Programme Notes

Programme notes from HippFest 2026 – our Sweet 16th edition – are below, followed by an A–Z archive going back to 2013. We commission writers, historians and archivists to write notes for every feature in the programme; if you’d like to write for a future edition, get in touch at hippfest@falkirk.gov.uk.

Apart from You (1933) by Kelly Robinson

April Fool (1926) by Jay Weissberg

The Bat (1926) by Allan Hunter

Captain January (1924) by Fritzi Kramer

The Crowd (1928) by David Cairns

High Treason (1929) by Laraine Porter

Kidnapped (1917) by Fritzi Kramer

Mountain of Destiny (1924) by Steve Scott

The Outlaw and His Wife (1918) by David Cairns

Saxophone Susy (1928) by Pamela Hutchinson

Silent Sherlock: Three Classic Cases by Bryony Dixon

Song (1928) by Katie Gee Salisbury

The White Heather (1919) by Kathy Rose O’Regan

Why Be Good (1929) by Pamela Hutchinson

 

 

Archive

 

A-E

• Adventures of Half a Ruble (1929) by Natalia Guzevataya (HippFest 2024)

• A Kiss from Mary Pickford (1927) by David Cairns (HippFest 2021)

• Annie Laurie (1927) by Bryony Dixon (HippFest 2015)

• The Artist (2011) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2013)

• Baby Peggy The Elephant in the Room (1924) by Allan Hunter (HippFest 2013)

• Before the Face of the Sea (1926) by Antti Alanen (HippFest 2025)

• Beggars of Life (1928) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2014) 

• The Blot (1921) by Rosie Meachin and Shelley Stamp (HippFest 2019)
• The Blue Bird (1918) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2023)

• Body and Soul (1925) by Professor Charles Musser (HippFest 2021)

• By the Law (Po Zakonu) (1926) by Professor Dina Iordanova (HippFest 2017)

• Call of the North (2017) by Yasmin Al-Hadithi of Highlight Art (HippFest 2018)

• The Cat and the Canary (1927) by David Cairns (HippFest 2019)
• The Cave of the Spider Woman (1927) by Yan Wang (HippFest 2025)
• The Chase After Millions (1930) by Oliver Hanley (HippFest 2025)

• Chess Fever (1925) by David Cairns (HippFest 2021)

• Chicago (1927) by Georgina Coburn (HippFest 2017)

• Children of No Importance (Die Unehelichen) (1926) by Rolf Aurich (HippFest 2015)

• City Girl (1930) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2022)

• The Constant Nymph (1928) by Josephine Botting (HippFest 2025)

• Crossways (Jujiro) (1928) by Jasper Sharp (HippFest 2013)

• Dawn (1928) by Lawrence Napper (HippFest 2022)

• Daybreak (1933) by Dr Xuelei Huang (HippFest 2016)

• Dragnet Girl (Hijosen No Onna) (1933) by Chris Fujiwara (HippFest 2014)

• Drifters (1929) by Karl Magee (HippFest 2014)

• Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1920) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest at Home 2020)

• Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde - The Film Explainer Presents by Trevor Griffiths (HippFest 2015)

• The Eagle (1925) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2021)

• Earth (1930) by David Cairns (HippFest 2016)

• Exit Smiling (1926) by Bryony Dixon (HippFest 2016)

F-M

• Faces of Children (Visages d'Enfants) (1925) by David Cairns (HippFest 2014)
• The Fall of the House of Usher (1928) by David Cairns (HippFest 2022)
• FILIBUS: The Mysterious Air Pirate (1915)  courtesy of Milestone (HippFest 2020 and HippFest at Home on Fair Saturday 2020)
• The Flying Scotsman (1929) by Marc David Jacobs (HippFest 2024)
• Flora Kerrigan - Rediscovering a Film Pioneer by Sarah Arnold (HippFest 2025)
• Forbidden Paradise (1924) by David Cairns (HippFest 2019)
• Forgotten Faces (1928) by Mike Mashon (HippFest 2025)
• The Ghost Train (1927) by Laraine Porter (HippFest 2014)
• The Goddess (Shen nu) (1934) by Dr Xuelei Huang (HippFest 2017)
• The Goose Woman (1925) by Dr Kelly Robinson (HippFest 2013)
• Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life (1925) by Professor Nacim Pak-Shiraz (HippFest 2021 & 2019)
• The Grub Stake (1923) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2017)
• The Hands of Orlac (Orlacs Hände) (1924) by Matthias Krop and Gudrun Weiss (HippFest 2017)
• Hell's Hinges (1916) by Edward Buscombe (HippFest 2015)
• Hindle Wakes (1927) by Bryony Dixon (HippFest 2019)
• His Majesty the Barber (1928) - by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2023)
• Hollywood Cinema and American Modernity in the Jazz Age by Dr Michael Hammond (HippFest 2019)
• Hound of the Baskervilles (Der Hund von Baskerville) (1929) by Russell Merritt (HippFest 2019)
• The Informer (1929) by Bryony Dixon (HippFest 2017)
• Institute of Amateur Cinematographers Award-winners programme (HippFest 2022) 
• In Spring (1929) - by Stanislav Menzelevskyi (HippFest 2023)
• Journey to the Isles: Marjory Kennedy-Fraser by Topher Dawson (HippFest 2022)
• Just Around the Corner (1921) by Anke Brouwers (HippFest 2024)
• Laila (1929) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2019)
• The Last Laugh (Der Letzte Man) (1924) by Konrad Siller (HippFest 2014)
• L'Homme du Large (1920) by David Cairns (HippFest 2022)
• The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots (1923) by Donald Smith, Bob Geoghegan and Tony Fletcher (HippFest 2022)
• Lucky Star (1929) by Bryony Dixon (HippFest 2014)
• Mania (1918) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2016)
• Mantrap (1926) by Jay Weissberg (HippFest 2024)
• The Man Who Laughs (1928) by Fiona Watson (HippFest 2023)
• Master of the House (1925) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2023)
• Moulin Rouge (1928) by Margaret Deriaz (HippFest 2019)

 

N-S

• The Near Shore by Sunniva O'Flynn (HippFest 2025)
• New Found Sound 2021 by Colin Broom & John Somerville (HippFest 2021)
• New Found Sound 2025 by Kevin Cameron (HippFest 2025)
• The Night Rider (1920) by Maggie Hennefeld and Laura Horak (HippFest 2022 - part of the Gender Rebels programme)
• The Norrtull Gang (1923) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2024)
• Not for Sale (1924) by Bryony Dixon (HippFest 2022)
• Oliver Twist (1922) by David Cairns (HippFest 2024)
• The Organist at St Vitus Cathedral (1929) by Ilia Ryzhenko (HippFest 2024)
• The Oyster Princess (1919) by David Cairns (HippFest 2013)
• Queen of Sports (1934) by Dr. Yuqing Liu (Hippfest 2024)
• The Parson's Widow (1920) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2019)
• The Patsy (1928) by Kevin Brownlow (HippFest 2017)
• Peggy (1916) by John Ritchie (HippFest 2024)
• The Penalty (1920) by David Cairns (HippFest 2018) and touring
• The Perils of Pauline (1914) by William M. Drew (HippFest 2023)
• Piccadilly (1929) by Anna Chen (HippFest 2015)
• The Pleasure Garden (1925) by Caroline Young (HippFest 2025)
• The Pride of the Clan (1917) by Thomas A. Walsh and Catherine A. Surowiec (HippFest 2025)
• Prix de Beaute (1930) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2021)
• The Red Heroine (Hongxia) (1929) by Dr Xuelei Huang (HippFest 2019)
• Rien Que Les Heures (1929) by Karl Magee (HippFest 2014)
• Rob Roy (1922) by David Bruce (HippFest 2019) and touring
• Rowdy Ann (1919) by Maggie Hennefeld and Laura Horak (HippFest 2022)
• The Rugged Island - A Shetland Lyric (1933) by Dr Shona Main (HippFest 2024)
• Salt for Svanetia (1930) by David Cairns (HippFest 2015)
• Seven Footprints to Satan (1929) by David Cairns (HippFest 2018)
• Shamrock Handicap (1926) by Tony Tracy (HippFest 2025)
• Shiraz: A Romance of India (1928) by Bryony Dixon (HippFest 2018)
• Shooting Stars (1928) - by Bryony Dixon (HippFest 2023)
• The Silent Enemy (1930) by David Stirrup (HippFest 2023)
• Skinner's Dress Suit (1926) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2025)
• Smouldering Fires (1925) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2025)
• Sparrows (1926) by Cari Beauchamp (HippFest 2021)
• Stage Struck (1925) by Bryony Dixon (HippFest 2013)
• Stella Dallas (1925) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2016)
• Stella Maris (1918) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2024)
• String of Pearls (Yichuan Zhenzhu) (1926) by Julian Ward (HippFest 2022)
• Striving (Fen Dou) (1932) by Dr Julian Ward (HippFest 2018)
• The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927) adapted from programme notes supplied by Photoplay Productions (HippFest 2018)
• Synthetic Sin (1929) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2015)

 

T-Z

• Together (1956) by Bill Hare (HippFest 2017)
• Underground (1928) by Bryony Dixon (HippFest 2021 and 2018)
• The Unknown (1927) by David Cairns  (HippFest 2022)
• Variety (1925) by David Cairns (HippFest 2016)
• Volcanic Passions (1932) - by Xuelei Huang (HippFest 2023)
• What Happened to Jones (1926) by Pamela Hutchinson (HippFest 2023)
• The Wind (1928) by Bryony Dixon (HippFest 2024)
• With Reindeer and Sled in Inka Länta’s Winterland (1926) by Magnus Rosborn (HippFest 2025)
• The Woman Men Yearn For (1929) by Margaret Deriaz (HippFest 2021)
• The Wrecker (1929) by Neil Brand (HippFest 2016)
• Wunder der Schöpfung – Wonder of Creation (1925) by Professor John C Brown (HippFest 2016)