News & Views

Interviews digitised January / February 2019

Audio 

Ossie Morris  # 9    9 sides of tape

Oswald ('Ossie') Morris (1915-2014 ), cinematographer, OBE, BSC, was born on 22 November in Middlesex. One of the most significant cameramen of the post-war era, Ossie began his career working as a projectionist during his school holidays. In 1932, he left school to become an apprentice in the film industry, with his first job as a clapperboy on After Dark(1932) at Associated Sound Film Industries, Wembley. During WWII, Morris served as a bomber pilot for the Royal Air Force, and returned to the film industry when the war ended. After some experience as an operator at Pinewood in 1946, he was given his first film to light in 1950.

In an interview conducted by Mike Dick, Philip Gilbert, Head of BBC Events Department in 1997, explains the difficult decisions that had to be taken the week after the sad news that Diana , Princess of Wales, had died in a car crash on 31^stAugust in 1997. Philip was also the BBC person who liaised with Buckingham Palace but no information, for a number of days after her death, was forthcoming about the funeral arrangements – Philip and his team had to second guess what arrangements were being made or would be made for Diana’s funeral. You can find out what happened behind the scenes that week and the whole of Philip Gilbert's career by listening to the full interview with him on the BEHP website.

Interview number. 733

David Hamilton was a continuity announcer for ITV . I remember him most when he played football for the ITV team. Turning up at Brockwell Park council football pitches with his boots in a bag. Unlike most of us he arrived in his Rolls Royce! Very likeable fellow footballer on the day. Mostly know as "diddy" no doubt for his size although I never remember him being very small.Worked with many other famous people at ITV like Eamon Andrews.