David Lean & Gaumont Sound News

‘Some people say I have celluloid in my veins instead of blood.’
David Lean

David Lean (1908-1991) was one of Britain’s greatest film directors. He captured the public imagination with films like BRIEF ENCOUNTER (1945) and LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962) and his visionary technique influenced a generation of directors, including Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese.

This site focuses on a period at the beginning of his career when, in January 1930, he left features to join the newsreels as a cutter. He was drawn into a world of rapid production, on the cusp of the sound revolution encompassing the film industry. In this experimental environment he learnt how to cut film and turn actuality into ten minute dramas.