The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

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CINE TECHNICIAN January 1956 "I WAS THERE" Members recall George Elvin's appointment and early days By THOROLD DICKINSON Twenty-two years ago, under an apathetic and ineffective organisation, the dying A.C.T. had dwindled to a paying membership of eighty. One Friday Harold Elvin, spending an evening at my house, deplored the fact that his brother, George, was on the point of leaving for a job abroad. " He's a marvellous organiser, but he can't find an outlet here." On Saturday evening I met George for the first time. On Monday evening I introduced him to a few stalwarts among the Committee members. On Tuesday evening, at their regular meeting, the whole Committee passed a vote of no confidence in the secretariat and handed the baby jointly to Neill Brown and myself : most of them were unaware of George's existence. On Wednesday Neill Brown and I took possession of the office in Piccadilly Mansions. We had called a meeting for Thursday evening, and there we recommended our nominee to the Committee. " When can we meet him?" " He's downstairs in the saloon bar." George went home that night with the keys of the office, secretary to the penniless A.C.T. On Friday evening we briefed him with a potted history of British films. On Saturday evening, the palace revolution completed, and after a full week's work in the Ealing cutting rooms into the bargain, I went to bed until Monday morning. By KENNETH GORDON l look back on George Elvin's engagement as General Secretary as the foundation of successful Trade Union negotiations within the British Film industry. When the " caucus " consisting of Neill-Brown, Thorold Dickinson, Sid Cole, Harold Elvin and myself met George in a Wardour Street coffee bar, the first thing I asked him was if he could do shorthand, and the answer George gave was "no". Accurate minutes and notes, I considered, were very essential to the good running of A.C.T., where they had varied from meeting to meeting and appeared to have no connection with the proceedings. However, George was engaged, without a shorthand qualification, and the record has been kept by him for twenty-one years and has met the exacting requirements of the many executive committees, so shorthand may not be so important to a good Secretary. Twenty-one years ago he and I opened A.C.T.'s first banking account at Barclays Bank, Wardour Street, with exactly nothing. This year's account and our freehold property at 2 Soho Square, pay their own tribute to George Elvin's good management. Wages and conditions of employment enjoyed in Labs, Studios, Shorts, Television and Newsreels are themselves a medal to his generalship. If George has not yet received all the honours due to him, he holds the record of having more pages of personal letters written him by Sam Harris in the 'Cinema' than any other Film personality. Good luck to him. May he continue to be A.C.T.'s guide and mentor for many years to come. By IVOR MONTAGU I suppose I have known George in A.C.T. as long as anybody. What was he like then? Almost exactly as he is now. He hasn't changed. Then he was pale, lean. tall and young. He is still pale, lean, tall and young-looking. Then, with elegant cunning and aplomb, he successfully concealed the fact that he knew nothing whatever about the film industry. Now, with elegant cunning and modesty, he equally successfully conceals the fact that he really does know almost everything. I will tell you not about his genius as a T.U. official (.si monumentum of this kind requiris, circumspice at our Union), but about him as a sportsman. For year after year, winter on hard courts and summer on grass, George and I used to carry the A.C.T. flag in the B.W.S.A. doubles, We never won, we always got licked in the final by two brawny busmen in a blizzard, or a couple of carpenters slyer in the thirsty sunshine than ourselves; of such the supply was inexhaustible, or, at any rate, too much for us. George was never severe, but in singles he was persistent and in doubles he had a tremendous reach that enabled him to get to everything and tip it disconcertingly stone-dead an inch over the net. This went on until one year he met an equally stubborn singles adversary who ran him about so much he ran all the skin off the soles of his feet. In our subsequent doubles George had to stand still in the middle of the court, waving his racquet for honour, while I ran round him till I tore a muscle and had to be set right by a bonesetter, with a knee in my back. We swore we'd never play again. But if it hadn't been that the B.W.S.A. fell down on us and packed up its tournaments, I bet we'd be hobbling out there still, carrying the old flag. By ARTHUR GRAHAM I first met George Elvin in January 1935 at the studios at Welwyn. I was working there at the time, and one afternoon Sidney Cole, who was Editor on the picture, brought him on the floor to introduce him. I remember that I said how glad I was that he had agreed to take on the secretaryship, and that I hoped that he would not regret having done so. He told me that he knew of the difficulties the Association was in, but that he was prepared to take a chance and give it a trial. 1 have not heard anything further on this point but I imagine that ho will soon be letting us know if he intends to stay or not ! In those days he was the entire staff, but it was not long before his hard work was reflected in an improvement of A.C.T.'s fortunes and we were able to give him proper assistance. But for a long time those of us who were " resting " used to go in and give a (Continued on page 7)