First Day at SchoolFirst Day at School

I remember my first day at school: I remember my first day at school: Dulwich College in South London. Dulwich College in South London.

I was nine years old, and come from a small I was nine years old, and come from a small primary school, and a big school like primary school, and a big school like Dulwich College really frightened me …Dulwich College really frightened me …

Let us try and remember our first Let us try and remember our first days at school ….days at school ….

In pairs, see if you can In pairs, see if you can write down a list of write down a list of TENTEN words and phrases words and phrases that you might want to that you might want to use to describe your use to describe your experiences. They can experiences. They can be any words you like – be any words you like – adjectives, nouns, or adjectives, nouns, or more colloqiual more colloqiual expressionsexpressions

Now read the Now read the following following poem:poem:

  A millionbillionwillion miles from homeWaiting for the bell to go. (To go where?)Why are they all so big, other children?So noisy? So much at home theyMust have been born in uniformLived all their lives in playgroundsSpent the years inventing gamesThat don't let me in. GamesThat are rough, that swallow you up.

And the railings.And the railings.All around, the railings.All around, the railings.Are they to keep out wolves and monsters?Are they to keep out wolves and monsters?Things that carry off and eat children?Things that carry off and eat children?Things you don't take sweets from?Things you don't take sweets from?Perhaps they're to stop us getting outPerhaps they're to stop us getting outRunning away from the lessins. Lessin.Running away from the lessins. Lessin.What does a lessin look like?What does a lessin look like?Sounds small and slimy.Sounds small and slimy.They keep them in the glassrooms.They keep them in the glassrooms.Whole rooms made out of glass. Imagine.Whole rooms made out of glass. Imagine.

I wish I could remember my nameI wish I could remember my nameMummy said it would come in useful.Mummy said it would come in useful.Like wellies. When there's puddles.Like wellies. When there's puddles.Yellowwellies. I wish she was here.Yellowwellies. I wish she was here.I think my name is sewn on somewhereI think my name is sewn on somewherePerhaps the teacher will read it for me.Perhaps the teacher will read it for me.Tea-cher. The one who makes the tea.Tea-cher. The one who makes the tea.

Now write down a Now write down a similar list of similar list of TEN words and TEN words and phrases that you phrases that you think describe think describe this child’s this child’s experiences. They experiences. They may be words & may be words & phrases from the phrases from the poem, or your poem, or your own wordsown words

Any similarities and/or differences Any similarities and/or differences between the two lists? between the two lists?

Now let us finish Now let us finish with a creative with a creative activity. In activity. In pairs, write your pairs, write your own poem own poem “First Day at “First Day at School,” with a School,” with a MINIMUM of MINIMUM of 10 lines!! 10 lines!!

John Laurie (1897-1980)John Laurie (1897-1980)

John Laurie was John Laurie was another another Shakespearean Shakespearean actor who played actor who played small roles in small roles in comedies & comedies & melodramas. This melodramas. This was his first was his first major character major character role.role.

Reaction from AudiencesReaction from Audiences

Popular audiences at the time would Popular audiences at the time would probably have heard of Ashcroft & Laurie, probably have heard of Ashcroft & Laurie, but would not know them by sight, as but would not know them by sight, as London-based theatre actors seldom toured, London-based theatre actors seldom toured, and then only to the big citiesand then only to the big cities

However their presence in the film gave it However their presence in the film gave it ‘respectability’ with critics & ensured good ‘respectability’ with critics & ensured good potential box-office receipts in Londonpotential box-office receipts in London

Hence Hitchcock Hence Hitchcock combines both combines both ‘high’ and ‘high’ and ‘popular’ cultural ‘popular’ cultural elements in the elements in the film: the adventure film: the adventure tale of Hannay – tale of Hannay – who by the mid-who by the mid-1930s had become 1930s had become something of a folk something of a folk hero – and the hero – and the classical actors’ classical actors’ presence in the castpresence in the cast

Hitchcock as Popular FilmmakerHitchcock as Popular Filmmaker

However Hitchcock wants to make a film that has However Hitchcock wants to make a film that has cross-class appeal in the mid-1930s, so he has cross-class appeal in the mid-1930s, so he has Buchan’s book rewritten to have a sequence Buchan’s book rewritten to have a sequence taking place at the London Palladium, at that taking place at the London Palladium, at that time Britain’s most famous vaudeville theatre (or time Britain’s most famous vaudeville theatre (or music-hall in British English)music-hall in British English)

Performances used to take place twice a night Performances used to take place twice a night at 6.00 and 8.30 p.m. and were genuinely at 6.00 and 8.30 p.m. and were genuinely class-less: upper and lower class patrons sat class-less: upper and lower class patrons sat together in the large theatretogether in the large theatre

… … and enjoyed a and enjoyed a variety of acts. variety of acts.

Radio at the Radio at the time was not time was not

popular in popular in Britain; Britain;

television did television did not exist, so not exist, so

music-hall was music-hall was the main source the main source

of popular of popular entertainmententertainment

Evil lurks everywhere, even in a Evil lurks everywhere, even in a palace of laughter …palace of laughter …

Hitchcock’s Reputation MadeHitchcock’s Reputation Made

The combination of The combination of high cultural & high cultural & popular elements popular elements makes makes Thirty-Nine Thirty-Nine StepsSteps a huge hit in a huge hit in Britain: Hitchcock Britain: Hitchcock tries the same tries the same combination in combination in The The Secret AgentSecret Agent (1936)(1936)