Showtime

A film of the Royal Melbourne Show as seen through the eyes of a family group. Grandfather, a retired farmer, takes his daughter and her two teenage children to the show. To people like breeders of livestock, farmers and agricultural equipment salesmen, the show is an important yearly event, but for the family there is something to interest each member. Cooking demonstrations, displays of horsemanship, and the extensive pavilions showing domestic pets as well as farm animals all have their appeal.

Selected highlights list:
00:00:14:00 animated graphics title ‘Showtime’, ‘produced by State Film Centre Victoria Westrex Sound’
00:00:30:00 a 1950s model crane truck
00:00:45:00 a 1950s model electricians van with lettering for ‘RHC Sound System’
00:00:57:00 scenes of preparing for the Show - cleaning, painting tyres and signs, brushing cattle
00:01:26:00 first look at animals on show in the main arena
00:02:16:00 draft horses
00:02:26:00 goats
00:02:35:00 and showing off the fleece on a large ram and holding a large rooster up to the camera
00:02:50:00 the Berkshire pigs at the Show
00:03:02:00 a ‘red rattler’ style Show Special train pulls into the platform and people disembark, including the narrator and his family who quickly start looking at exhibits at the Show
00:03:53:00 first showbag pavilion
00:04:05:00 signs for popular soft drink at the time. Tarax
00:04:30:00 the Guernsey cattle pavilion
00:05:06:00 bundles of wheat and Government information about wheat on display
00:05:29:00 baby hen chicks
00:05:55:00 large flock of sheep
00:06:05:00 Centenary Hall at the Melbourne Showgrounds followed by exhibitions of shearing sheep with hand shears and then with electric shears
00:06:35:00 a fashion parade at the Show followed by doll making and hand knits craft exhibition
00:07:27:00 looking at exhibitions of food preservation, tiered wedding cakes, and cooking class on laminations
00:07:45:00 whitegoods exhibition beginning with a well stocked drinks cabinet with built in fridge and semi-automatic washing machine in action
00:07:59:00 an exhibition set up as a butchers shop shows sausage making
00:08:15:00 the wood-chopping exhibition and competition at the Show followed by exhibition of different types of chainsaws
00:09:00:00 the diary pavilion
00:09:17:00 inspecting the brand new, shining Massey-Ferguson tractors tried out by very keen young man of the family
00:09:44:00 new motor cars on show including a promotion for the new Ford Zephyr
00:09:55:00 carnival rides including the ‘Noddy Car Ride’ (character featured in Enid Blyton books)
00:10:30:00 aerial view of the Showgrounds
00:10:46:00 sideshow tents
00:11:47:00 fairy floss tent
00:11:55:00 cut flowers pavilion
00:12:16:00 dog show
00:13:30:00 the Australian Mint exhibition followed by several show bag stalls
00:14:15:00 crowds at the main arena followed by horse jumping, harness racing and other competitions, including what might be sheaf sack tossing
00:15:09:00 the Grand Parade in the main arena at the Show which includes many of the exhibitors, winners and placegetters
00:17:07:00 fireworks and title ‘The End’