First films for Glasgow

The first Films of Scotland Committee was set up by the Scottish Secretary of State and the Development council. The objective granted to the council was to foster and encourage the production of Scottish films and national interest.

The Committee produced the first seven films to be shown in Scotland and they were to be shown at the 1938 Glasgow Empire Exhibition.
The seven films shown at the Exhibition were;
'Wealth of a nation,' a film on scottish industry and town planning;
'The face of Scotland,' a broad history of Scotland and the Scottish character;
'They made the land,' a film on the history of Scottish agriculture;
'The Children's Story,' all about Scottish education;
'Seafood;'
'Scotland for Fitness' and
'Sport in Scotland.'

Broadcaster John Grierson, broadcaster, on the exhibition of Scottish films (1938), 'Here is a prospect of all sorts of people being specially interested in Scotland in 1938 and a chance to focus their interest in the life and achievement of our country. What medium can do it better than film?'


The films of 1938 were by no means the first moving pictures to be seen in Scotland. 13th April 1896 was when the first moving pictures were shown to an audience at Edinburgh's Empire Theatre and then to an audience in Glasgow's Skating Palace on the 26th May. The first Scottish film to be screened was 'The Departure of the Columba from Rothesay Pier,' (1896).

Showing films through the cinema screen was not the only way that moving pictures made their way to our communities. 1938 also saw the arrival of George Green a traveling showman. This man brought moving pictures to us as one of his fairground amusements, screening films at the Christmas Carnival at he Vinegar Hill show ground that lies east of Glasgow Cross.


As can be seen Glasgow has had ties to the film industry for a very long time, and will no doubt continue to be at the forefront of Scottish Cinema-going.