A View of East Lothian

Hopetoun Woods, not Hollywood, is where Russell Cowe has built up one of Britain’s largest vintage video distribution centres, Panamint Cinema.

Like many film enthusiasts, Russell has memories of going to see the film classics of the period at one of over 40 cinemas which flourished in Edinburgh in the late 1950s. Any idea that he might make a career in films, would, however, have sounded as far fetched as the plots of the weekly serials shown at the Salon, at the top of Leith Walk, which he enjoyed so much during his boyhood years.

On leaving school he worked in the developing computer industry and later started his own company. He is now based at Abercorn Schoolhouse, from where Panamint Cinema is run. What began as a fundraising hobby has now taken over Russell’s working life.

“At the Millennium, I was President of South Queensferry Rotary Club and, to mark the occasion, committed my fellow members to raise funds for a new scout hall. Queensferry and the surrounding area played a prominent role in World War II when it was the scene of the first German air raid in October 1939. Through a friend, I discovered that a propaganda film had been made about the massive grey barrage balloons flown over the Forth Bridge to defend it from attacks. After a long search, I found the old black and white film in the cellars of London’s Imperial War Museum and gained permission from the authorities to copy it onto video to sell for charity.”

As well as orders, Russell received many enquiries about making other, until then, largely forgotten Scottish documentaries on video. The rest, as they say, is well, history.

Russell finds much of his material in the well catalogued library of the Scottish Screen Archive. Other sources include the Imperial War Museum.

The name, Panamint Cinema is derived from Russell’s childhood love of the silver screen cowboys, in particular one named Panamint Badman.

A few years ago, Russell began releasing DVDs and his latest is the fascinating A View of East Lothian featuring two films about the area. The title film is a journey back through East Lothian’s turbulent history to the times of Agricola the Roman, King Loth and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Dunbar - The A1 Resort (1970) is a promotional film for the popular holiday resort of Dunbar, exploring the town’s attractions, and visiting the nearby Tantallon Castle.

These colourful films, from the Films of Scotland Collection, are available for the first time on DVD. They can be ordered online at www.panamint.co.uk or from:

Abercorn Schoolhouse
By Newton
West Lothian EH52 6PZ

Tel: 01506 834936