John C. Harding ("Jack")

Jack Harding was a cameraman with British Paramount News, whose first known credit is in the camera team for ‘EARL JELLICOE LAID TO REST’ in No.495 of November 1935, where he filmed at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Harding was also in the camera team for ‘NEW YORK WELCOMES ‘QUEEN MARY’ - FIRST PICTURES RUSHED BY BOAT AND ‘PLANE’ in British Paramount News No.552 of June 1936, and for some years was one of the most frequently credited Paramount cameramen. In March 1937 Harding supplied the story ‘ROYAL STYLES: COIFFURES GO ELIZABETHAN’ for No.628, and in November 1938 he was recorded as working with soundman Ronnie Read [qv] on an interview which was not used in the reel. Harding continued to work as a Paramount cameraman after the outbreak of war in September 1939, covering domestic stories. In October 1940, for instance, he filmed the bomb damage at Canterbury Cathedral for ‘CANTERBURY JOINS ‘MILITARY OBJECTIVES’' in British Paramount News No.1007, and in June 1941 he filmed night fighters for ‘DAILY DOZEN HELPS RAF NIGHTLY BAG!' in No.1078.

Harding seems to have continued working for British Paramount News until 1947. Harding may then have become a freelance, for he was listed in the team that filmed ‘THE CHESTER CUP’ for British Movietone News No.936A in April 1947. In 1950 Harding was described as a ‘long-established newsreel ace’ who ‘always works alone and can be relied upon to bring in the most difficult stories.' In March 1953 Harding was in the Gaumont camera teams that filmed ‘THE CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP’ for Gaumont British News No.2001, and ‘BOXING - FARR V COCKELL’ for No.2002. In June 1953 Harding used a long focus lens to film ‘THE CORONATION OF QUEEN ELIZABETH’ for Gaumont British News No.2026, filming from the Victoria Memorial. In September 1955 he was credited with providing film for ‘TOURIST TROPHY RACE’ in British Movietone News No.1372A, but this must have been on rota for in April 1956 he was working on ‘PRINCESS VISITS PORT TALBOT’ for Gaumont British News No.2329. In August 1956 Harding also filmed for ‘ENGLAND V CZECHOSLOVAKIA ATHLETICS’ in No.2358.

Sources

World Film News, July 1936, p.42, ‘Sensational ‘Queen Mary’ Newsreel’: Cinema, 20/9/1950, p.15, ‘Newsreel Camera Aces’: BUFVC, British Paramount News files, Issue Number 2298 (Note by Partington, 5/3/1953), Number 2323 (Harding’s dopesheet, June 1953), Number 2626 (Harding dopesheet, 26/4/1956), Number 2655 (Harding’s dopesheet, 4/6 August 1956): J. Ballantyne (ed) ‘Researcher’s Guide to British Newsreels’ (BUFVC, 1983), p.92: Reg Sutton’s typescript autobiography, copy in BUFVC.