News on Screen

Malcolm Campbell began his career as a broker and underwriter, joining Lloyds of London in 1906. In 1909 Campbell began flying, and in 1910 took up amateur motor racing. After the outbreak of war in August 1914 Campbell joined the army, later transferring to the Royal Flying Corps as a pilot. He was demobilised in 1919. In 1931 he set a new land speed record, for which he received a knighthood. Campbell set further land speed records in 1932 and 1933, and began to be used by British Movietone News to comment on motor events, as with ‘SIR MALCOLM TALKS ABOUT MOTOR SHOW’ in No.228 of October 1933, and ‘SIR MALCOLM CAMPBELL ON THE MOTOR SHOW’ in No.280A from October 1934. Early the following year Campbell became nominal editor of British Movietone News, and appeared on camera to explain the appointment in No.307 in April 1935. Campbell was listed as editor of the British Movietone News for some years, but according to Norman Fisher [qv] he never edited an issue and was only honorary editor or co-editor. Editorial control remained with Gerald Sanger [qv], who was now described as ‘producer’ of the British Movietone News, and Campbell’s appointment may simply have been part of the attempt to give the newsreel what Sanger called ‘star value.'

As with Ward Price [qv], Tom Webster [qv], Eric Dunstan [qv], and R.C. Lyle [qv], Campbell was a celebrity commentator, although not all critics appreciated what the New Statesman called his ‘fidgety and would-be breezy manner.' There is some disagreement about his influence at Movietone. Fisher recalled that Campbell ‘generally...only came in to comment on matters regarding motoring events,' and his first credit was indeed for No.307A of April 1935, when he commented on his own item ‘BLUEBIRD AMBLES OVER BROOKLANDS TRACK AT EASTER MEETING.' Campbell also did some general commentating, such as ‘SYMPOSIUM ON THE JUBILEE...Described by Sir Malcolm Campbell’ in British Movietone News No.309A from May 1935, but according to Fisher he principally ‘made on-camera appearances and commentaries related to motor-racing and motor-cars.' This is borne out by the issue sheets, which show that Campbell was principally employed on stories to do with cars, boats, and planes. Yet it was also claimed that Campbell had political influence at Movietone, for, as the New Statesman noted in September 1935, he was known to be ‘sympathetic not merely to Fascism in general but to the Mosley brand in particular.' It was hinted that Campbell had encouraged Movietone’s pro-Hitler stance, which the magazine claimed had appeared ‘shortly after Sir Malcolm took over, and in a reel commented on by himself.' This was probably a refence to ‘EDITORIAL: Sir Malcolm Campbell comments briefly on Topics of the moment’ which had appeared in British Movietone News No.312 of May 1935.

However, Campbell’s only demonstrable editorial intervention concerned air raid precautions, and Paul Wyand [qv] recalled that ‘he was continually stressing the need to concentrate upon stories which would awaken the nation to the threat of war’: ‘Most of us thought him a bit of a bore when he climbed on this hobby-horse.' The first of these stories was ‘PREPAREDNESS: Grim fate of Madrid brings home moral of Air Raid danger,' which featured Campbell and appeared in British Movietone News No.394 in December 1936. By 1937 Campbell had constructed his own air-raid shelter at his house in Surrey, complete with electric light, air-conditioning, and larder. Campbell also continued to chase speed records, and in August 1937 he featured in British Movietone News No.427A in ‘SPEED: An interview with our Editor by Ivan Scott.' By this date Campbell’s role as editor was understood to be ‘practically nominal,' and he was more properly credited as heading ‘the British Movietone News team’ of commentators. However, Campbell continued to be described as editor of the British Movietone News until 1939.

Sources

G. Roberts ‘News-Reels,' New Statesman, 7/9/1935, pp.304-5: W. A. Pullan ‘Unseen stars of the news reel,' Picturegoer, 19/10/1935, p.24: World Film News, September 1937, p.32, ‘Newsreel Rushes: A Wide-open Letter to Mr. Gerald Sanger’; December 1937, p.39, ‘Newsreel rushes: newsreel notes by The Commentator’: P. Wyand ‘Useless if Delayed’ (1959), p.71: P. Purser ‘Voices off,' Sunday Telegraph, 28/10/1962: L. Pontecorvo ‘The British Newsreel Companies: Staffing 1910-45,' in J. Ballantyne (ed) ‘Researcher’s Guide to British Newsreels’ (BUFVC, 1983), p.86.