Behp0105-henry-geddes-summary
[This interview contains some very interesting information on the whole business of making films for children]
Henry Geddes, who finished his career with the Children’s Film Foundation. Born 1912 in Dover, his father a shipping agent, main customers Germany and Russia. The 1914-18 war put paid to that. Family moved to Dulwich where Henry went to Dulwich prep school and later to Dulwich College. Left at the age of 14. Constant trouble with migraines and medical advice was that he should lead an outdoor life. He worked for three months with an insurance company, then saw an advert for apprentice clerk for the Hudson Bay Company, first at a trading post at Gold Lake, then later posted to Lake Wabasca. During this time, he took an interest in photography and was able to sell his prints. His early recollections of hearing Shackleton lecturing ‘with stills and [Frank] Hurley’s memorable film [South] of the Antarctic’ made him decide to leave the Hudson Bay Company and return to England, and join the Regent Street Polytechnic film course. He worked hid passage back on a cattle boat. Having left school without matriculating he wasn’t qualified for the Poly. Armed with a ‘pass’ to observe what went on at the Stoll Studio, Cricklewood (which wasn’t taken away) he went daily to watch Oswald Mitchell making a Butcher comedy. At the completion of the film he asked Mitchell, who thought he was on the staff, for a job, which he got at £1-10 shillings (£1.50) a week, working as an Assistant Director. Later moved over to Walton Studios worked as a First and Second Assistant, did some Second Unit direction and some writing. During the war years was in the army but all his efforts to get into the Army Film Unit failed. At the end of the war he found it very difficult to get started again, but thanks to Desmond Dickinson [History Project interview No 111 DS] he got a job on the Second Unit of Uncle Silas. Later, through ACT he was offered a job with the Crown Film Unit at Beaconsfield (1947). He was in an exciting period under the leadership of John Taylor [Interview No 34 DS]. He talked about John Grierson, who he said was no organiser, but a good salesman. He talks admiringly about Crown’s training scheme, and has some good stories about working there. The closure of Crown was a political issue. After the closure he was able to get jobs for some 15 members of the Unit. He got himself involved (1951) on a film, Ghost Ships, as Associate Producer at £35 a week. Later got a call from Dora Wright (MGM) “did he know anything about gorillas?” After some 24 hours of swotting up he went to Elstree and got himself on Mogambo, John Ford’s film, in charge of the Second Unit, shooting in Africa, and after that was regarded as an expert on filming in Africa. He talks about the planning and shooting of Toto and the Poachers, made for the Children’s Film Foundation after Frank Wells left. Fortunately, there was money in the bank and he was able to get things moving. Talks about low budgets and the golden rule for their films: No war scenes and no violence. He also talks about the history of the children’s matinees, Rank’s Mickey Mouse Club and Granada’s Children’s Club. He then talks about the idea from Frank Hawe to set aside some Eady money [The Eady Levy film tax] to make films by outside contractors. Henry says they made over 100 films, either one hour or serials of 8 fifteen-minute episodes. There were at their height some 950 cinemas with children’s matinees. He talks about repeats and how often they came. The two events that killed the matinees were the 3-day week and the closure of cinemas.
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