A Night At The Cinema in 1914, film review: BFI's mix of newsreels, skits and travelogues

(U) Various, 85 mins Starring: Charlie Chaplin

'A Night at the Cinema 1914' allows us to enjoy what might have been a typical programme 100 years ago

In the early days of cinema, programmes didn't consist of feature length movies but of a mix of newsreels, skits, travelogues and dramas.

This compilation, released by the BFI, allows us to enjoy what might have been a typical programme in 1914.

Items include explorer Ernest Shackleton's dogs, a newsreel of Emmeline Pankhurst petitioning the king, a glorious early Chaplin short, some animation and a film of the actress Florence Turner gurning and pulling faces.

You can't help but be struck by the fact that much of the footage here is very similar to the random mix of material posted on YouTube today.