News on Screen

Born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Richard de Rochemont attended Cambridge Latin School, before graduating from Harvard, cum laude, in 1928. While still in college, he worked as an editor and general helper for Pathe News. He also worked part-time as a reporter for the Boston Advertiser. He was fired from his first job at the New York American and moved on to the New York Sun in 1929. From there, he left to join his brother on the editorial staff of Fox Movietone.

In 1931, Fox asked Dick to go to Paris to edit the French edition of their newsreel. He did, and later became manager for France of Fox Movietone’s Actualité Parlant until 1934. By this time, he brother Louis [qv] had begun to plan the MARCH OF TIME series, and when rumours of these plans reached his bosses, Dick was fired because of his supposed involvement. After a brief visit back to New York, he returned to Paris as the first salaried employee of the March of Time overseas.

Dick continued in this role, producing and directing many European stories for the March of Time, including ‘Croix de Feu’ in 1st Year No.1 of 1935, ‘Inside the Maginot Line’ in 4th Year No.7 of 1938 and ‘The Vatican of Pius XIi’ in 5th Year No.11 of April 1940. He continued in this role until the Nazi occupation of France forced him and his employees back to America, where he worked for the first time, as his brother’s deputy. He was, therefore, the obvious choice as Louis’s successor in August 1943. He stayed in this role until 1951.

Sources

NoS Number 352111; March of Time 1st Year Number 1; Date released 1935: NoS Number 352206; March of Time 4th Year Number 7; Date released 1938: NoS Number 352014; March of Time 5th Number 11; Date released April 1940: Fielding, Raymond. The March of Time 1935-1951 (New York, 1978).