Pat Tobin was a cameraman who was involved in the film industry in Ireland, including work on a life of Saint Patrick and ‘perilous newsreel work’ for the Irish Events Company in 1918. During this work Tobin was arrested but was released following the intervention of the Kine Cameramen’s Society. He then freelanced in England for a variety of companies, working in both fiction and non-fiction filming, including work for Topical Budget and for Fox News after its launch in 1920. In April 1923 Tobin was part of the large camera team that filmed ‘THE ROYAL WEDDING’ for Daily Sketch Topical Budget No.609-2, and in 1925 he was cameraman on the Bonzo series of cartoons. Tobin also filmed in Greece for British Instructional Films, and did feature film work for British International Pictures, including ‘The Flying Scotsman’ (1929). By 1929 he was doing regular work for Topical Budget, and possibly continued in this until the company’s demise in 1931. He may afterwards have worked freelance, for he was credited in the Pathe camera team that filmed ‘THE DERBY 1936’ for Super Sound Gazette No.36/43 in May 1936. Tobin died in London in 1937, aged forty-six.
Sources
Kine Year Book 1930, p.329, ‘P. Tobin’: NFTVA, Luke McKernan’s biographical index of Topical Budget staff.