Britannia of Billingsgate is a 1933 British musical comedy film directed by Sinclair Hill and starring Violet Loraine, Gordon Harker, Kay Hammond and John Mills. It was written by George Moresby-White and Ralph Stock based on the 1931 play Britannia of Billingsgate by Christine Jope-Slade and Sewell Stokes.
It was shot at the Lime Grove Studios in London. The film's sets were designed by the art director Alfred Junge.
Plot A family who work in the fish trade at Billingsgate Market encounter a film crew who are shooting there.
Cast Violet Loraine as Bessie Bolton Gordon Harker as Bert Bolton Kay Hammond as Pearl Bolton John Mills as Fred Bolton Drusilla Wills as Mrs Wrigley Walter Sondes as Harold Hogarth Glennis Lorimer as Maud Anthony Holles as Guidobaldi Joyce Kirby as Joan Gibb McLaughlin as Westerbrook Grethe Hansen as Gwen Wally Patch as Harry Ernest Sefton as publicity man
Speedway scenes The motorcycle speedway scenes from the film were shot at Lea Bridge Stadium, featuring some of the leading riders in Britain at the time: Colin Watson, Arthur Warwick, Gus Kuhn, Tom Farndon, Claude Rye and Ron Johnson.
Reception Film Weekly wrote: "The producers of Britannia of Billingsgate have made a thoroughly British comedy which also has the advantage of being a good film. The progrens from an East End fish-and-chip shop to a West End film studio of Mrs. Britannia Bolton, the Pride of Billingsgate, is paved with laughter."
Kine Weekly wrote: "Sound comedy on popular lines with marked Cockney flavour, broad rather than subtle in characterisation. Its strong point consists of settings in Billingsgate market, a real film studio, and a dirt-track sequence. Smooth direction helps an unconvincing scenario, and the stars come over well, especially Violet Loraine, whose screen debut is helped by several songs in her very individual style."
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