British film industry pioneer Sidney Samuelson, who served as Britain’s first film commissioner and was the leader of BAFTA, has died on December 14. He was 97 years old.
Samuelson joined the business in 1939 aged 14 at the box office at the Luxor Cinema in Lansing, West Sussex, working as a relief officer in several Midlands cinemas for ABC cinemas. He then trained as a film editor with Gaumont British Newsreel in London.
In 1943 he signed up to be a flight navigator in the RAF, and when he was laid off in 1947 he joined the British Colonial Office’s film unit as a trainee photographer. He met his wife at a movie club for the 1946 film Pride and Prejudice. They were married for 72 years, until her death in April 2022.
Together they formed the Samuelson Film Service, which provided quality equipment with a full 24-hour service across camera, lighting, grip, sound, crew and transport. The availability of this facility provided the opportunity for international films to be shot worldwide for the first time and stimulated the UK production industry. The company has established branches around the world, with offices in Australia, the Netherlands, France, South Africa and the United States. She has worked on all of David Lean’s films including “Doctor Zhivago” and 13 James Bond and Richard Attenborough’s “Gandhi” films. Richard Donner’s “Superman”, Fred Zinneman’s “A Man for All Seasons”, Norman Jewison’s “Rooftopper”, Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey”, Milos Forman’s “Amadeus” and many more. Samuelson has also been instrumental in making the Panavision Group a leading technology company.
Samuelson has a long history with BAFTAs, and has been a driving force in film and television veterans, expanding the Film and Television Charitable Trust (now the Film and Television Charitable Trust) and developing the annual Royal Film Performance. As Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Film and a Founding Trustee of BAFTA, he took a leading role in fundraising for the establishment of the Academy’s headquarters in London’s Piccadilly and the installation of the Princess Anne Hall and Run Run Shaw in 1976.
Following the Downing Street talks with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Attenborough, Samuelson was appointed Britain’s first Film Commissioner in 1991. In this role, he campaigned to promote the United Kingdom as a leading destination for international film productions and as a provider of world-class crew and crew facilities. He also encouraged the UK government to provide a tax incentive for international productions that established themselves outside the UK using UK crews, talent and production services, and the creation of a network of film commissions across the country.
In 1985 Samuelson was awarded the BAFTA Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Film, in 1993 a BAFTA Fellowship for Contribution to the Film and Television Industry, and in 1997 a British Film Institute Fellowship. In 1978, his work in cinema was recognized with the Central Bank of Egypt, followed by the Equestrian Order in 1995.
He is survived by his children Peter, Jonathan and Mark and their families including eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
“We remain indebted to Sir Sidney for the vital contribution he has made to some of the most important developments in BAFTA’s evolution and for his unwavering support of the organisation, over many decades,” said Jane Millichip, BAFTA Chief Executive and President Krishnendu Majumdar, in a statement. .
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