Michael Samuelson ("Mike")

Mike Samuelson was a newsreel cameraman who in August 1950 filmed outside Buckingham Palace on the night that Princess Anne was born. In January 1957 Samuelson joined British Movietone News as a cameraman, his first credit being for ‘OLD TIMERS RACE AGAIN’ in British Movietone News No.1453A of April 1957, which he covered with David Samuelson [qv]. Samuelson’s first solo credit was for ‘TIME FOR A CUPPA - CHIMPS TEA PARTY’ in No.1462A of June 1957. Samuelson later changed to a Wall Sound on Film camera, and eventually to a Cameflex. In January 1958 he was shown with his camera in a comic scene in ‘THE SALES START’ for No.1491A. Samuelson was featured in ‘STRIKERS CLASH’ in No.1569 of June 1959 - ‘our cameraman, Mike Samuelson, was in the thick of it.' He also covered ‘SOUTH AFRICA - PROTEST’ in No.1608A of March 1960, but his general employment was on routine domestic stories. He appeared with his camera in ‘VETERAN CAR RUN’ in No.1640A of November 1960. In May 1961 he filmed outside Lancaster House when South Africa was excluded from the Commonwealth, but his material was not used in the reel. In July 1961 Samuelson left Movietone, and in October 1963 he covered Nigerian independence for another company. However, in May 1966 Samuelson and his brother Sid Samuelson [qv] were credited in the team for ‘MOVIETONE COLOUR REPORT: CONTEST FOR THE CUP’ in British Movietone News No.1928. He later joined Samuelson Film Services Limited. He became a specialist in filming sports, making documentaries on the 1972 Summer Olympic Games (photographic consultant on VISIONS OF EIGHT) and the 1976 Winter Olympics (producer of WHITE ROCK), and producing G’OLE on the 1982 World Cup. He worked extensively for charitable causes and was made a CBE in 1989.

Sources

J. Ballantyne (ed) ‘Researcher’s Guide to British Newsreels: Vol.II’ (1988), p.34: Obituary by Bob Allen in AMPS journal number 27 (Autumn 1998).