Theo Richmond

Forename/s: 
Theo
Family name: 
Richmond
Work area/craft/role: 
Industry: 
Interview Number: 
405
Interview Date(s): 
30 Apr 1997
Interviewer/s: 
Production Media: 

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Interview
Interview notes

Rough notes of Interview 405, Theo Richmond, 30th April, 1997.
SIDE ONE

Born London 1929, School at St. Albans, Conscription RAF, London School of Economics. Rank Organisation. Unit publicity, Pinewood, £12 per week, 1954. Kenneth Green, Purcell, £14 p.w. , Horman Wisdom, Asquith, Ronnie Neame Joined ACT., Jack Hawkins, Doctor at Sea, Ian Carmichael, freelance publicity, MGM, Rome etc., Boultings, 21 Grosvenor Street, Charter Productions, 1956, Brothers in Law, Charles Chaplin, King in New York; Teaching (supply teacher), Epstein, Shepperton, Publicist, Miss Ford, Georges Perinal, Gordon Hale, Nyree Dawn Porter, Boultings, Lucky Jim, Tour D'Argent, Ian Carmichael, British Lion, Shepperton, David Kingsley, Ted Jarrett, Launder and Gilliat, Chief of publicity, Janet Ondaatji, English Patient, Ann Bennet, Bored with publicity, Angry Silence. 

SIDE TWO: Sammy Going South, John Cassavetes, finished with publicity, Ronnie Spencer, Erica Masters, Heavens Above, 1962, Editing, Tony Harvey, Ann Coates, Genevieve, Littleton Park, Max Green, Isle of Man, Cyril Bennett, Rediffusion, This Week, Jan^s Cameron, Jews of Britain, Gus Coma, Scotland Yard, Wolf, Cameraman, Desmond Wilcox, Man Alive, Trevor Philpot, The Losers, freelance, Shell Film Unit, Douglas Gordon, Energy of the Future, Prizes, South Bank Show, Michelle Petri(e), (recorder). Writing, Bert Haanstra, 16mrn. , Dora Thomas, Now Video, January, 1987, Journalist, freelance for Guardian and Telegraph magazine.

TAPE 2 SIDE 3: Writing a book, seven years to write "Konin - a Quest", American producers, Irvine Allen, Rome, Bennington Behrens, Bankers, Antony Steel, Victor Mature, Rorman Hudis, writer, Elson John, George Brown, The Seekers, Julian Wintle, - general chat.

Interview extract:-

Irving Allen, who made a lot of fairly dreadful movies, provided me with employment - a wonderful unforgettable location in Rome to which I’d never been. The [Hollywood leads] did behave like temperamental stars in those days - very tempestuous, and there were dreadful scenes of things being thrown out of the hotel bedroom, it was fairly crazy. 

    I didn’t enjoy working on films that were quite clearly made for strictly commercial reasons - nothing wrong with that, at all - but these were films made by people with very limited talent and one knew from day one that these were destined to be mediocre, banal, unoriginal films - and that removed some of the pleasure of being on the set.

Transcript

Biographical

 

Born London 1929, School at St. Albans, Conscription RAF, London School of Economics. Rank Organisation. Unit publicity, Pinewood, £12 per week, 1954. Kenneth Green, Purcell, £14 p.w. , Horman Wisdom, Asquith, Ronnie Neame Joined ACT., Jack Hawkins, Doctor at Sea, Ian Carmichael, freelance publicity, MGM, Rome etc., Boultings, 21 Grosvenor Street, Charter Productions, 1956, Brothers in Law, Charles Chaplin, King in New York; Teaching (supply teacher), Epstein, Shepperton, Publicist, Miss Ford, Georges Perinal, Gordon Hale, Nyree Dawn Porter, Boultings, Lucky Jim, Tour D'Argent, Ian Carmichael, British Lion, Shepperton, David Kingsley, Ted Jarrett, Launder and Gilliat, Chief of publicity, Janet Ondaatji, English Patient, Ann Bennet, Bored with publicity, Angry Silence. Sammy Going South, John Cassavetes, finished with publicity, Ronnie Spencer, Erica Masters, Heavens Above, 1962, Editing, Tony Harvey, Ann Coates, Genevieve, Littleton Park, Max Green, Isle of Man, Cyril Bennett, Rediffusion, This Week, Jan^s Cameron, Jews of Britain, Gus Coma, Scotland Yard, Wolf, Cameraman, Desmond Wilcox, Man Alive, Trevor Philpot, The Losers, freelance, Shell Film Unit, Douglas Gordon, Energy of the Future, Prizes, South Bank Show, Michelle Petri(e), (recorder). Writing, Bert Haanstra, 16mrn. , Dora Thomas, Now Video, January, 1987, Journalist, freelance for Guardian and Telegraph magazine.