cowers and he strokes her arm suggestively. She recoils from him and the camera pulls back. He grabs her and throws her to the ground. He then picks her up from the floor and drags her around the floor. She is wearing a bikini outfit, his is in skimpy shorts. Their dance is full of passion and violence. He lifts her up and throws her around his body. She falls to the ground. She runs away from him, then back again. She jumps up and throws her legs around his neck. He spins around with her hanging from his neck by the legs. He drops her on the ground. He lifts her up and she leans over backwards as he spins her around above his head. She does various acrobatic poses as she is held aloft. He then holds her by one ankle and one wrist and spins her around. We see this sequence in slow motion. He of course drops her on the floor at the end of the spin and she cowers on the ground moving as if to escape him. He grabs her hand and pulls her up again. More throws and spins. C/U of her in a dramatic pose, she leans backwards with her arms above her head as if in fear. He grabs her again and spins her around. Dropping her down, she rolls over and then lies comatose on the ground. C/U of her still body. Aston approaches. He kicks her over. He picks up her limp body and throws her over his shoulder. He then walks over to the couch and drops her immobile body onto it. He strides off. Camera moves in towards her body. Her arm drops down to the ground and she lies there as if dead.
Keywords
Music and dance
Footage sources
Pathe
Written sources
Pathe Inventory File   Tin No.214
British Pathe Database 1997   Reference No. EP214 Used for synopsis
D. Gifford ‘Entertainers in British Films’ (Westport, 1998)   p283.
Pathe Eve 494-515 Boxfile   Issue sheet
Credits:
Production Co.
British Pathe Ltd.
Length of story (in feet)
262

This series is held by:

Film Archive

Name
British Film Institute (BFI)
Email
For BFI National Archive enquiries:
nonfictioncurators@bfi.org.uk
For commercial/footage reuse enquiries:
footage.films@bfi.org.uk
Web
http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web
Phone
020 7255 1444
Fax
020 7580 7503
Address
21 Stephen Street
London W1T 1LN
Notes
The BFI National Archive also preserves the original nitrate film copies of British Movietone News, British Paramount News, Empire News Bulletin, Gaumont British News, Gaumont Graphic, Gaumont Sound News and Universal News (the World War II years are covered by the Imperial War Museum).
Series held
View all series held by British Film Institute (BFI)
Name
British Pathe Ltd
Email
info@britishpathe.com
Web
https://www.britishpathe.com/
Phone
0207 665 8340
Address
3.29 Canterbury Court
1-3 Brixton Road
London
SW9 6DE
Notes
Pathe now also handles the Reuters Historical Collection, which includes the British Paramount, Empire British, Gaumont Graphic and Gaumont British newsreels.
Series held
View all series held by British Pathe Ltd

How to cite this record

'"Terpsichore" by Xenia and Aston', Eve And Everybody’s Film Review Issue No. 494, 20 Nov 1930. https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/newsonscreen/search/index.php/story/332584 (Accessed 31 Jan 2025)