News on Screen

Sid Wiggins was born in London, and began work in the newsreels in 1919, when he joined the Topical Budget. Wiggins remained with the Topical Budget until 1924, and afterwards worked for the Empire News Bulletin, which William Jeapes [qv] established in March 1926. In June 1929 the British Movietone News was launched as a pioneer newsreel, and Wiggins left to join it as chief film editor. In December 1936 he was credited as compiler of ‘THE REVIEW OF THE YEAR’ in British Movietone News No.395, and he also compiled ‘MOVIETONE REVIEWS A MEMORABLE YEAR 1937’ for British Movietone News No.447A in December 1937. On the outbreak of war in September 1939 Wiggins was one of the senior Movietone editorial staff evacuated to Denham, but he retrurned to Soho Square with the rest after producing only sixteen issues. In September 1941 Wiggins was credited for continuity on a compilation of German newsreel material which ran as ‘THE HUN AT WAR (SECOND EDITION)' in British Movietone News No.640A. Wiggins remained as Movietone’s chief film editor throughout the war, and in 1955 was appointed as the newsreel’s executive editor. His place as chief film editor - known as ‘chief cutter’ at Movietone - was taken by Bob Frost [qv]. He left the company to work freelance when the company moved to Denham in December 1961.

Sources

G. Sanger ‘The Story of British Movietone News in the War Years,' c.1946, copy in BUFVC: Reg Sutton’s typescript autobiography, copy in BUFVC: P. Noble (ed) ‘British Film and Television Year Book 1956/57’ (London, 1956), p.316: BUFVC, T.M. Gallacher, ‘Additional Notes,' October 1998: Information from Peter Hampton, March 1999. E-mail from Terry Gallacher to Linda Kaye (29/7/2011).