Chinese Dresses (1956)

Balham, South London. C/U of a chair with various brightly coloured Chinese silk robes on it; panning left to show a man getting up from beside the clothes and putting on a yellow and blue silk skirt; tilt down slightly to show his feet in Chinese slippers standing on a little mat on the carpet. Commentator tells us these are 18th Century dragon robes seen in the South London home of Col Ling Soo. M/S of Col Ling Soo putting on a sable-lined red Empress robe from his collection and doing up the buttons; C/U as he fastens the belt around his waist; a fabric holder for silver-tipped chopsticks hangs from the belt. C/Us as he folds a finely embroidered flat purse featuring animals over the belt. M/S as Col Ling Soo turns to a table, puts on a Chinese hat with peacock plume and some beads. He sits down and starts to fan himself. C/U of his face, tilt down to show in detail the intricate and colourful embroidery of his robe. Commentator tells us Col Ling Soo, or ’Happy Spirit’, is not really Chinese;