Paul Rotha trained at the Slade School of Art before entering the film industry as an assistant art director at British International Pictures. He wrote his major history of the English cinema ‘THE FILM TILL NOW’ in 1930. In 1931, he met John Grierson and worked for him at the Empire Marketing Board. However, his independent, some would say, maverick, attitude led to his dismissal.
He directed his first film ‘CONTACT’ (1933) for Shell-Mex BP [qv] and made several sponsored films for Gaumont British Instructional, including ‘SHIPYARD’ (1935). In 1935, he joined Strand Films as a producer and helped found Associated Realist Producers. In 1941, he formed Paul Rotha Productions, through which he made many films as part of the war effort, including ‘WORLD OF PLENTY’ (1943), ‘LAND OF PROMISE’ (1946) and the cinemagazine, WORKER AND WARFRONT (1942-46). He later formed Films of Fact [qv] which produced the cinemagazine series Britain Can Make It.
From 1953 to 1955 Rotha was Head of the BBC Documentary department and during the fifties and sixties he also moved in the feature film industry. In the 1970s he returned to writing, contributing to film theory, history and practice through his extensive works.
Sources
McFarlane, Brian. ‘The Encyclopedia of British Film’ (London; 2003), p578.: NoS Number 323858; Britain Can Make It Number 1; Date released 1945: NoS Number 352063; Britain Can Make It Number 11; Date released 1946.