News on Screen

George Fleischmann was a newsreel cameraman based in Ireland, first credited in August 1949 for supplying ‘GALWAY BAY AIR-LINER RESCUES’ for British Movietone News No.1054A. He continued to supply Movietone with stories until August 1951, when he is credited with ‘DUBLIN HORSE SHOW’ in No.1113A. Terry Gallacher [qv] of Movietone recalled ‘I was reliably informed...that Fleischmann had been a Luftwaffe pilot whose aircraft was damaged in a raid over England and who managed to reach Ireland where he was interned’: ‘He married an Irish lady and formed a production company.' Peter Hampton [qv] remembered Fleishmann as having flown to Ireland and bailed out of the plane with a camera and tripod, which seemed very strange. He was apparently nicknamed ‘the spy.' Fleishmann was listed in the Movietone staff list for October 1951, but may then have moved to Pathe, for in December 1951 he provided footage for ‘IRELAND v SOUTH AFRICA’ in the Irish edition of Pathe News No.51/100. In February 1953 Fleischmann was credited for rota material in ‘IRELAND DRAW WITH ENGLAND’ in British Paramount News No.2293. It is possible that Fleischmann worked for Pathe until the closure of the Pathe News in February 1970, but by the following year he was back with Movietone, being credited for ‘FISHING EXHIBITION’ in British Movietone News No.2182 of March 1971. Fleischmann continued providing Irish stories for Movietone until January 1979, when he covered ‘LIGHTHOUSE RELIEF’ for No.2589.

Sources

BUFVC, British Paramount News files, Issue Number 2293 (annotated shotlist and Fleishmann’s rota dopesheet, 14/16 February 1953): BUFVC, T. M. Gallacher, ‘Additional Notes,' October 1998: Information from Peter Hampton, March 1999.