Crown Film Unit

[Rowdon]

There may be a thread on this subject already, but the words throw up too many search results, so I'm starting this one.

I read Karen McCreedy's article on the home page, but it didn't seem to be a review of anything, simply a clear and solid commentary. So my question is, is there a good book on Crown? Or documentaries?

I might as well say that I'm mainly interested because my father worked with them for some time, hence my interest. Does anyone else know anyone who worked there?

[DB7]

Don't think there is as it was only active for a short time, there'll probably be chapters on the CFU in propaganda/documentary/GPO/Humphrey Jennings books.

[CaptainWaggett]

If you're looking for information about CFU people, I would imagine this would be a good place to start


History Project - BECTU

[Steve Crook]

Don't think there is as it was only active for a short time, there'll probably be chapters on the CFU in propaganda/documentary/GPO/Humphrey Jennings books.

They didn't do a lot, but they did some very good ones, some classic documentaries.
Listen to Britain
Fires Were Started
Target for Tonight
Western Approaches
Diary for Timothy

Who was your father Rowden? What did he do for them?

Steve

[Rowdon]

Who was your father Rowden? What did he do for them?

Steve

Thanks for asking, Steve. My Dad was John Rowdon, who directed some films for British Transport Films (Forward to First Principles - with his own very BBC sounding commentary, Right Time Means Right Time (particularly important to me because I'm in it playing a 7 year old boy: typecasting I'm afraid) ... many other transport films), and jobbed around a lot as a freelance, working for the BBC or anybody that would have him, as one did, in a number of roles from the 1940s on ... The trouble is, I wanted to read a bit about the unit among other reasons to hopefully jog my memory a it, because I really don't know what he did with them; he just mentioned "Crown" and "Worldwide" a lot in chat that I ignored ... isn't family life confusing? I have his writings and photos so when I've pieced it all together, I'll let you know in more detail, like it or not.

[Nick Dando]

This thread will be of interest, I think, as it deals with the obituary of someone who was also involved in documentaries - certainly World Wide is mentioned, though not the CFU.

http://www.britmovie.co.uk/forums/ob...son-r-i-p.html

Nick

[Rowdon]

This thread will be of interest, I think, as it deals with the obituary of someone who was also involved in documentaries - certainly World Wide is mentioned, though not the CFU.

http://www.britmovie.co.uk/forums/ob...son-r-i-p.html

Nick

Thanks Nick. Very interesting.

[Nick Dando]

There's another obituary for Paul Dickson, again submitted by Julian. This has been written by Kevin Brownlow, who worked for World Wide. He may be a good person to get in touch with.

Nick

[Rowdon]

There's another obituary for Paul Dickson, again submitted by Julian. This has been written by Kevin Brownlow, who worked for World Wide. He may be a good person to get in touch with.

Nick

Thanks again. I'll give it a go.

[kelp]

I remember watching these films during my youth and indeed later during my military service. Donald Hewlett & another actor who I only recall his surname as "Waters" ( a very mild mannered bald headed actor in his forties even then I would guess.