Lovat H. Cave-Chinn

In 1930 Cave-Chinn was one of a large party of newsreel cameramen who filmed Austen Chamberlain in Downing Street, although it is not known which company he was working for on that occasion. However, by 1934 Cave-Chinn was working for Pathe, who sent him on a tour of Egypt and India as ‘our cameraman now travelling in the East.' Cave-Chinn’s reports appeared in the Super Sound Gazette, starting with ‘A ‘HENDON PAGEANT’ IN EGYPT’ in No.34/19 of March 1934 and running until ‘WEDDING OF THE SUN AND MOON’ in No.34/50 of June 1934. Cave-Chinn then returned to London to cover routine stories for the Super Sound Gazette, his last credit being for ‘WOMEN’S WORLD GAMES’ in No.34/65 of August 1934. Cave-Chinn left Pathe for Paramount soon afterwards, and is credited with providing material for ‘SMITHFIELD MEAT STRIKE’ in British Paramount News No.516 of February 1936. His next credit is in the camera team for ‘CHASING DE LUXE’ in British Paramount News No.526 of March 1936, after which he received regular credits.

In January 1938 Cave-Chinn was sent to Egypt to film the wedding of King Farouk for ‘EGYPTIAN ROYAL WEDDING’ in No.721, and ‘EGYPTIAN ARMY PARADES FOR NEWLY WED KING’ in No.722, working with John Dored of Actualités Paramount, Paris. After the outbreak of war in September 1939 Cave-Chinn continued to work as cameraman for British Paramount News, and in September 1940 he is known to have filmed London air-raid shelters for ‘LONDON DIVES DEEP BUT COMES UP SMILING’ in British Paramount News No.1000. Soon afterwards Cave-Chinn was in Soho during an air-raid, his dope sheet noting that he ‘was flung to the ground by the force of the explosion, [but] was in action with his camera before the dust had settled.' The footage appeared in ‘LONDON’S DESIGN FOR LIVING’ in No.1010 of November 1940. Cave-Chinn continued to cover domestic stories for British Paramount News, providing items such as ''STAY PUT’ HOLIDAY REQUEST WAS FLOP’ for No.1089 of August 1941. In October 1943 he was listed among the eight cameramen and two sound engineers on Paramount’s London staff. In February 1944 Cave-Chinn provided ‘BELGIANS PERFECT INVASION TACTICS’ for No.1352 - a story with Ronnie Read [qv] as sound engineer. In July 1944 he filmed ‘the scene of destruction a few minutes after one of the new pilotless bombs had crashed...behind Tottenham Court Road,' for ‘LONDON SENDS CHILDREN TO SAFE AREAS’ in British Paramount News No.1397.

By September 1944 Cave-Chinn was working as a Paramount War Correspondent, filming Eisenhower with cameraman Maurice Ford [qv] and soundman Ronnie Read [qv] for ‘ALLIED FORCES HONOUR PARIS’ in No.1414. However, by November 1944 he was back in London, filming the French Resistance march for ‘LONDON HOST TO FFI’ in No.1432. In April 1945 Cave-Chinn and Henry Hawkins [qv] filmed the enthronement of the Archbishop of Canterbury for ‘ARCHBISHOP ENTHRONED’ in British Paramount News No.1477. In November 1945 Cave-Chinn accompanied Winston Churchill to Belgium for ‘BELGIUM ACCLAIMS CHURCHILL’ in British Paramount News No.1537. In April 1946 Cave-Chinn was in India, filming the meetings between the Viceroy and Indian leaders, and in February 1947 he was in Athens filming ‘AMERICA’S HISTORIC DECISION’ for British Paramount News No.1674. In July 1952 Cave-Chinn was credited among the cameramen for ‘HENLEY REGATTA’ in Pathe News No.52/55. He may have continued with Paramount until 1957, after which time, until 1962, he is credited as a Reuters cameraman on records at the ITN Archive.

Sources

BUFVC, British Paramount News files, Issue Number 1414 (Cave-Chinn dopesheet, 11/9/1944), Number 1477 (Cave-Chinn and Hawkins dopesheets, 19/4/1945), NR 15252 (April 1946), Number 1563 (Paramount ‘Daily Assignment Sheet,' 12/10/1943): J. Ballantyne (ed) ‘Researcher’s Guide to British Newsreels’ (BUFVC, 1983), p.91: J. Ballantyne (ed) ‘Researcher’s Guide to British Newsreels: Vol.II’ (1988), cover photograph; ITN Archive/Reuters Television internal database.