Lawson, Alan (Oral history)

British civilian number boy with Gaumont-British Picture Corporation at Lime Grove Studios, Shepherds Bush, London, GB, 1928-1930; assistant cameraman with Stoll Pictures at Cricklewood Studios, Cricklewood, London, GB, 1930-1932; lighting cameraman with Ealing Studios in Ealing, GB, 1932-1935; cameraman with Baird Television at Crystal Palace in London, GB, 1935-1937; cameraman with Progressive Films Institute in Spain, 1937-1938; NCO and officer served with Army Film and Photographic Unit in GB, 1941-1944; officer served with No 9 Army Film and Photographic Unit in Burma and Ceylon, 12/1944-4/1945; served with No 5 Army Film and Photographic Unit in Norway, 5/1945; served with No 9 Army Film and Photographic Unit in India, Ceylon and Burma, 8/1945-12/1945

REEL 1 Background in Romford and London, GB, 1912-1928: family; education. Recollections of period as number boy with Gaumont-British Picture Corporation at Lime Grove Studios in Shepherds Bush, London, GB, 1928-1930: background to gaining employment, 7/1928; work with camera crew on film 'Balaclava' (1928) on location at Aldershot; work as number boy; experimental sound work of British Acoustic Films; work on last silent film 'The Devil's Maze' (1929); organisation of camera unit; progress to role as cameraman; work as cameraman; films worked on; pay and working conditions; state of British film industry. Aspects of period as assistant cameraman with Stoll Pictures at Cricklewood Studios, Cricklewood, London, GB, 1930-1932: obtaining position with company; growing emphasis on sound recordings; films worked on; attitude of Americans to British films. REEL 2 Continues: background to obtaining employment with company, 8/1930; reasons for leaving studios, 3/1932. Aspects of period as lighting cameraman with Ealing Studios in Ealing, London, GB, 1932-1935: background to obtaining employment as number boy with studios; prior recollection of working on quota films at Stolls Pictures; trade union organising; story of loss of employment as lighting cameraman. Aspects of period as cameraman with Baird Television Ltd at Crystal Palace, London, GB, 1935-1937: background to joining company; introduction of new intermediate film process; role of John Logie Baird; work as lighting cameraman; problems with sound recording; reasons why Baird Television Ltd process was dropped, 1937; prior recollections working for Gaumont-British Picture Corporation, Stoll Pictures and Ealing Studios. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of period as union organiser with Association of Cine-Technicians in GB, 1932-1937: background to formation of union at Lime Grove Studios, 1932-1933; union members; personal role; formation of union and it's aims including regulation of working conditions; infiltrating film companies to assess working conditions; membership of Communist Party of Great Britain and attitude towards international situation, 1934-1936; attitude towards union activities; story of recruiting continuity girl to union; visit with Association of Cine-Technicians delegation to Soviet Union, 1937; opinion of film industry in Soviet Union; making television demonstration film on return to GB from Soviet Union, 1937. Recollections of period as cameraman with Progressive Films Institute in Spain, 1937-1938: background to going to Spain, 1937; rejection film footage he shot for newsreels. REEL 4 Continues: memories of film crew who went to Spain including Ivor Montagu, Arthur Graham, Thorold Dickinson, Sidney Cole and Phil Leacock; obtaining visas and journey to Barcelona; meeting political representatives of Spanish Republican Government; decision to stay behind when rest of film crew returned to GB; types of events filmed including interrogation of German and Italian pilots who had been shot down; reasons for rejection of his film by newsreels; question of Spanish Republican filmmakers; still photographers in Spain; gaining sponsorship from Charles Duff, Editor of 'Spain Today'; photographing members of Indian and trades union delegations; Krishna Menon's problem obtaining food; food supplies provided by British Bn, XV International Bde; sharing accommodation with members of British Bn, XV International Bde at Granvia Hotel, Barcelona; visiting British Bn, XV International Bde during Ebro Offensive, 1938; film stock supplies; opinion of Robert Capa's photograph of Spanish Republican soldier falling dead; comparison of still and cine photography; opinion of Sam Wild and other International Bde volunteers; effects of time in Spain on personal political beliefs and attitude toward British Government. REEL 5 Continues: Recollections of period as NCO and officer with Army Film and Photograph Unit in GB, 1941-1944: interview with Major William Horton at War Office, London prior to call-up for military service, 1940; call-up as sapper to Chemical Warfare Training Bn, Royal Engineers at Barton Stacey; second interview with Major William Horton at War Office, London; posting to Cadogen Square, London; members of unit; question of over exposure of public to film footage of German bombing; types of subjects filmed; shortage of equipment; use of Newman & Sinclair Autokine 35mm Cine Cameras; promotion; viewing films from theatres of war; organisation of film training course; use of DeVry Standard 35mm Cine Camera; opinion of American manufactured Imo cine cameras; opinion of Vinton Model K 'Normandy' 35mm Cine Camera; role testing equipment. REEL 6 Continues: attempts by Newman & Sinclair to mass produce cine cameras; recruitment to unit; organisation of film training course; criteria for selection of recruits to unit; question of value of prior experience in Spanish Civil War; film training course content; how trainee cameramen filmed training incidents; limitation of cameras used; training dope sheets; instruction on use of tripod and camera sling; prior recollection of use of tripod in Spanish Civil War; differing roles of army cameramen. REEL 7 Continues: question of training recruits as documentary film cameramen; passing out of recruits; discontinuation of training; novelty of film training course; move to Headquarters, Army Film and Photographic Unit, Pinewood Studios; work as film cameraman on 'People's Army' and reasons why film was cancelled, 1942; work on British Army training films 'Man Wounded', 'Date With a Tank' and 'Street Fighting'; witnessing filming of 'Desert Victory' (1943) at Pinewood Studios, 1943; story of Prime Minister Winston Churchill's filming speech for United States of America distribution of film 'Desert Victory' (1943) at Chequers, 1943. REEL 8 Continues: presence of leading filmmakers, civilian and service film units at Pinewood Studios; attending Friday night film shows including viewing film 'Thunder Rock' (1942), 12/1942; attempt to film mass of vehicles in Southern England for proposed 'D-Day' film; ending of collaboration with Roy Boulting; offer to work with Carol Reed; story illustrating Roy Boulting's character. Recollections of period as officer with No 9 Army Film and Photographic Unit in Burma and Ceylon, 1944-1945: arrival in Burma, 12/1944; filming sequences for 'Burma Victory' in Burma and Ceylon; opinion of American military film unit in Kandy, Ceylon; relations with Indian Army Film and Photographic Unit; role of David MacDonald in filming process including crossing River Irrawaddy; nature of filming in Burma. REEL 9 Continues: Aspects of period as officer with No 5 Army Film and Photographic Unit in Norway, 5/1945: flight to and arrival in Norway; move to Oslo; story of being made officer in charge of baggage party; return to GB. Aspects of period as officer with No 9 Army Film and Photographic Unit in India, Ceylon and Burma, 1945: attitude to being made section officer; move to Kandy, Ceylon then Rangoon, Burma; how unit's NCOs shared officer messes; filming Royal Engineer training Indian Army personnel in Rangoon, Burma; reasons for not filming former prisoners of war returning home; opinion of Lord Louis Mountbatten; atmosphere amongst British troops in Rangoon; environmental problems effecting camera equipment in Burma; opinion of Derek Knight. REEL 10 Continues: leaving Singapore, Malaya, 12/1945. Aspects of career with British Broadcasting Corporation in London, GB, 1946-1972: work with British Broadcasting Corporation; trade union activities; background to leaving Communist Party of Great Britain; clash with trade union over filming; attitude to serving with Army Film and Photographic Unit, 1941-1945.