Learning on ScreenFrank Augustus Bassill
Profile
- Born
- c.1884
- Dates
- 1908-1953
- Role
- Cameraman
- Newsreels / Cinemagazines
- Pathé's Animated Gazette; PatheGazette; War Office Official Topical Budget
- Search
- Search for all stories where Frank Augustus Bassill is credited
- Notes
- There is a cartoon of Bassill in Kinematograph Weekly, 28/11/1918, p.87, ‘With the Camera-Men,' and photographs in Kinematograph Weekly, 14/1/1943, p.44, ‘A Salute to the Newsreel Cameramen,' and in Sunday Times Magazine, 10/1/1971, p.10. Frederick H. Bassill, who joined the film industry in 1930 and worked for Gainsborough, was Frank Bassill’s son. Frank Bassill was the grandfather of journalist Philip Norman, author of the article ‘The Newsreel Boys’, Sunday Times Magazine, 10/1/1971.
Career
Frank Bassill started in the film industry as a projectionist, working at one time in the Empire, Leicester Square, but he later claimed to have worked ‘in all departments of the trade - projection, dark-rooms, studio and topical.' In 1908 he joined the Warwick Trading Company as a cameraman, and by January 1911 was working for Barker Motion Photography, where he filmed ‘Fox Hunting’ with Will Barker [qv], Buckstone [qv], and Yates [qv]. In November 1911 Bassill transferred to Pathe, where he was employed on Pathe’s Animated Gazette, eventually becoming its chief cameraman. He also did studio work for Pathe before the war, under the director George Pearson. On the outbreak of war in August 1914 Bassill was sent to the front by Pathe, and by the end of the year was filming for them in Belgium. He later became an official cameraman for the War Office Cinematograph Committee, and by September 1917 had been commissioned as a lieutenant and was working at GHQ in France with Malins [qv], McDowell [qv], and Raymond [qv].
In February 1918 Bassill filmed the Chinese Labour Battalion for ‘THE CHINAMAN’S NEW YEAR’ in Pictorial News (Official) No.342-2. In March and April 1918 he filmed the German advance, and in August and September 1918 he covered the Battle of Amiens and the British advance. In October 1918 he filmed Ostend and Zeebrugge soon after they had been liberated. Whilst working at the front Bassill was wounded in the leg, and shortly after the Armistice in November 1918 he and Wilson [qv] were almost court-martialled for crossing the line in search of a story. Capt. Faunthorpe, the officer in charge of the cameramen at GHQ, reported that ‘Messrs. F.A. Bassill and F.L. Wilson, Official Cinematographers, proceeded from Lille on the 14th instant with orders to accompany the Allied advance to Brussels and record the entry of the King of the Belgians, which was understood to have been fixed for the 15th...they went together by the Tournai road to Enghien, where in the wake of some other British cars they passed the sentries and unexpectedly found themselves face to face with a party of Germans. As they were in a narrow road where it was difficult to turn their cars, they appear to have made the best of a bad situation, but it is regretted that photographs were taken; these will be destroyed.' On 19 November 1918 Bassill filmed the King Albert’s state entry into Antwerp, and three days later Wilson filmed his state entry into Brussels.
After the war Bassill returned to Pathe to work on the Pathe Gazette. He was attached to the Duke of Connaught’s party during his tour of India in 1921, when Pathe announced that ‘by permission and assistance of the Indian Government the Pathe Gazette will give a full record of the Duke’s Tour taken by our own operator.' According to one account, Pathe ‘gave him an advance of 100 guineas in gold sewn into a money-belt.' The coverage began with ‘INDIA’S WELCOME’ in Pathe Gazette No.748 of February 1921. In April 1922 Bassill worked with Cotter [qv], Scales [qv], and Wyand [qv] in the Pathe camera team which pirated the Cup Final from Topical for Pathe Gazette No.872. Bassill’s first credit on the issue sheets is for ‘VILLAGE FOLK SINGERS AND DANCES’ in Pathe Gazette No.1360, of 3 January 1927, but by this time he was a regular cameraman for the newsreel. Bassill continued working for Pathe and in 1940 spent four months filming the Portsmouth Blitz. In October 1941 Bassill was one of the cameramen who provided footage for ‘ARMY EXERCISE IN BRITAIN’ in Pathe Gazette No.41/82. In December 1941 he was one of the cameramen who followed Winston Churchill on his visit to Washington, providing film for ‘CHURCHILL IN USA’ in Pathe Gazette No.42/3 of January 1942. He also accompanied the Prime Minister to Canada, filming ‘SOME CHICKEN, SOME NECK’ for Pathe Gazette No.42/6 of January 1942.
In September 1942 Bassill and Ken Gordon [qv] filmed London’s new deep air-raid shelters, and in December 1942 Bassill supplied film of ‘FIRE DRILL’ for Pathe Pictorial No.350. In March 1944 Bassill worked with Pathe cameraman Jock Gemmell [qv] to film ‘GENERAL EISENHOWER AT SANDHURST’ for Pathe Gazette No.44/23. In September 1944 Bassill filmed the secret sea forts at the mouth of the Thames for ‘ENGLAND’S 1940 SEA WALL’ in No.44/80 of October 1944, and he also filmed in Canterbury for ‘PRIMATE LYING IN STATE & FUNERAL’ in No.44/89 of November 1944. In April 1945 Bassill was in the Pathe camera team with Ben Vettrano [qv], Jock Gemmell [qv], George Stevens [qv], and Gene Werner [qv], which filmed the enthronement of the Archbishop of Canterbury for ‘1945 PILGRIMAGE TO CANTERBURY’ in Pathe Gazette No.45/34. In May 1945 Bassill was in the camera team that filmed the Victory Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul’s, for inclusion in the ‘FRUITS OF VICTORY’ feature in Pathe Gazette No.45/40. By 1952 he had apparently retired, but he was still listed as working on the Pathe coverage of the Coronation in 1953. Bassill was Skittrell’s [qv] brother-in-law.
In February 1918 Bassill filmed the Chinese Labour Battalion for ‘THE CHINAMAN’S NEW YEAR’ in Pictorial News (Official) No.342-2. In March and April 1918 he filmed the German advance, and in August and September 1918 he covered the Battle of Amiens and the British advance. In October 1918 he filmed Ostend and Zeebrugge soon after they had been liberated. Whilst working at the front Bassill was wounded in the leg, and shortly after the Armistice in November 1918 he and Wilson [qv] were almost court-martialled for crossing the line in search of a story. Capt. Faunthorpe, the officer in charge of the cameramen at GHQ, reported that ‘Messrs. F.A. Bassill and F.L. Wilson, Official Cinematographers, proceeded from Lille on the 14th instant with orders to accompany the Allied advance to Brussels and record the entry of the King of the Belgians, which was understood to have been fixed for the 15th...they went together by the Tournai road to Enghien, where in the wake of some other British cars they passed the sentries and unexpectedly found themselves face to face with a party of Germans. As they were in a narrow road where it was difficult to turn their cars, they appear to have made the best of a bad situation, but it is regretted that photographs were taken; these will be destroyed.' On 19 November 1918 Bassill filmed the King Albert’s state entry into Antwerp, and three days later Wilson filmed his state entry into Brussels.
After the war Bassill returned to Pathe to work on the Pathe Gazette. He was attached to the Duke of Connaught’s party during his tour of India in 1921, when Pathe announced that ‘by permission and assistance of the Indian Government the Pathe Gazette will give a full record of the Duke’s Tour taken by our own operator.' According to one account, Pathe ‘gave him an advance of 100 guineas in gold sewn into a money-belt.' The coverage began with ‘INDIA’S WELCOME’ in Pathe Gazette No.748 of February 1921. In April 1922 Bassill worked with Cotter [qv], Scales [qv], and Wyand [qv] in the Pathe camera team which pirated the Cup Final from Topical for Pathe Gazette No.872. Bassill’s first credit on the issue sheets is for ‘VILLAGE FOLK SINGERS AND DANCES’ in Pathe Gazette No.1360, of 3 January 1927, but by this time he was a regular cameraman for the newsreel. Bassill continued working for Pathe and in 1940 spent four months filming the Portsmouth Blitz. In October 1941 Bassill was one of the cameramen who provided footage for ‘ARMY EXERCISE IN BRITAIN’ in Pathe Gazette No.41/82. In December 1941 he was one of the cameramen who followed Winston Churchill on his visit to Washington, providing film for ‘CHURCHILL IN USA’ in Pathe Gazette No.42/3 of January 1942. He also accompanied the Prime Minister to Canada, filming ‘SOME CHICKEN, SOME NECK’ for Pathe Gazette No.42/6 of January 1942.
In September 1942 Bassill and Ken Gordon [qv] filmed London’s new deep air-raid shelters, and in December 1942 Bassill supplied film of ‘FIRE DRILL’ for Pathe Pictorial No.350. In March 1944 Bassill worked with Pathe cameraman Jock Gemmell [qv] to film ‘GENERAL EISENHOWER AT SANDHURST’ for Pathe Gazette No.44/23. In September 1944 Bassill filmed the secret sea forts at the mouth of the Thames for ‘ENGLAND’S 1940 SEA WALL’ in No.44/80 of October 1944, and he also filmed in Canterbury for ‘PRIMATE LYING IN STATE & FUNERAL’ in No.44/89 of November 1944. In April 1945 Bassill was in the Pathe camera team with Ben Vettrano [qv], Jock Gemmell [qv], George Stevens [qv], and Gene Werner [qv], which filmed the enthronement of the Archbishop of Canterbury for ‘1945 PILGRIMAGE TO CANTERBURY’ in Pathe Gazette No.45/34. In May 1945 Bassill was in the camera team that filmed the Victory Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul’s, for inclusion in the ‘FRUITS OF VICTORY’ feature in Pathe Gazette No.45/40. By 1952 he had apparently retired, but he was still listed as working on the Pathe coverage of the Coronation in 1953. Bassill was Skittrell’s [qv] brother-in-law.
Sources
PRO, COPY 3/198, copyrighting of ‘Fox Hunting,' 25/1/1911: Kinematograph Weekly, 20/9/1917, p.75: Kine Year Book 1921, p.590, ‘F. A. Bassill’: B. Grant ‘To the Four Corners: The Memoirs of a News Photographer’ (1933), pp.189-90: F. A. Bassill ‘Crowned Heads and Others: Twenty-five years with Pathé Gazette,' Cine-Technician, April-May 1937, pp.20-22: Cine Technician, December 1936/ January 1937, p.121; April/May 1940, p.25; June/July 1940, p.45; November/December 1945, p.112; January/February 1952, pp.2-5: BUFVC, British Paramount News files, Issue Number 1108 (Bassill’s rota dopesheet, October 1941), Number 1397 (rota dopesheet, 10/11 September 1942), Number 1362 (rota dopesheet, 11/3/1944), Number 1419 (rota dopesheet, 28/29 September 1944), Number 1428 (Bassill’s rota dopesheet, 30/10/1944), Number 1477 (Pathe rota dopesheets 19/4/1945): P. Norman ‘The Newsreel Boys,' Sunday Times Magazine, 10/1/1971, pp.11, 13; Kevin Brownlow’s interview with Brooks Carrington, 15/10/1972, transcript p.8.
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