Christopher H. Lankester

In October 1943 Christopher Lankester was a sound engineer with Paramount, who was listed among the eight cameramen and two sound engineers on Paramount’s London staff. In March 1944 he was credited as covering ‘THE COAL DISPUTE’ with cameraman Jimmy Gemmell [qv] for British Paramount News No.1361 of March 1944. Lankester also covered Joe Louis with cameramen Henry Hawkins [qv] and Ian Struthers [qv] for ‘THE CHAMP IN PERSON’ in No.1384 of June 1944. In the same month Lankester went to Croydon to record V1 flying bombs on sound stock, noting on the dopesheet that ‘on last take, bomb was coming right overhead, and appeared to ‘cut off’ almost immediately above, which accounts for the sudden reduction in recorded level, as recordist was afraid that the explosion might rupture light-valve ribbons.' The recording was used in ‘NATION HITS BACK AT FLYING BOMB’ in British Paramount News No.1393 of July 1944. In October 1944 Lankester acted as sound engineer for Jimmy Gemmell [qv] in the story ‘ARCHBISHOP LAID TO REST’ from Canterbury in No.1428 of November 1944, and in May 1945 he acted as sound engineer to Lovatt Cave-Chinn [qv] at London Zoo, while Jimmy Gemmell [qv] took silemnt material. The result was ‘ITMA STARS OPEN PETS’ CORNER’ in No.1486. Lankester apparently remained with Paramount after the war.

Sources

BUFVC, British Paramount News files, Number 1563 (Paramount ‘Daily Assignment Sheet,' 12/10/1943), Number 1361 (Gemmell and Lankester’s dopesheet, 12/3/1944), Number 1384 (Hawkins’ dopesheet, June 1944), Number 1390 (Lankester’s dopesheet, 23/6/1944), Number 1428 (Lankester’s dopesheet, 31/10/1944), Number 1486 (Cave-Chinn’s dopesheet, 18/5/1945): J. Ballantyne (ed) ‘Researcher’s Guide to British Newsreels: Vol.III’ (1993), p.76 - note by Ian Struthers.