Scoops, pirates and pinching in the newsreels

For some years after I joined British Movietone News in October 1945, I heard stories from older members of the staff about the “Scoops” that had taken place in the early twenties to the mid thirties.

I found a lot of the stories unbelievable but it seems that a number of those stories that I did not believe were, in fact, true.  The big mystery to me is why did they do it ?

Filming the Watney Cup

In the early seventies, I had been making small films for Watney Mann, when they asked me if I could film their football tournament, The Watney Cup.  This was an intriguing tournament which consisted of eight teams.

The first two teams were the highest placed First Division teams that had not qualified for any European tournament.  The third and fourth teams came from the Second Division and were the teams that had come third and fourth  The fifth and sixth teams came from the Third  Divisions and were in third and fourth place.  The last two teams were the third and fourth teams in the Fourth Division.

The Epsom Derby 1961

On May 31st, 1961,  I went to the Derby at Epsom.  Having been the runner from starting line to the finish post, across country, carrying the film back to the dispatch rider, now, I was in charge of the shooting of this Derby.

Podcast: The Movietone Years – episode twenty four

“Some guy leaning on a fence”

In 1962 I directed an interview with Sir Laurence Olivier on the opening of the Chichester Festival Theatre, Sir Laurence was the theatre’s first director. It was a superb piece to camera from arguably Britain’s finest actor, the podcast tells the tale of how the shotlist was interpreted by an editor at UPMT.

Podcast: The Movietone Years – episode twenty three

“Ken Hanshaw Algeria 1962”

This week’s podcast tells the tale of cameraman Ken Hanshaw and soundman Malcolm Furness covering the war in Algeria and how they got back from Algiers quickly with their film intact.

Podcast: The Movietone Years – episode twenty two

“The 1962 Grand National”

In 1962 as British Movietone News‘ Assignments Manager, I took over from Paul Wyand in organising Movietone’s coverage of the 1962 Grand National at Aintree.  The Grand National is one of the great sporting events and a staple of the newsreels coverage.

Podcast: The Movietone Years – episode twenty

“Movietone’s FA Cup coverage”

A podcast on how, as Assignments Manager, I made changes to how Movietone filmed the FA Cup Final, starting with the 1961 Cup Final featuring Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City.

News of the World Darts

I was asked to make a film of the “News of the World” Darts Championship which took place at Alexandra Palace each year.

I did it with three cameras, one of which was permanently on the dartboard, another from behind the thrower and the third looking back at the thrower.  It worked well.  However, I nearly missed the start of the tournament.

David Sexton 1930-2012

Somebody once said :  “It is sad to be so old that there is no-one left to remember when you were young”.

I am old and I remember.

Last weekend I heard the sad news of the death of David Sexton.  His obituaries, and there are many, tell of his life after going to play for Chelmsford F.C.

I would like to tell a story of what happened before that, a story indicating that his love of football preceded his professional career by many years.

Podcast: The Movietone Years – episode nine

“The Epsom Derby”

This week’s podcast concerns the annual journey to Epsom for one of the great sporting fixtures, The Epsom Derby – as well as the Movietone staff who captured the images of the race and the other race to get the film back to 22 Soho Square to get it on the screen as quickly as possible.