Behp0366-colin-dean interview
SIDE ONE
Born 1919, in Sydney of Australian parents. His father ran several profitable enterprises which eventually suffered a downturn during The Depression. Colin received a private education and grew up in Newcastle, a sizeable town, North of Sydney. It closely resembled an English town in manner and interests. After a great deal of effort, he matriculated to Sydney University, having to learn two languages. As a result, he was offered an appointment in the Foreign Service of the Australian Government in Canberra in 1938. As part of the job he was supposed to graduate in English and History, until the war intervened. He first became aware of the documentary film movement whilst in government service. The cinema branch in Melbourne employed a cameraman with a hand cranked 35mm camera. His most vivid memory of moving pictures was watching footage of Scott’s voyage to the South Pole, on a toy projector. The first commercial picture he remembers seeing was The Ten Commandments in 1928. At the cinema branch he became aware of the documentary movement through the regular Documentary Newsletter from London, which he had noticed quite by chance. He soon became familiar with names such as Basil Wright, Edgar Anstey [BEHP Interview 748], Paul Rotha, and Film Centre. Came the war and he was moved around on various appointments in the civil service. Virtually his whole life has been spent in the employ of the Commonwealth Government. He describes in detail the various steps in his career relevant to film, including the arrival of Harry Watts in 1944. Colin was instrumental in the formation of the Australian Film Board. The politics of the period are discussed. Watt suggested that Colin should travel to England to learn how to make films. Still wearing his foreign services hat he was attached to the Crown Film Unit. The arrival of Western Approaches (1944) w/d Pat Jackson had an electric effect on the embryonic film board in Canberra. July 1945 was the start of his employment with the Crown Film Unit where he shot a United Nations film. He was with the delegation at the same time! He was being paid by Crown at £5 seven shillings and sixpence [£7 – 37.5p] a week, plus war bonus and also by the Australian government. He talks about first impressions of the Crown Film Unit. He was an Assistant Director to begin with, and an ACT member based at Pinewood. Early shorts and crews discussed- Australians in London (1946) – is mentioned: it was the first picture that John Legard [BEHP interview No 402] edited. Shown by Request was the first fully scripted film he directed. It was about the Central Film Library, for the Ministry of Information. Production details. Several of the documentaries made at Beaconsfield are also talked about.
SIDE TWO
He talks about conditions in Germany when he was sent on location by Crown in 1947/8 to sort out a project in the planning stage. The next one was A Yank Comes Back, made for an American audience. It was written by Burgess Meredith. Production details. This was the last picture he directed for Crown. He was recalled to Australia in 1948 after five years in the UK. With the charms of the Foreign Service now behind him. The Film Board was now in commission but was somewhat constrained by bureaucracy. His first documentary was Capacity Smith. Details. He talks about film distribution limitations compared to the breakthrough of emerging TV broadcasting. H refers to two short films he did called In A Manner of Speaking (shot in one take) and A Question of Manners. The unit was operating in Sydney from a converted parish hall. They were using wire recorders for sound – everything a bit primitive. He reminisces about film making between the wars when the country was swamped by American distribution and finance. He continued making government backed films until 1955/6, after which he returned to the UK ‘on spec’ for a year. He was entitled to a year’s leave on full pay. He teamed up with Bob Angell [Interview No 310] and the first film was Tough on Two Wheels. Production details. Another film was The Little Ship – story and details. It was mostly compiled from existing material. Whilst he was in London he started to train for TV. Early TV converts were looked upon as traitors!
SIDE THREE
He talks about the French Club, whose members were not all documentary people but a fascinating cross-section of informed society. The Gargoyle Club was another meeting place for socialising with film people. The Highlander was a famous pub where the ACT hierarchy could be seen every Wednesday. They both reminisce about farewell parties at various hostelries associated with the studios. He returned to Australia to join the Australian Broadcasting Commission [ABC] as a TV producer when the new studios opened in 1957/8, sadly accepting that there was no future in film documentary. He mentions the fact that while on the government payroll he served as an emigration officer, travelling round in ships just before joining ABC. In the early days of Australian TV, tele-recordings had to be flown by air to various centres around the country for transmission. He talks about syndication, the eventual establishment of radio and cable links and the arrival of VTR. An early history of ABC is outlined. His first job was producing drama – a new ballgame, from first principles: Marconi cameras with lens turrets, no zooms, were used. The Producer was the Director. He recalls some interesting facts about Bligh of the Bounty and how he became a successful Governor of New South Wales. Bligh was featured in an historical documentary, one of a series which was produced every year as a contractual requirement. Compared with cinema distribution the impact was enormous. A tele-recording of this programme still exists. After this creative and enjoyable period, he was moved up into administration as an Assistant Director of Programmes. Colour arrives in 1968. He recalls the most dramatic moment in his broadcasting career when the Early Bird satellite broke down which was carrying a programme about the investiture of the Prince of Wales. There were difficulties re-routing the signal via Japan which had to be overcome by diplomacy and a knowledge of the cable links across the country.
SIDE FOUR
A number of ABC staff gad been trained at BBC schools. The method of operation was based on BBC practice – a provincial model in fact. Nowadays he deplores the bidding that goes on for sporting events; moneymaking has ruined the sporting telecast. Although involved with administration he was not a manager by nature and much preferred ‘making things’. He talks about the General Manager of those days, one Charles Moses and his claim to fame, but deplores the new commercial aspect of the Commission. From Producer he was promoted to Senior Producer, followed by Assistant Federal Director and finally Federal Director. He retired at 60 with a good pension having decided at 19 that he would like to retire early. This enabled him to arrange good provisions. As part of the cinema ICQ celebrations, ABC will be putting on a programme of some of Colin’s early films from the 1950/55 period.
[END]
Colin Dean was interviewed by John Legard and David Mather Robson wrote the summary, with the usual disclaimer that some names and spellings may need to be verified.
