News on Screen

Jerry Somers was born in London, the son of a cinema manager. He moved to Manchester and started in film production in 1918, making animated advertising films, and being responsible for both the artwork and camerawork. He then moved into studio work, and his Lancashire Film Studios made features such as ‘Annie Laurie’ (1920). Shortly afterwards Somers appears as a freelance cameraman filming the Manchester section of ‘THE GREAT ROUND BRITAIN AIR RACE’ for Daily Sketch Topical Budget No.577-1 in September 1922. After the coming of sound Somers joined the Universal Talking News, launched in July 1930, where he used a Debrie camera, and also an Akeley and an Eyemo. In October 1937 it was reported that Somers was to be a cameramen on the new National News, along with another Universal cameraman, Shandon Swan [qv]. However, production of the National News was suspended soon after its launch, and the newsreel finally collapsed in February 1938 when its camera gear was put up for sale. In August 1939 Somers covered a road safety story and an ARP drill for British Paramount News, but this footage was not used in the reel. After the outbreak of war in September 1939 Somers did some further work for Paramount, and then worked for Pathe, where his first credit as cameraman is ‘HAUNTS OF THE WITCHES’ in Pathe Pictorial No.242 of November 1940. Somers did regular home-front work for that newsreel, and in May 1941 he filmed Rudolf Hess’ crashed Messerschmidt. His last credit is for ‘SEA CADETS’ in Pathe Pictorial No.437 of August 1944, but the Pathe archive has unissued material which he shot in the following year.

Sources

World Film News, October 1937, p.35, ‘Newsreel rushes: newsreel notes by The Commentator’: Cine-Technician, March-April 1938, p.220, ‘Newsreel’: BUFVC, British Paramount News files, NR 8797 (4/8/1939), NR 8820 (28/8/1939), and NR 8996 (October 1939): J. Ballantyne (ed) ‘Researcher’s Guide to British Newsreels: Vol.II’ (1988), p.31: M. Gomes ‘The Picture House’ (NWFA: 1988), pp.78-82: NFTVA, Luke McKernan’s biographical index of Topical Budget staff.