Roland Chase

Roland Chase, British Film & TV industry entrepreneur, RAF pilot

Born April 25th 1923, died August 5th 2006

As a Son, Brother, Husband, Father, Grandfather, Colleague, Friend, Golfing Partner or Opponent Roland George Frank Chase was known by many names; Charlie, Roland, Ro, Roley, Pop, Daddy, Gramps, Barnes, Uncle Roland, Mr Chase or Sir.

With war being declared when Roland was just 16, he was still at school during the retreat from Dunkirk. Living on the east side of London he witnessed the onset of the London Blitz and following time in the Local Defense Volunteers (later renamed the [http://www.home-guard.org.uk/ Home Guard] , he joined the [http://www.raf.mod.uk/ RAF] three months before his 18th birthday.

Following Ground Training in Torquay he was sent via Iceland and Canada to Albany, Georgia, in the United States to learn to fly. He graduated in Feb ’42 was given a commission and they were obviously so impressed with him that he stayed on in the US as an Instructor. By 1943 he had been sent back home to learn to fly Spitfires and wound up being posted to Malta and then Italy, where he celebrated his 21st Birthday in the officers mess.

All his wartime escapades of daring do, subsequent shooting down, and the resultant time as a POW have been carefully recorded by him for his Grandchildren in a small book entitled ‘Gramps’s War’, which he put together about 2 years before his death. This is really a compendium of amusing stories and anecdotes which show his resilience as a young man to the horrors of the times and how his enduring sense of humour and friendships got him through.

On release from camp and return to the UK he took demob and returned to his family.

By 1948 he had started Colour Film Services a motion picture film printing and processing business.16mm colour film was being used more and more in education and training, and success and security followed his hard endeavours.

On the 26th March 1949 he married Joyce Jessup at St Michael’s Church in Gidea Park Essex and so began a 58 year partnership. They had two children, Hilary and David (who gave them 7 much-loved grandchildren) and Roland's social pleasures took him from playing rugby to [http://www.romfordgolfclub.com/ Romford Golf Club] where he took up the noble game and a penchant for Gin and Tonic. He was also a member of [http://www.beaconsfieldgolfclub.co.uk/ Beaconsfield Golf Club] (Captain for 1976/7) and [http://golf.information-britain.co.uk/course-directory/course-details.asp?club=1350 Royal West Norfolk] . Family holidays were almost always taken in [http://www.norfolkcoast.co.uk/location_norfolk/vp_burnhamoverystaithe.htm Burnham Overy Staithe] where, usually in the company of family friends, they golfed, sailed and sunned themselves.

Something typically modist was the occupation Roland Chase listed in his passport – that of photographic chemist. He was of course MUCH more, and indeed had a more enduring passion for engineering, which even just before he lost his battle with cancer, whilst lying in an intensive care bed in King’s Lynn, found him trying to redesign his oxygen mask, and solve the hospital’s MRSA infection problems!

Colour Film Services (CFS) became his passion and another family of responsibilities which altered his perception on life. Roland realised that he employed not just individual people but family breadwinners. So CFS became a family too with social gatherings and a 20 year club. Many of the industry’s notables started their working life at CFS and went on to run such organizations as [http://www.pinewoodshepperton.com/ Pinewood Studios] , The British Academy of Film and Television Arts [http://www.bafta.org/site/jsp/index.jsp (BAFTA)] and many more. CFS grew to service most aspects of the film and television industries, from film processing to TV post-production. From sound recording to theatrical previews, and from production to exhibition servicing.

Roland Chase enjoyed industry recognition and was made President of the Industry Trade Association [http://www.bksts.com/ (BKSTS)] and awarded Fellowship of the Society and it’s sister American Society the SMPTE, Honorary Membership of the [http://www.bscine.com/ British Society of Cinematographers] and served as Chairman of the British Board of Film Classification [http://www.bbfc.org.uk/general/index.php (BBFC)] . There is also a [http://www.bksts.com/dom/about/society_awards.htm#Roland_Chase Roland Chase Award] within the BKSTS awarded each year to the member whose ongoing contributions to the running of the BKSTS have been of great benefit to the Society.

Roland and his team designed many technological advances over the years from early processing machines and many patented devices from which the industry worldwide has benefited.