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Sergei Nolbandov was a Russian lawyer born in 1895, who emigrated to Britain shortly after graduating from Moscow University in the mid-1920s. His first job in the British film industry was as an editor and assistant scriptwriter with Ivor Montagu and Adrian Brunel’s company, followed by a number of positions in minor studios until he was hired by Michael Balcon and worked at Ealing as a scriptwriter on ‘THERE AIN’T NO JUSTICE’ (1939). Nolbandov subsequently produced ‘THE PROUD VALLEY’ (1939) and ‘CONVOY’ (1940). His directorial debut was ‘SHIPS WITH WINGS’ (1941), which he also scripted, and Nolbandov then directed ‘UNDERCOVER’ (1943) before leaving Ealing to work for the MOI Films Division in an advisory capacity. He was then taken on by the Rank Organisation to begin preparatory work on the March of Time just before the end of the war.

Nolbandov is credited as producer for several issues of March of Time, including, ‘HOMES FOR ALL’, No.1 of September 1946, ‘WOMEN IN OUR TIME’, No.22 of October 1948, and ‘TURKEY - KEY TO THE MIDDLE EAST’ No.41 of January 1951.

Sources

Enticknap, Leo, PhD thesis, p.116: McFarlane, Brian. ‘The Encyclopedia of British Film’ (London; 2003), p488.: NoS Number 346924; March of Time Number 1; Date released September 1946: NoS Number 347033; March of Time Number 22; Date released October 1948: NoS Number 347258; March of Time Number 41; Date released January 1951.