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==Early life==
==Early life==
Black was the third son of George Black, a property master at the Theatre Royal, Birmingham, who became a cinema owner. George Black died in 1910 and his sons Ted, George and Alfred built up the cinema to a circuit. In 1919 they sold this and set about building up another circuit. In 1928 they sold this to the General Theatre Corporation (GTC).
Black was the third son of George Black, a property master at the Theatre Royal, Birmingham, who became a cinema owner. George Black died in 1910 and his sons Ted, George and Alfred built up the cinema to a circuit. In 1919 they sold this and set about building up another circuit. In 1928 they sold this to the General Theatre Corporation (GTC).


⚫
Black specialized in making comedies, thrillers and low-budget musicals.<ref name="ted"/> He had a lot of success making comedy vehicles for stars such as [[Will Hay]] and [[Arthur Askey]]. He also produced early films from [[Carol Reed]] and [[Alfred Hitchcock]] and was an early supporter of writer directors [[Sidney Gilliat]] and [[Frank Launder]].<ref>The final reel The Guardian (1959-2003) [London (UK)] 27 Sep 2003: B19</ref>


==Film production career==
==Film production career==
Line 33: Line 36:
In December 1936, [[Michael Balcon]] left Gaumont-British for [[MGM]]. In March 1937 Shepherd’s Bush studios and Gaumont-British Distributors were closed. However Gainsborough continued as a production center thanks to a deal with [[C.M. Woolf]] and [[J. Arthur Rank]]’s [[General Film Distributors]]. Black was in charge along with [[Maurice Ostrer]]. They made movies for Gainsborough and [[20th Century Fox]].<ref name="black"/>
In December 1936, [[Michael Balcon]] left Gaumont-British for [[MGM]]. In March 1937 Shepherd’s Bush studios and Gaumont-British Distributors were closed. However Gainsborough continued as a production center thanks to a deal with [[C.M. Woolf]] and [[J. Arthur Rank]]’s [[General Film Distributors]]. Black was in charge along with [[Maurice Ostrer]]. They made movies for Gainsborough and [[20th Century Fox]].<ref name="black"/>


In January 1939 Gaumont signed a deal with 20th Century Fox.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205959986 |title=A Million For British Films |newspaper=[[The Age]] |issue=26135 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=21 January 1939 |accessdate=6 July 2020 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}} </ref>
⚫
Black specialized in making comedies, thrillers and low-budget musicals.<ref name="ted"/> He had a lot of success making comedy vehicles for stars such as [[Will Hay]] and [[Arthur Askey]]. He also produced early films from [[Carol Reed]] and [[Alfred Hitchcock]] and was an early supporter of writer directors [[Sidney Gilliat]] and [[Frank Launder]].<ref>The final reel The Guardian (1959-2003) [London (UK)] 27 Sep 2003: B19</ref>
===World War Two===

With the advent of World War Two, Black had Gaumont make more comedies such as ''The Bang Waggon''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article184389126 |title=Film Gossip From London |newspaper=[[The Telegraph]] |location=Queensland, Australia |date=28 November 1939 |accessdate=6 July 2020 |page=16 (SECOND EDITION) |via=National Library of Australia}} </ref>
\
In the words of one writer, Black "held the studio together during its most difficult period, backed Laundner and Gilliat in establishing a strong script department, retained the services of some of the best cameramen in the business, and put under contract a number of promising actors."<ref name="ted"/>
In the words of one writer, Black "held the studio together during its most difficult period, backed Laundner and Gilliat in establishing a strong script department, retained the services of some of the best cameramen in the business, and put under contract a number of promising actors."<ref name="ted"/>


He worked with George Arliss on ''Dr Syn''. In 1940 Arlis wrote about Black:
<blockquote> He is so entirely unlike a movie boss: he doesn’t seem to interfere with anyone. It is oiJy by degrees you find out that he has everything under his hand and that he really directs the movements of every
department. He is very like a mere businessman, one who believes that it is of no use to lay in a stock of goods that can never produce any return; and that the making of canned pictures should be controlled with the Kune care as the preparation of any other earned goods intended for public consumption. Unless I am much mistaken, Edward Black is going to show us how pictures made in England can be made to pay.<ref>{{cite book|first=George|last=Arliss|title=My Ten Years in the Studio|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.89477/page/n355/mode/2up?q=%22edward+black%22+|page=311|date=1940}}</blockquote>
In the 1940s Black helped to produce the first [[Gainsborough melodramas]] an enormously successful series of movies which made stars of [[James Mason]], [[Stewart Granger]] and [[Phyllis Calvert]], and increased the popularity of [[Margaret Lockwood]].
In the 1940s Black helped to produce the first [[Gainsborough melodramas]] an enormously successful series of movies which made stars of [[James Mason]], [[Stewart Granger]] and [[Phyllis Calvert]], and increased the popularity of [[Margaret Lockwood]].
===Launder and Gilliat===
Black was a supporter of Launder and Gilliat as writers, working with them on ''The Lady Vanishes'' and ''Night Train to Munich''. He gave them their first opportunity as directors.
===Gainsborough Melodramas===
Black produced the first [[Gainsborough Melodrama]], ''[[The Man in Grey]]'' (1943) directed by Leslie Arliss. The movie was a huge success, making stars out of its four leads, Margaret Lockwood, James Mason, Stewart Granger and [[Phyllis Calvert]]. Black followed it with ''Fanny By Gaslight'', with Calvert, Mason, Granger and Jean Kent, directed by Anthony Asquith.


Black's relationship with Maurice Ostrer was not always easy and he also clashed with the Rank Organisation when they took over Gainsborough. In 1944 Black left Gainsborough to join [[Alexander Korda]].
Black's relationship with Maurice Ostrer was not always easy and he also clashed with the Rank Organisation when they took over Gainsborough. In 1944 Black left Gainsborough to join [[Alexander Korda]].

==Alex Korda==
==Alex Korda==
Black made two films for Korda, ''Man About the House'' and ''Bonnie Prince Charlie''.<ref>NIVEN WILL APPEAR IN FILM FOR KORDA: New York Times 17 July 1946: 27</ref>
Black made two films for Korda, ''Man About the House'' and ''Bonnie Prince Charlie''.<ref>NIVEN WILL APPEAR IN FILM FOR KORDA: New York Times 17 July 1946: 27</ref>

Revision as of 13:25, 6 July 2020

For other people with the same name, see Edward Black (disambiguation).
Edward Black
Born
Edward Black

(1900-08-18)18 August 1900
Birmingham, UK
Died30 November 1948(1948-11-30) (aged 48)
London
NationalityEnglish
OccupationFilm producer
Years active1935 - 1948
Notable workThe Lady Varnishes

Edward Black (18 August 1900, Birmingham - 30 November 1948, London) was a British film producer, best known for being head of production at Gainsborough Studios in the late 1930s and early 1940s, during which time he oversaw production of the Gainsborough melodramas.[1][2] He also produced such classic films as The Lady Vanishes (1938). Black has been called "one of the unsung heroes of the British film industry."[3] In 1946 Mason called Black "the one good production executive" that J. Arthur Rank had.[4] Frank Launder called Black "a great showman and yet he had a great feeling for scripts and spent more time on them than anyone I have ever known. His experimental films used to come off as successful as his others."[5]

Early life

Black was the third son of George Black, a property master at the Theatre Royal, Birmingham, who became a cinema owner. George Black died in 1910 and his sons Ted, George and Alfred built up the cinema to a circuit. In 1919 they sold this and set about building up another circuit. In 1928 they sold this to the General Theatre Corporation (GTC).


Black specialized in making comedies, thrillers and low-budget musicals.[3] He had a lot of success making comedy vehicles for stars such as Will Hay and Arthur Askey. He also produced early films from Carol Reed and Alfred Hitchcock and was an early supporter of writer directors Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder.[6]

Film production career

Gaumont British took over GTC and Black went to work for them. In 1928 he became a studio manager for Gainsborough Pictures.

In 1930 Black moved into production, and became an assistant production manager at Shepherd’s Bush and then studio manager at Islington.[7]

In 1935 he was associate producer on Tudor Rose (1936). He took over running of the Islington Studios.

In December 1936, Michael Balcon left Gaumont-British for MGM. In March 1937 Shepherd’s Bush studios and Gaumont-British Distributors were closed. However Gainsborough continued as a production center thanks to a deal with C.M. Woolf and J. Arthur Rank’s General Film Distributors. Black was in charge along with Maurice Ostrer. They made movies for Gainsborough and 20th Century Fox.[7]

In January 1939 Gaumont signed a deal with 20th Century Fox.[8]

World War Two

With the advent of World War Two, Black had Gaumont make more comedies such as The Bang Waggon.[9] \ In the words of one writer, Black "held the studio together during its most difficult period, backed Laundner and Gilliat in establishing a strong script department, retained the services of some of the best cameramen in the business, and put under contract a number of promising actors."[3]

He worked with George Arliss on Dr Syn. In 1940 Arlis wrote about Black:

He is so entirely unlike a movie boss: he doesn’t seem to interfere with anyone. It is oiJy by degrees you find out that he has everything under his hand and that he really directs the movements of every

department. He is very like a mere businessman, one who believes that it is of no use to lay in a stock of goods that can never produce any return; and that the making of canned pictures should be controlled with the Kune care as the preparation of any other earned goods intended for public consumption. Unless I am much mistaken, Edward Black is going to show us how pictures made in England can be made to pay.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

Death

Black died of lung cancer on 30 November 1948 at the age of 48, shortly after the premiere of his final film Bonnie Prince Charlie (1948), which was a commercial failure.[10]

Partial filmography

Starring Will Hay

Directed by Robert Stevenson

Starring Will Fyffe

Starring the Crazy Gang

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Tom Walls

Directed by Carol Reed

Starring Arthur Askey

Starring Gordon Harker/Alistair Sim

Shorts

Launder and Gilliat

Anthony Asquith

Tommy Handly

Directed by Leslie Arliss

Other

For Alex Korda

References

  1. ^ Gainsborough Pictures at BFI Screenonline
  2. ^ "Edward Black". BFI. Archived from the original on 2012-07-11.
  3. ^ a b c Realism and Tinsel: Cinema and Society in Britain 1939-48 By Robert Murphy p34
  4. ^ BRITISH FILM IDOL CASTS ORAL BRICKS: James Mason Says Rank Is Leading the English Movie Industry Into Trouble Outspoken Critic By THOMAS M. PRYOR. New York Times 15 Dec 1946: X6.
  5. ^ Round Table on British Films Cornelius, Henry; Dickinson, Thorold; Havelock-Allan, Anthony; John, Rosamund; Launder, Frank; et al. Sight and Sound; London Vol. 19, Iss. 3, (May 1, 1950): 114-122.
  6. ^ The final reel The Guardian (1959-2003) [London (UK)] 27 Sep 2003: B19
  7. ^ a b Edward Black Archived 2016-04-14 at the Wayback Machine at Britmovie
  8. ^ "A Million For British Films". The Age. No. 26135. Victoria, Australia. 21 January 1939. p. 12. Retrieved 6 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "Film Gossip From London". The Telegraph. Queensland, Australia. 28 November 1939. p. 16 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved 6 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ EDWARD BLACK New York Times 1 Dec 1948: 29.
  11. ^ a b Walker, Michael (2005). Hitchcock's Motifs. Amsterdam University Press. p. 440. ISBN 9789053567739.
  12. ^ Reid, John Howard (2009). Film Noir, Detective and Mystery Movies on DVD: A Guide to the Best in Suspense. p. 100. ISBN 9781435730106.
  13. ^ Evans, Peter William (2005). Carol Reed. Manchester University Press. p. 175. ISBN 9780719063664.
  14. ^ a b Moss, R (2016). Films of Carol Reed. Springer. p. 288. ISBN 9781349075010.

External links

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