Thorold Dickinson

Thorold Barron Dickinson (16 November 1903, Bristol, England – 14 April 1984, Oxford, England) was a British film director, screenwriter and producer. His father was the Archdeacon of Bristol. He studied at Keble College, Oxford, but was expelled because his interest in theatre and film caused him to neglect his studies. Dickinson worked with The Film Society in the 1930s as its technical director. [cite journal | url=http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0021-8510(196907)3%3A3%3C85%3AFS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-J | last=Dickinson | first=Thorold | title=Film Societies | journal=Journal of Aesthetic Education | volume=3 | issue=3 | pages=85–95 | date=July 1969 | accessdate=2008-03-22 | doi=10.2307/3331706]

Dickinson worked as a film editor on such features as "Love's Option" (1928), "Auld Lang Syne" (1929), "Loyalties" (1933) and "Sing As We Go!" (1934). His first film directorial experience was on the 1934 film "Java Head", when he took over direction after the first director, J. Walter Ruben, became ill and was unable to continue. Dickinson's own full directorial debut was with "The High Command" (1937).

In Israel, Dickinson directed a short film for the Israeli Army, "The Red Ground", and an English-language feature, "Hill 24 Doesn't Answer", where he reworked the screenplay in collaboration with his wife Joanna. Dickinson's other work outside of the UK included a tenure with UNESCO as Chief of Film Services from 1956 to 1960.

After his work with UNESCO, Dickinson devoted the final part of his life to teaching about film. [cite journal | url=http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=1550-0349(1964%2F1965)4%3C9%3ATMC%3E2.0.CO%3B2-S | last=Dickinson | first=Thorold | title=The Maturing Cinema | journal=The Journal of the Society of Cinematologists | volume=4 | pages=9–19 | date=1964-1965 | accessdate=2008-03-22 | doi=10.2307/1224798] In 1960, Dickinson established the film studies department at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London. [cite journal | url=http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0021-8510(197104)5%3A2%3C103%3APPTFS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-O | last=Bawden | first=L.A. | title=Pragmatic Prolegomena to Film Studies | journal=Journal of Aesthetic Education | volume=5 | issue=2 | pages=103–114 | date=April 1971 | accessdate=2008-03-22 | doi=10.2307/3331678] In 1967, he was named a professor in the department, the first professor of film studies in the UK. He served in the post until 1971.

Filmography

* "The High Command" (1937)
* "The Arsenal Stadium Mystery" (1939)
* "Gaslight" (1940)
* "The Prime Minister" (1941)
* "The Next of Kin" (1942)
* "Men of Two Worlds" (1946)
* "The Queen of Spades" (1948)
* "The Secret People" (1952)
* "Hill 24 Doesn't Answer" (1955)

References

External links

* [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/531286/index.html Screenonline biography of Thorold Dickinson]