Watching Hollywood Stars Play Cricket (Yes, Really)

Is it worth your time?

If you have ten minutes and a strange curiosity about what British expats in Hollywood did on their weekends, sure. It’s basically a home movie for people who like old black-and-white trivia.

Don't watch this if you need an actual story. There’s no plot here, just a bunch of people wearing hats and pretending they’re in London. Or somewhere near it.

The whole thing feels like a fever dream of the 1930s. One minute you’re watching people try to play cricket in the California sun—which looks remarkably exhausting—and the next you’re at the Knickerbocker Hotel.

The footage of the costume party is just a blur of faces. I recognized a few, but most just look like they’re having a better time than I am.

The vibe is... specific.

There’s this weird, polite energy to it all. Everyone is so aggressively British for the camera. It reminded me a bit of the lightness in Caught Short, but with more tea and less... whatever that movie was doing.

I kept waiting for someone to trip or for the camera to actually catch a candid moment. But no, everyone is on their best behavior. It’s a bit stiff, honestly.

• That one guy holding his cricket bat like it's a dangerous weapon.
• The sheer amount of lace on display at the hotel.
• Jackie Coogan looking like he’d rather be literally anywhere else.

It’s not as energetic as The Outlaw Express, obviously. But then again, not everything needs to be a runaway train robbery. Sometimes you just need to watch people have tea.

I think the best way to watch this is with the sound off. Just put on some jazz and pretend you’re at the party. It feels less like a documentary and more like a ghost story about people who used to be very, very famous. 📽️

It’s messy. It’s short. It probably shouldn't exist in a digital archive, but I’m kind of glad it does. Odd little artifact.