News on Screen

Tom Webster was a professional cartoonist who began his career on the Birmingham Sports Argus, before becoming political cartoonist on the Daily Citizen. After the outbreak of war in 1914 Webster served in the Royal Fusiliers, and after demobilisation in 1919 he joined the staff of the Daily Mail. Webster became a well-known sporting cartoonist, and also provided commentaries for British Movietone News, his first being for ‘JACK PETERSEN v. LEN HARVEY’ in No.235 from December 1933. Webster was featured in the story, and in the titles, and he was given the same treatment when he commented upon ‘THE F.A. CUP FINAL AT WEMBLEY’ for British Movietone News No.256 in April 1934. Webster returned for ‘THE F.A. CUP FINAL’ in No.308 of April 1935, ''WIMBLEDON’ BY TOM WEBSTER’ in No.316A from June 1935, and ‘WHAT A TEST! By Tom Webster’ in No.319A from July 1935. Like Ward Price [qv], R. C. Lyle [qv], Eric Dunstan [qv], and Malcolm Campbell [qv], Webster was probably appointed in April 1935 as part of the redesign of British Movietone News, in an effort to give the newsreel what its producer, Gerald Sanger [qv], called ‘star value.'

As the New Statesman noted in September 1935, Webster was the reel’s ‘Court Jester,' who provided ‘a nice leaven of sophisticated disillusionment.' In the following month the Picturegoer was even more flattering, noting that Webster ‘comes across well on the screen’: ‘The very appearance of his name on the title is accompanied by a joyous twitter of expectancy. Tom’s dry, leg-pulling humour admirably suits the news film.' However, like Ward Price [qv], it seems likely that Webster was only given a six-month contract, for his last engagement for British Movietone News was ‘HORACE LINDRUM, ACE OF SNOOKER INTRODUCED BY TOM WEBSTER’ in No.338 of November 1935. Webster retired from the Daily Mail in 1940, but came out of retirement in 1944 to join Kemsley Newspapers. In 1953 he joined the News Chronicle, but again retired in 1956.

Sources

G. Roberts ‘News-Reels,' New Statesman, 7/9/1935, p.305: W. A. Pullan ‘Unseen Stars of The News Reel,' Picturegoer, 19/10/1935, p.24: Who’s Who 1897-1996 CD-ROM.