PRIVATE EYE

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 6th Year

Issue

Issue No.

6

Date Released

Feb 1953

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1NEW YEAR HONOURS
2. 2RIGHT LINES
3. 3PRIVATE EYE
4. 4JIM’S GYM

Story

Story No. within this Issue

3 / 4

Summary

NoS Summary - an N.C.B. surveyor makes an amateur 16mm film.
BFI synopsis: Edgar Pritchard from Walsall Wood Colliery makes a film about poachers.
NCB Commentary - Edgar Pritchard, in the dark coat, is a surveyor in the West Midlands. A Mining Review crew called on him at Walsall Wood Colliery, where he’s busy working on a new washery.
It was a Saturday, though, and in the afternoon Mr. Pritchard forgets all about surveying and turns to his hobby - film making. His work has been widely shown, and he’s won prizes as far afield as Edinburgh. Just now he’s working on a film with a story about poachers. Now that he’s joined some scene together we can see them for ourselves on the screen.
But there’s still quite a bit to be shot. Out on locations, Mr. Pritchard is a one-man film unit: director, cameraman, the lot.
In the winter, though, the hours of daylight for filming are short. Mining Review’s cameraman and Mr. Pritchard compare notes - and light meters - and the answer’s a quick fade out.

Researcher Comments

BFI sources suggest that this story was researched by Thompson on the 5th November 1952. Commentary recorded 5 January 1953.

Keywords

Mining; Cinema

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for Synopsis
National Film Archive Catalogue
Film User   Vol.8 No.87 January 1954, p32.
The National Archives COAL 32   /3 Scripts for Mining Review, 1949-1956

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Camera

John Gunn

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Camera

Ronald Bicker

Director

Tony Thompson