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Jack Amos

Forename/s: 
Jack
Family name: 
Amos
Work area/craft/role: 
documentary
News Librarian
Researcher
Company: 
Pathe
World Wide
British Movietone News
Industry: 
Film
Interview Number: 
481
Interview Date(s): 
27 Jun 2000
Interviewer/s: 
Stanley Forman
Manny Yospa
Production Media: 
Audio
Duration (mins): 
90

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Interview
Interview notes

BECTU HISTORY PROJECT

Interview 481 with Jack Amos, 27" June. 2000-07-03.

THE RECORDING WILL BE LOCATED BELOW THIS SYNOPSIS.

Tape 1, side 1

Born in Carshalton, North Cheam. Two brothers and one sister. Mother died when he was 8. Father was a Cathode Ray Tube maker. One brother went to Korea... Father got a job in Bermuda. Spent 6 years in Bermuda. Grammer School in England 1960. Father re-married Grammar School at Wallington, left at 16. O level English Literature. Left home at 16. Got job in a cinema as a trainee projectionist. 20" Century Electronics. A drop out. ABC Croydon, 1200 seats, Rewind and cleaning floors. £3 seven shillings and sixpence per week. 12 hour day, Saturday morning 1 shilling and sixpence 1964. “Roustabout”. About 18 months. Stage shows. P.J.Proby trousers split. BBC projectionist, training course. Ealing.. Rock and Roll mixing. Television Centre. Stand showing rushes. 18 years old. CND, Communist Party BBC prejudice..Left 1969. Joined Union NATKE. One day stoppage. Advision. Music to picture projectionist. Dubbing sessions. Operating 2 inch tape machines. Fiddles. 1970. Dope smoking. Left Advision. De Lane Lea. Jack De Lane Lea. Preview projectionist. Charge hand. Alfie Squires. 1974. Ernie Cousin. Humphries Holdings. Selling De Lane Lea. Shop Steward. “Rosebud”. Took studios over. Pulled plug. Work in. Recruited all staff. Held on 6-8 weeks Films Minister. Supported by Communist Party. Bill Freeman. Dr. David ?. Newsline. Petitions. Otto Preminger signed. Alan Sapper. No help from NATKE. Brian Shemmings, Joint shop with ACTT. Sir John Spencer Wills signed agreement. Alfie branch secretary. 1974 joined party. NATKE secretary died. Johnnie Wilson. Bert Carnell. Paddy MeGra, Johnnie Wilson secretary.. Job at NATKE as official. J.W. gutted left 18 months ITV official. Interunion. Dispute. ATV. Joy Johnston. John Walton. Sacked by John Wilson. Divorced.

Side 2:

Casual Labour “The Shining” Maze. Strike first day. 3 week contract. Unemployed. Joy at ITN. Chief steward. Pathe News Librarian. George Marshall.. Low wages. Transferred to ACTT. Editorial section. 1982. Executive. Harry Winder.. Elstree. Barry Florin. Movietone. Film research. Alf Penn. World Wide Film research. Salon. Film Century. Vickie Webb-Prosser. Royal expert. Cut budgets. Union EC. Chair F&GP. (finance and general purposes committee) Amalgamation. Bectu.. Vice President. Political opposition. Jarrow. Bingo callers. Family, son Ballet man carer Eldrige. Labinjo. Brother- artist in Bermuda, Sister- Marine biologist in Antarctic Sister a conservationist. Father died at 96 two years ago. Cinema not going. Studio system, Eclectic music. David Cleveland . World thoughts.

End.

Transcript
Biographical

Born in Carshalton, North Cheam. Two brothers and one sister. Mother died when he was 8. Father was a Cathode Ray Tube maker. One brother went to Korea... Father got a job in Bermuda. Spent 6 years in Bermuda. Grammer School in England 1960. Father re-married Grammar School at Wallington, left at 16. O level English Literature. Left home at 16. Got job in a cinema as a trainee projectionist. 20" Century Electronics. A drop out. ABC Croydon, 1200 seats, Rewind and cleaning floors. £3 seven shillings and sixpence per week. 12 hour day, Saturday morning 1 shilling and sixpence 1964. “Roustabout”. About 18 months. Stage shows. P.J.Proby trousers split. BBC projectionist, training course. Ealing.. Rock and Roll mixing. Television Centre. Stand showing rushes. 18 years old. CND, Communist Party BBC prejudice..Left 1969. Joined Union NATKE. One day stoppage. Advision. Music to picture projectionist. Dubbing sessions. Operating 2 inch tape machines. Fiddles. 1970. Dope smoking. Left Advision. De Lane Lea. Jack De Lane Lea. Preview projectionist. Charge hand. Alfie Squires. 1974. Ernie Cousin. Humphries Holdings. Selling De Lane Lea. Shop Steward. “Rosebud”. Took studios over. Pulled plug. Work in. Recruited all staff. Held on 6-8 weeks Films Minister. Supported by Communist Party. Bill Freeman. Dr. David ?. Newsline. Petitions. Otto Preminger signed. Alan Sapper. No help from NATKE. Brian Shemmings, Joint shop with ACTT. Sir John Spencer Wills signed agreement. Alfie branch secretary. 1974 joined party. NATKE secretary died. Johnnie Wilson. Bert Carnell. Paddy MeGra, Johnnie Wilson secretary.. Job at NATKE as official. J.W. gutted left 18 months ITV official. Interunion. Dispute. ATV. Joy Johnston. John Walton. Sacked by John Wilson. Divorced.Casual Labour “The Shining” Maze. Strike first day. 3 week contract. Unemployed. Joy at ITN. Chief steward. Pathe News Librarian. George Marshall.. Low wages. Transferred to ACTT. Editorial section. 1982. Executive. Harry Winder.. Elstree. Barry Florin. Movietone. Film research. Alf Penn. World Wide Film research. Salon. Film Century. Vickie Webb-Prosser. Royal expert. Cut budgets. Union EC. Chair F&GP. (finance and general purposes committee) Amalgamation. Bectu.. Vice President. Political opposition. Jarrow. Bingo callers. Family, son Ballet man carer Eldrige. Labinjo. Brother- artist in Bermuda, Sister- Marine biologist in Antarctic Sister a conservationist. Father died at 96 two years ago. Cinema not going. Studio system, Eclectic music. David Cleveland .