Walter Hausner (April 24, 1914-February 5, 2003) was a member of the Austrian amateur film society in Vienna. His father, Ferdinand (1883-1957) owned a firm for fabrics and fashion articles with factories in Vienna and Jihlava, Czechoslovakia with business partner Siegfried Furst. Walter’s mother, Wilhelmina Bloch, died from cancer in 1937. Walter and Ferdinand managed to leave Vienna together just before the plebiscite in March 1938 on a plane which was brought down in Berlin. The Nazis required Ferdinand to supply an inventory of his assets. His friend and fashion designer, Claire Rennai, had a visa to go to the United States and married Ferdinand to help him get out of Austria. Walter made it to England where he had planned to establish another factory for the family textile firm. He was interned as an enemy alien. Walter later served in the British Army, where he met a singer, Irene Jones (1921-2014) performing for the troops. They married and emigrated to the New York region in 1948.
“Aufnahmen. Walter Hausner.” “Mitglied des Klubs der Kino-Amateure Österreichs” Title: “Mit dem österreichisch-englischem Austauch-Komité nach London.” Women in hats, CUs. Ride on a ferry boat. Water, people on board, CUs. Title: “Stadtbilder” Buckingham Palace and other London buildings, street traffic. People congregate in a garden. Double-decker buses pass the Bank of England. Aerial views of the city. Shots from the top of an open-air bus. Parliament. Palace guards. Big Ben with scaffolding. A plane takes off. Planes in the hanger. City scenes. 01:04:36 Animals at the zoo: wolf, kangaroo, birds, polar bear, tiger, lion, llamas, ostriches, flamingos, monkeys, and deer. 01:05:53 “Oxford” Sightseeing in Oxford, bus tour, gardens, castle. “Stradford on Avon die Shakespeare-stadt” Visit to Shakespeare’s birthplace. Boat ride. Sunset. 01:09:35 “Ein Ausflug ans Meer” The group gathers on stairs. A woman gets out of a car, man with dog. Scenic views of a waterfront. CUs, women in a moving car. The tour group prepares for a picture to be taken. Man waves from a church doorway. The group relaxes in a park. Horses on the beach. CU dog. Crowded beach. Swans in a pond. People play cards on a blanket. Sightseeing - the tower of London. CUs of trip-mates. INTs, Tower of London. Palace guard and raven. Tower Bridge. The group converses in the city streets, more London buildings. Deer graze in a park. Sunset. 01:13:03 “Und wieder heimwärts!” The return trip - two people goof around on a train. A few play cards. Nice CUs of others on the ferry boat. Life preserver ring:"M.S. Prince … Ooste". Water. Film ends.
Visiting London and Oxford