Montague G. Benson ("Monty, Ben")

Monty Benson apparently began his career with Pathe, and in April 1930 was one of the camera team that filmed ‘GLORIOUS YOUTH’ for Pathe Super Sound Gazette No.34/30. In April 1931 Benson also filmed ‘THE EMPIRE PROUDLY REMEMBERS’ for Pathe Super Sound Gazette No.31/35, and was afterwards regularly employed on domestic stories for the company. In October 1934 Benson travelled to Belgrade with Adolph Simon [qv] to film ‘THE FUNERAL OF ALEXANDER I OF JUGOSLAVIA’ for Super Sound Gazette No.34/85. Benson’s last surviving credit for Pathe is as part of the team that filmed ‘THE DERBY, 1938’ for Super Sound Gazette No.38/44 of June 1938. After the war Benson seems to have transferred to Movietone, where Terry Gallacher [qv], who joined the company in October 1945, remembered him as assistant to the news editor Frank Chisnell [qv], although he also filmed occasional stories. Benson’s first such credit is for ‘F.A. CUP SEMI-FINALS’ in British Movietone News No.877A of March 1946, and, as Gallacher recalled, he was also ‘called up for cameraman duty each Derby Day where he shot the start’ - his first credit for this work being on ‘AIRBOURNE WINS THE 1946 DERBY’ in British Movietone News No.887A of June 1946. Reg Sutton [qv], who joined Movietone in that year, recalled ‘Monty Benson’ as working only as a silent cameraman, and as having spent twenty-five years on newsreels. Benson appears in the October 1951 Movietone staff list, and continued to work as a cameraman on major sporting events and state occasions, filming ‘THE CORONATION’ for British Movietone News No.1252A of June 1953, stationed at South Africa House. Benson’s Derby coverage extended at least until ‘THE DERBY’ in British Movietone News No.1409A of June 1956, and his final credit is for ‘STATE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT’ in No.1431A of November 1956.

Sources

Reg Sutton’s typescript autobiography, copy in BUFVC: BUFVC, T. M. Gallacher, ‘Additional Notes,' October 1998. BUFVC, e-mail from Terry Gallacher to Linda Kaye (1/9/2010)