London After Dark

This rare film of stage actor and later cinema star Tod Slaughter opens with a view of St Paul's over the river and the bright lights of Piccadilly at night. Then the film moves off to the old Elephant Theatre on the New Kent Road, where Slaughter stars in a military melodrama. After the show, the film ends with a look at the Rowton House in Southwark, a hostel for the poor much admired by George Orwell.

Directed by Harry B. Parkinson, London After Dark leans on a strong ensemble — Tod Slaughter — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1926.