News on Screen

George Oswald was a cameraman for the Universal Talking News, who in January 1938 covered the Spanish Civil War, spending a fortnight in Spain and reporting from the Nationalist side with Universal’s commentator R.E. Jeffrey [qv]. An interview they filmed with Franco caused controversy and led to claims of political bias. After the outbreak of war in September 1939 Oswald also worked for Universal News as a war cameraman. In January 1941 he filmed ''KING GEORGE THE FIFTH’ ARRIVES AT AMERICA WITH LORD AND LADY HALIFAX’ for Universal News No.1105 of February 1941, and in March 1941 he filmed ‘LOOKING AFTER ‘JACKS’ TEETH’ for No.1116. In October 1944 Oswarld was filming in Sumatra, and provided material for ‘FLYING BOATS IN JUNGLE’ in Universal News No.1492 of November 1944. In March 1945 he was in Mandalay working with Alec Tozer [qv] of Movietone, and provided film for ‘FALL OF MANDALAY’ in Universal News No.1535.

In October 1945 Oswald was credited with filming ‘THE CAMBRIDGESHIRE AT NEWMARKET’ for Universal News No.1597 of November 1945, along with Rick Holton [qv] and Frank Purnell [qv]. Oswald later joined Pathe, and in February 1952 was listed in the camera team covering the funeral of George VI for ‘THE LAST JOURNEY’ in Pathe News No.52/15. According to the Pathe index he provided crowd scenes at Windsor, filming from the White Hart Hotel. Oswald was also credited with filming ‘FA CUP THIRD ROUND’ for Pathe News No.53/5 in January 1953, and afterwards worked in a number of Pathe camera teams, including those covering ‘THE CORONATION OF HM QUEEN ELIZABETH’ for Pathe News No.53/41 in June 1953, and ‘THE QUEEN COMES HOME’ in No.54/37 of May 1954.

Sources

To-day’s Cinema, 12/2/1938, pp.1, 4, ‘R. E. Jeffrey back from Spain’: Cinema, 2/3/1938, p.50, ‘Franco interview echo: ‘held balance as neutral’': BUFVC, British Paramount News files, Issue Number 1014 (G. B. Oswald rota dopesheet, January 1941), Number 1051 (Oswald rota dopesheet, March 1941), Number 1427 (Oswald rota dopesheet, October 1944), Number 1470 (Oswald rota dopesheet, c.March 1945), Number 1532 (Universal rota dopesheet, 1/11/1945): L. Pontecorvo ‘The British Newsreel Companies: Staffing 1910-1945,' in J. Ballantyne (ed) ‘Researcher’s Guide to British Newsreels’ (BUFVC, 1983), p.92.