Search Results for: Roy Fowler

Adolph Simon was born in France in 1895, and in 1907 joined Charles Pathe’s laboratories at Joinville. By 1910 he was taking Paris street scenes for Pathe, but was then sent to London as a newsfilm cameraman after the launch of Pathe’s Animated Gazette in July 1910. The date has been given as 1911, but Simon may have been the man ‘sent over from the French factory’ before the launch to help Harry Sanders [qv] supply Pathe with British material. On the outbreak of war in August 1914 Simon returned to France to serve in the army, and became an observer with kite balloons. After the war Simon went to Shanghai, where he distributed Pathe equipment and ran his own newsreel during the period from 1920 to 1926. According to one account ‘he once pinched the Far Eastern Games from a competitor in Peking by standing on a table outside the ground and then escaping, with the table, by rickshaw.' Simon later returned to London, and when Pathe launched its Super Sound Gazette in June 1930 he was one of the chief technicians responsible for the introduction of sound. Simon was also credited in camera teams at major events such as Grand Nationals, Boat Races, Cup Finals and Test Matches, his first being for ‘THE AMATEURS GRAND NATIONAL’ in No.31/32 of April 1931. In October 1934 Simon travelled to Belgrade with Ben Benson [qv] to cover ‘THE FUNERAL OF ALEXANDER I OF JUGOSLAVIA’ for Super Sound Gazette No.34/85. In May 1937 Simon was credited in the camera team that filmed ‘THE CORONATION OF THEIR MAJESTIES KING GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH’ for Super Sound Gazette No.37/38. It is possible that these credits were in fact as sound engineer, for during the war Simon apparently returned to this work. Reg Sutton [qv], who joined Movietone as a sound engineer in 1946, recalled that Simon ‘was a great help to me in my early days ‘on the road,' he was a nice man and had a wealth of experience.' Simon often worked with the Pathe cameraman John Rudkin [qv], as his sound engineer. In August 1947 they filmed the British Services Searchlight Tattoo in Berlin for ‘BERLIN SEES BRITISH TATTOO’ in Pathe News No.47/66. In January 1949 Simon was credited in the team that filmed ‘WHO’S FOR THE CUP’ in Pathe News No.49/4, and he afterwards appears regularly in the issue sheets. Simon appeared in the Pathe News comic item ‘MOO-SIC TILL THE COWS COME HOME’ in No.50/4 of January 1950, which he covered with Rudkin. The Pathe story card explains that it showed ‘C[lose]U[p] Mr Simon Pathe Sound Operator, sitting cross legged playing tin whistle. CU Mr Simon still playing tin whistle, egg falls on head.' Simon acted as cameraman in March 1951, filming ‘PEOPLE IN THE NEWS’ in No.51/25. He also apparently worked on the ‘Flying Enterprise’ story in January 1952, and was one of the two soundmen covering ‘THE LAST JOURNEY (KING’S FUNERAL)' in February 1952, for Pathe News No.52/15. In October 1952 Simon was again credited as one of the cameramen who filmed ‘TRIPLE TRAIN CRASH’ for Pathe News No.52/82. Simon was also sound engineer to Rudkin on ‘QUEEN MEETS COMMONWEALTH MINISTERS’ in Pathe News No.53/40 of June 1953, and also worked on ‘THE CORONATION OF HM QUEEN ELIZABETH’ in No.53/41 of the same month. Simon’s last sound engineer credit is on ‘THE SPORTING WORLD’ for No.54/56 in July 1954. Simon afterwards left Pathé, but he reportedly ‘went on to work as a freelance for many more years.' SourcesCine Technician, April-May 1940, p.25: BUFVC, British Paramount News files, Issue Number 1718 (Rudkin’s rota dopesheet, 8/11 August 1947): P. Norman ‘The Newsreel Boys,' Sunday Times, 10/1/1971, p.11: B. Honri, ‘Newsreel Boys’ Reunion,' Screen International, 11/6/1977, p.10, and ‘Newsreel Nostalgia,' British Journal of Photography, 1/7/1977, p.550: J. Ballantyne (ed) ‘Researcher’s Guide to British Newsreels: Vol.II’ (1988), p.35, using material supplied by John Edwards of Buff Films

BIOGRAPHY:Reg Sutton joined the BBC in 1936 as a sound engineer, working on transmitters, studios, and outside broadcasts in Newcastle and London. In 1946 he was recruited by Movietone as a sound engineer, employed to replace Martin Gray [qv] and working with the cameraman Alec Tozer [qv]. Sutton’s first assignment was for ''BRITAIN CAN WEAR IT’ MIDNIGHT DISPLAY’ in British Movietone News No.905 of October 1946. In October 1947 he acted as sound engineer for Norman Fisher [qv], filming ‘PRINCESS ELIZABETH LAUNCHES NEW CUNARDER’ for British Movietone News No.961. Sutton also had minor roles in several Movietone stories. In January 1948 he appeared dressed as a Chinaman in ‘1948 WELCOMED - CHELSEA ARTS BALL’ in British Movietone News No.970, and in March 1948 he appeared again in ‘EASTER 1948 - THE NO-BASIC HOLIDAY’ in No.982A. He was shown asleep on the grass in ‘ART IN THE PARK’ in No.989 of May 1948, and dressed as a child in ‘XMAS TIME IS CIRCUS TIME’ in No.1020 of December 1948. In July 1948 Sutton covered the Olympic Games in London with the cameraman Alec Tozer [qv], filming under a rota agreement with the other newsreels. He appeared again, looking through binoculars at a statue in ‘GODIVA UNVEILED, BUT RELUCTANTLY’ in No.1064a of October 1949, and in April 1951 he was shown as an impoverished drinker in ‘THE BUDGET’ in No.1140A. In January 1952 Sutton spent six days covering the sinking of the ‘Flying Enterprise.' Norman Fisher [qv] recalled that ‘Reg Sutton and myself worked together on this one on behalf of Movietone’: ‘Reg Sutton and I were set up with a sound unit on the quayside at Falmouth for interviews with Captain Carlson and his First Officer, Kenneth Dancy, who were brought ashore within a few hours of the sinking.' Their material appeared in ‘THE END OF THE ‘FLYING ENTERPRISE’' in British Movietone News No.1180. Sutton was the sound engineer who went with Movietone cameraman Paul Wyand [qv] on the Royal Tour of the Commonwealth, the assignment lasting from October 1953 to May 1954. Wyand noted of Sutton that ‘stocky and in his thirties, he had come to Movietone from the B.B.C., and in my opinion is the best sound engineer for outside recordings.' Their material was released as ‘The Flight of the White Heron.' By the time that Sutton completed this assignment, Alec Tozer [qv], with whom he regularly worked, had left Movietone, and Sutton teamed up with cameraman Norman Fisher [qv]. They worked together on ‘THE OPEN ROAD’ in No.1328A of November 1954, and also covered ‘THE ELECTION’ for No.1356 in May 1955. However, Sutton also worked regularly with Paul Wyand - who recalled Sutton as ‘a notorious leg-puller.' Sutton left Movietone in June 1960 to become chief of sound for the Samuelson Film Service Limited. In 1970 Sutton became general manager of the Samuelson Group, but he seems to have found time to do some commentaries for his former company. Sutton was first credited as commentator for British Movietone News No.2232A of March 1972, and later that month shared credits with Leslie Mitchell for No.2234A. In June 1972 he returned to commentate for No.2246A. Sutton retired in 1986. Sources: L. Murray and R. Sutton, ‘A newsreel round-up on filming the ‘Flying Enterprise’,' Cine-Technician, March-April 1952, pp.26-28: P. Wyand and R. Sutton, ‘The Flight Of The White Heron,' Cine-Technician, June 1954, pp.117, 121: P. Wyand ‘Useless if Delayed’ (London, 1959), pp.225-8: J. Ballantyne (ed) ‘Researcher’s Guide to British Newsreels: Vol.II’ (1988), p.35 - information from David Watson of MOMI: J. Ballantyne (ed) ‘Researcher’s Guide to British Newsreels: Vol.III’ (1993), pp.27-8BUFVC:Sound engineer Reg Sutton donated a copy of his manuscript memoirs to the BUFVC. Sutton worked at the BBC from 1936, joining the British Movietone newsreel in 1946, leaving them in 1960 to join the Samuelson Film Service. The memoirs include a partial list of outside broadcasts recorded by Sutton in Newcastle 1939-1948. Sutton has also donated his assignments list for his time at Movietone.

Born in London, in 1908, Alfred worked in the film industry as a film editor on the 1932 British comedy film "Thark". He went on to edit mostly comedies over the next forty years including many of the Aldwych Farces films, and Will Hay films such as "Boys will be Boys"He directed the  crime film "My Brother's Keeper"( 1948) and comedy film "It's Not Cricket" (1949).In the latter years of his career he edited the Carry On  series of films alongside the director, Gerald Thomas. He retired in 1975 after editing "Carry On Behind".

BIOGRAPHY: Among the most celebrated of all cinematographers, Freddie Young entered the film industry in late 1917 at Gaumont Studios in Shepherds Bush. Working initially as a laboratory assistant, he was soon promoted to the camera department and earned his first credit as lighting cameraman in 1928. The following year he was placed under contract at British and Dominions by Herbert Wilcox, shooting numerous films for him before WWII. After the war he was contracted by MGM-British, for whom he had previously shot Goodbye Mr Chips (1939). From this point onward, Young worked almost exclusively on big international movies, notably his trio of films for David Lean: Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965) and Ryan’s Daughter (1970). He won Oscars for all three and built a formidable reputation in the industry. Additional credits include You Only Live Twice (1967), Battle of Britain (1969) and Nicholas and Alexandra (1971. SUMMARY: In this detailed and extensive interview, Freddie Young discusses his seven decades in the British film industry. Highlights include accounts of his early career with Herbert Wilcox, where he was involved in photographing the first British sound film (not Blackmail, he claims, but White Cargo), his impressions of the Hollywood studio system in the late 1930s, and his experiences working with Michael Powell. Throughout, Young speak frankly about working with a variety of British and American directors, who he categorises as those who were prepared to look through the camera’s viewfinder, and those who were content to leave it to him. The latter approach seems to be exemplified by George Cukor, who Young claims was only interested in speaking to actors, while the former is exemplified by David Lean, who Young holds in immensely high regard. The interview also contains a great deal of valuable technical information.