Film and TV Technician (1957)

June/July 1957 FILM & TV TECHNICIAN 8? Obituaries W. H. LINDOP All A.C.T.T. members, and particularly members of the Sound Section, will learn with regret of the death of W. H. Lindop, " Lindy " to his many friends, a long-standing member and Sound Supervisor at Walton Studios. "Lindy" first entered the industry in 1933 at British and Dominion Studios, Elstree, leaving there in 1936 to go to Pinewood. While in this studio he was mixer for Woman Alone, starring Elizabeth Bergner. After the war, during which he was attached to the R.A.F., he returned to Denham, and after this studio closed down he went to Walton. Here he was mixer of such films as Scrooge, Pickwick Papers, Man Who Watched the Trains Go By and Joe Macbeth. W. H. Lindop was highly thought of by his colleagues in the industry, both as technician and friend. At the last meeting of the General Council, members stood in silence to his memory. The Union offers sincere condolences to his family. HAROLD KING Members of A.C.C.T. will regret to hear of the death at the early age of 49 years of Harold King, Recording Director at A.B.P.C. Studios. He died on Wednesday, May 22nd, 1957, in St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, after a long and painful illness. Harold was educated at Battersea Grammar School, and took an early interest in radio, serving as a ship's radio operator in his youth. He first entered the film industry as an electrician at Beaconsfield Studios, and then became a Camera Operator on some of the silent films made there. Later, with the advent of talkies, he transferred to B.I. P. Elstree, and was employed as a Sound Camera Operator on the first sound film made there. Blackmail. Afterwards, returning to Beaconsfield he became Sound Mixer, and later Chief of Sound, and remained there until the outbreak of war, when he took over as Chief Sound Engineer at British National Studios, Elstree. A.C.T.T. Moves on Features Wages A.C.T.T. is making an immediate move for a substantial increase in wage rates for members working in Features. This step, which follows on the resolution passed by A.G.M., was endorsed by a unanimous vote at an exceptionally well-attended meeting of the Features Branch at Caxton Hall, Westminster, on May 14th. Despite the heat-wave and the lure of the open air the hall was so crowded that it was a case of ' standing-room only ' for many who were not able to get there early. The two main items on the agenda were the endorsement of the ban on foreign technicians (with which we deal on our Editorial page) and of the move for a wages increase. Speaking on the wages claim George Elvin reviewed the increases that had been obtained since the Features Agreement was first signed in 1947. All grades, he said, which did not exceed In 1948, after the old B.I. P. stages were rebuilt as A.B.P.C.'s new studios, he was appointed Recording Director there, a position he held until his death. Only those who worked with him know the amount of work and effort that he put into the building and equipping of the A.B.P.C. Sound Department. He had an appreciation of the finished product second to none, and was always striving for the best. He readily tried and adopted new techniques, but always with the end result in view. Without doubt his strength lay in his wide knowledge of all branches of film making, attention to detail and a dogged perseverance which persisted even through his long illness. During the last year of his life, his courage in carrying on normally with his job, despite the considerable pain he suffered, commanded the admiration of all his colleagues. He never gave up and always maintained he would recover. N.C. £12 10s. Od. a week in 1947 had since then received increases totalling £3 0s. 4d. All grades between £12 10s. Od. and £25 had received increases totalling £2 9s. 4d. Grades with a minimum salary of £30 had received £3, while those on a salary of £40 and over had received increases which totalled £4. These figures represented increases of 24% for the lowest grade, 20% to 10% for the second grade and 10% for the remaining two grades. Against this the cost of living, as indicated by the Index of Retail Prices showed food up by 86% as compared with 1947, clothing and household goods up by 48% and drink and tobacco up by 23%. On an arithmetical basis, in terms of the present purchasing power of the pound, members on the 1947 rate of £12 10s. Od. should now be getting £20. Those on the £25 rate should be getting £40, those at £30 should be getting £43 16s. Od. and those at £40 £58 8s. Od. The General Secretary pointed out that the Eady Levy had now been got on to a compulsory basis, and A.C.T.T. was among the unions that had pressed for this. This assured an increase of £1^ million in the first year to the producing companies and there was a case, quite apart from the rise in the cost of living, for film technicians to receive some of this increase. The General Council felt justified in going ahead on the basis of the A.G.M. resolution and an official approach would be made at once to the B.F.P.A. asking for an immediate meeting to discuss a substantial increase. " We shall make the application right away," George Elvin said, " and we shall report back to you. The result of our negotiations will depend just as much on your solidarity and enthusiasm as it will upon our negotiating skill." George Elvin added that A.C.T.T. had a very difficult job in these matters. They had members who were paid low rates and others earning very high figures. All that they could do was to negotiate on a minimum for each grade. At the same time they felt that members receiving a small personal extra for merit should be included in the increase that A.C.T.T. was seeking.