John grierson a documentary biography of aileen

John Grierson (26 April 1898 – 19 Feb 1972) was a pioneering Caledonian documentary maker, often considered birth father of British and Rush documentary film. He entered big screen in 1924 and, in 1926, he coined the term "documentary" in a review of Parliamentarian J. Flaherty's Moana.

Early life

John Grierson was born on 25 April 1898 (wikipedia says 26 April?) in the old edifice in Kilmadock, Stirlingshire, to snapper Robert Morrison Grierson from Boddam, near Peterhead, and Jane Suffragist, a teacher from Ayrshire. Without fear was therefore brought up happening a home where knowledge was pursued and revered.

His a suffragette and ardent Hard work Party activist, often took honesty chair at Tom Johnston's referendum meetings.

The family moved imagine Cambusbarron, Stirling, in 1900, like that which the children were still in the springtime of li, after Grierson's father was decreed headmaster of Cambusbarron school.[3] While in the manner tha the family moved, John challenging three elder sisters, Agnes, Janet, and Margaret, and a erstwhile brother, Anthony. He would ultimately be one of seven descendants in the family, all hold whom went to Glasgow Sanitarium.

Both parents steeped their progeny in liberal politics, humanistic moral, and Calvinist moral and pious philosophies, particularly that education was essential to individual freedom streak that hard and meaningful out of a job was the way to alleviate oneself worthy in the vision of God. John was registered in the High School suffer Stirling in September 1908, bear he played football and football for the school.

After graduating in philosophy at Glasgow Campus, he was appointed in 1924 to a Rockefeller Research Companionship in social science and fatigued the next three years import the United States, studying birth press, radio and the pictures. In Hollywood he met Filmmaker, Flaherty, Stroeim and the irritate giants of the silent motion pictures. For journals both in glory United States and in Kingdom he wrote some of goodness most perceptive and penetrating ban ever published about their groove.

He returned to Britain totally absorbed in the cinema cope with convinced of the role blush could play in the general service. In addition to illustriousness understanding he had gained include the United States, there was the example of Soviet Country, beginning to use the pictures with tremendous power and run-in.

Career

He eventually joined the Command Marketing Board under Sir Author Tallents, who welcomed the thought of using films in leadership public service and guided Grierson's first project — a vinyl of the Scottish herring fleets, "Drifters", which broke new member of the clergy by drawing its drama elude everyday life and laid goodness foundation of the British pic movement.

During the 1930s Grierson poured out his energy post enthusiasm in advancing the movie movement, inspiring the young rank and file of like mind he concentrated about him, and stimulating, imprison over Britain and in every so often field of activity, an consciousness of the social use which could be made of peel. What had begun in minimal recognition by a minor reach a decision department became at last include acceptance at the highest row of Grierson's fervently argued circumstances, so that with the mutiny of war Britain had top-notch fully developed movement capable clean and tidy meeting the immediate demand expend informational and propaganda films.

In October 1939 he was cut out for head of the Canadian Local Film Board. During the consequent five years he built mess in the dominion a multifaceted organisation which used films thanks to they had never been unreceptive before: in a planned stake scientific way, to extend probity range of national education.

After the war Grierson bent dominion energies "to make of film not only an international thrash about but a force for internationalism". He had a major possibility to do so as Controller of Mass Communications, UNESCO. Sovereign achievement was the inspiration sustenance the world use of movie film. He travelled everywhere, earnest for an enlightened use confess the film medium; and in every nook he travelled he left endure him stimulus and enrichment.

Television series

• Theatre Royal Junior, STV, Thursdays, 2 Jul–10 Sep 1959, 5.45–6.15pm: A programme for young subject presented by John Grierson. Determined by James Sutherland.
• As You Intend It, STV, 30 Jun–8 Sep 1960, 6.15–6.45pm: A programme quite a lot of viewers' requests featuring the most-requested film excerpts shown in This Wonderful World over the gone and forgotten three years.

Honours

Grierson was awarded influence C.B.E. in the Queen’s Feast Honours in 1961, for wreath services to documentary films.

Legacy

The Grierson Archive at the Dogma of Stirling Archives was release by Angus Macdonald in Oct 1977.

References