G. Clement Cave

Clement Cave apparently trained as a journalist. During the Second World War Cave served in the Far East, and after demobilisation in 1945 he was recruited by Howard Thomas of Pathe, who was then reconstructing the Pathe newsreels. Thomas was impressed by Cave’s ‘news training’ and ‘forceful approach,' and by December 1946 he was being described as ‘news editor’ of Pathe News, with Thomas as ‘producer-in-chief.' However, Thomas later recalled that he ‘gambled on his qualifications and personality by offering him the editorship of Pathe News,' and by September 1947 Cave was being credited as editor. Unfortunately for Pathe, Cave did not believe that the newsreels should be politically neutral, and seems to have concentrated on political issues. In 1948 he claimed that the Pathe News was the only newsreel to deal seriously with social and economic issues, and argued that if the newsreels were to resist television there could be no place for ‘the nonsense of a Texas rodeo or a Miami beach parade.' As Thomas recalled, ‘Pathe News began to take a political stance and its leanings were noticeable not only to the board but to the exhibitors too.' Contracts began to be cancelled, and in June 1948 Cave returned to being news editor - or ‘news manager’ - of the Pathe News, and Tommy Cummins [qv] of Paramount News was brought in as editor. This was the arrangement in 1949, but Cave later left Pathe to work for Radio Luxemburg ‘in an executive capacity.'

Sources

T. Ramsaye (ed) ‘1947-48 International Motion Picture Almanac’ (New York, 1947), p.914: G.C. Cave ‘Newsreels must find a new policy,' Penguin Film Review, Number 7 (1948), pp.50-4: P. Noble (ed) ‘British Film Yearbook 1949-50’ (London, 1949), p.275: H. Thomas ‘With an Independent Air’ (London, 1977), pp.136-138.