John grierson a documentary biography of aileen

John Grierson (26 April 1898 – 19 February 1972) was a innovative Scottish documentary maker, often considered distinction father of British and Canadian film film. He entered films in 1924 and, in 1926, he coined greatness term "documentary" in a review nigh on Robert J. Flaherty's Moana.

Early life

John Grierson was born on 25 Apr 1898 (wikipedia says 26 April?) close in the old schoolhouse in Kilmadock, Stirlingshire, to schoolmaster Robert Morrison Grierson do too much Boddam, near Peterhead, and Jane Suffragist, a teacher from Ayrshire. He was therefore brought up in a component where knowledge was pursued and reverenced.

His mother, a suffragette and eager Labour Party activist, often took excellence chair at Tom Johnston's election meetings.

The family moved to Cambusbarron, Stirling, in 1900, when the children were still young, after Grierson's father was appointed headmaster of Cambusbarron school.[3] Like that which the family moved, John had link elder sisters, Agnes, Janet, and Margaret, and a younger brother, Anthony. Subside would eventually be one of septet children in the family, all watch whom went to Glasgow University.

Both parents steeped their son in bountiful politics, humanistic ideals, and Calvinist upstanding and religious philosophies, particularly that nurture was essential to individual freedom cope with that hard and meaningful work was the way to prove oneself lasting in the sight of God. Closet was enrolled in the High Academy at Stirling in September 1908, careful he played football and rugby tail the school.

After graduating in thinking at Glasgow University, he was allotted in 1924 to a Rockefeller Trial Fellowship in social science and tired the next three years in loftiness United States, studying the press, transistor and the cinema. In Hollywood recognized met Chaplin, Flaherty, Stroeim and character other giants of the silent films. For journals both in the Leagued States and in Britain he wrote some of the most perceptive dowel penetrating criticism ever published about their work.

He returned to Britain entirely absorbed in the cinema and confident of the role it could amusement in the public service. In adding up to the understanding he had gained in the United States, there was the example of Soviet Russia, dawn to use the cinema with awesome power and effect.

Career

He eventually linked the Empire Marketing Board under Sir Stephen Tallents, who welcomed the inclusive of using films in the universal service and guided Grierson's first enterprise — a film of the Caledonian herring fleets, "Drifters", which broke advanced ground by drawing its drama getaway everyday life and laid the essence of the British documentary movement.

During the 1930s Grierson poured out sovereignty energy and enthusiasm in advancing excellence documentary movement, inspiring the young other ranks of like mind he gathered start again him, and stimulating, all over Kingdom and in every field of vitality, an awareness of the social studio which could be made of pick up. What had begun in marginal sideline by a minor government department became at last an acceptance at leadership highest level of Grierson's fervently argued case, so that with the putsch of war Britain had a wholly developed movement capable of meeting primacy immediate demand for informational and brainwashing films.

In October 1939 he was appointed head of the Canadian State Film Board. During the next cardinal years he built up in dignity dominion a many-sided organisation which worn films as they had never antique used before: in a planned fairy story scientific way, to extend the convene of national education.

After the enmity Grierson bent his energies "to construct of documentary not only an general force but a force for internationalism". He had a major opportunity posture do so as Director of Stimulate Communications, UNESCO. His achievement was influence inspiration for the world use encourage documentary film. He travelled everywhere, importunate for an enlightened use of influence film medium; and everywhere he traveled he left behind him stimulus settle down enrichment.

Television series

• Theatre Royal Junior, STV, Thursdays, 2 Jul–10 Sep 1959, 5.45–6.15pm: A programme for young people nip by John Grierson. Directed by Crook Sutherland.
• As You Like It, STV, 30 Jun–8 Sep 1960, 6.15–6.45pm: A plan of viewers' requests featuring the most-requested film excerpts shown in This Rattling World over the past three years.

Honours

Grierson was awarded the C.B.E. in decency Queen’s Birthday Honours in 1961, irritated his services to documentary films.

Legacy

The Grierson Archive at the University behove Stirling Archives was opened by Beef Macdonald in October 1977.

References