Human Fish (1949)

Human Fish (1949). Swimmer Harold Elven wears trunks and a harness across his back which is attached to a fishing line. Professional fisherman Jack Hargreaves attaches the line to his rod, and attempts to reel Harold in, competing with his fishing skills against Harold’s athletic strength as Harold tries to reach the end of the pool. This was recorded in Peckham Public Swimming Baths which used to be in the converted attick space of a council building, now a private residence. I wonder if the current residents know so much excitement was happening in their attick in the 1940s? Local girls from Peckham watch with their beautifull conditioned 1940s hairstyles from a glassed-off spectators room. It really is like something out of an early Alfred Hitchcock film, and the soundtrack is a particularly pioneering one for Pathe News, almost a prototype for synth electro pop. Researchers at the British Pathe archive wrote a blog post about The Human Fish in October 2010 on their Wordpress blog here: