Charles A. Ridley

Charles Ridley was an editor at Movietone, and an expert in producing ‘built-up’ stories from library material. After the outbreak of war in 1939 did propaganda work. In November 1940 he produced ‘Farmer’s day,' a 16 minute film showing work on a modern dairy farm, and in December 1941 he edited a comic film of Hitler and Nazi soldiers dancing the Lambeth Walk. This was created for the Ministry of Information, but was released as ‘HITLER ASSUMES COMMAND - HITLER DIRECTS THE STEPS OF THE GERMAN ARMY TO THE STRAINS OF THE ‘LAMBETH WALK’' in British Movietone News No.655A - the Christmas issue. On the same day it also appeared as ‘HOCH DER LAMBETH VALK’ in Pathe Gazette No.41/103. Released generally by Spectator Films as GERMANY CALLING, it has been described as ‘possibly the most famous piece of newsreel of all time.' The following Christmas he created ‘DOWN ON THE FARM (MUSIC HATH CHARM),' which was described as ‘A Movietone Newsical’ and appeared in British Movietone News No.708. Two other ‘Movietone Newsicals’ followed - ‘WOMEN WORK WONDERS’ in No.709A of January 1943, and ''HITLER ENTERTAINS’: Delirious meeting of Axis blood-brothers,' in No.715 of February 1943.

Ridley also edited tributes to the Soviet Union - ‘U.S.S.R. IN MUSIC AND MONTAGE’ in No.739A of August 1943 - and the United States - ‘HONOUR THE DAY’ in No.757 of December 1943. In June 1944 his skills were also used to create an impression of D-Day for release before authentic film arrived - ‘SECOND FRONT - ATTACK!' in British Movietone News No.783A. In August 1944, on the eve of its liberation, he also produced an edited impression of pre-war Paris - ‘PARIS’ in No.794A. In September 1945 he produced an impression of the outbreak of war, which appeared as ‘FLASHBACK - SEPTEMBER 3rd 1939’ in No.848. In October 1945 he produced a peacetime comic item entitled ‘CALLING ALL WORKERS,' which was released in British Movietone News No.854A. In April 1946 he worked with Norman Fisher to produce another evocation of peacetime in ‘SPRING SONG’ for No.881, and in 1947 he was described as ‘an independent music and story editor still working for Movietone News.' Terry Gallacher [qv] explained that ‘he would have been described as ‘independent’ because he did not work under particular supervision.' Ridley continued to produce these characteristic edited stories, and was still working for Movietone in January 1951, when he edited the ‘Movietone Sporting Calendar’ for British Movietone News No.1126A. He was listed in the Movietone staff list for October 1951, and was still included in the list for January 1964. According to Gallacher, ‘when not involved in complicated special effects, he was custodian at the Movietonews vaults at Perivale from where he retired.' Peter Hampton [qv] also recalled Ridley as senior librarian at the Movietone nitrate vaults in Park Royal. Ridley retired in 1965. He was married to Pat Holder [qv], Movietone librarian.

Sources

J. Huntley ‘British Film Music’ (London, 1947), p.136: F. Thorpe, N. Pronay, and C. Coultass ‘British Official Films in the Second World War: A descriptive catalogue’ (Oxford, 1980), pp.80-1: P. Norman ‘The Newsreel Boys,' Sunday Times Magazine, 10 January 1971, p.13: BUFVC, T. M. Gallacher, ‘Additional Notes,' October 1998: Information from Peter Hampton, March 1999.