Us Newsreel Cameramen

[Jim_Grundy]

This is a real long-shot but does anyone know of any source about American newsreel cameramen on the Western Front? I am trying to research the career of Eric Mayell who filmed the Revolution in Russia in 1917, US forces around Chateau-Thierry in 1918 and who next pops up being bombed by the Japanese on the USS Panay in December 1937.

So far, checks with Fox-Movietone archives have confirmed that some of the footage he shot (in China anyway) has survived but nothing has turned up by way of biography. I do have some basic information but nothing specific about his experiences during the Great War. Anyone out there with knowledge about this area?

Yours (more in hope than anticipation),

Jim

[andigger]

Jim.... While searching through threads I came across this request from long ago. Not sure where you are on your project this many years on, but thought there might be a possibility some of the Pals today might be able to help you out.

Andy

[jhill]

This is a real long-shot but does anyone know of any source about American newsreel cameramen on the Western Front? 

. . .  snip, snip . . .

The best I can do is a reference to films by D.J. Dwyer, who was an American who made films for the Canadian government before parting company with his employers under obscure circumstances and returning to the states.

He is mentioned on the National Film Board's on-line feature on First World War films. The site is here:

http://www.nfb.ca/ww1/

I am afraid this is one of those sites which uses Marcomedia Flash, which I consider evil. However, there it is.

[Canadawwi]

Sorry, I don't have anything about your cameraman at this point. I do have a couple of moving picture related items - the one below was an war movie ad from Dec. 1916.

[Canadawwi]

And this article...(October 28th, 1916)

[Broznitsky]

I wonder where the film mentioned in Craig's acount now lies?

Would the National Film Board be the repository of such an item, or would it now be with Library and Archives?

Or is it <<shudder>> disintegrating in a can in a garage in Scarborough?

[Guest Marie-Françoise]

The best I can do is a reference to films by D.J. Dwyer, who was an American who made films for the Canadian government before parting company with his employers under obscure circumstances and returning to the states.

He is mentioned on the National Film Board's on-line feature on First World War films.  The site is here:

http://www.nfb.ca/ww1/

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hello/Bonjour,

I am new on this Forum. Some link or other led me to this very e-mail quoted above. Many many thanks, "JHill", for letting us know this adress !!! :-) Woah!!! Beong able to see pictures that are...87 years old.... FaI am looking for old photographs of WW1 available on the net, so as to put a link with them in our free site www.gencom.org. This is a site

I am searching for photographs of WW1.

[Guest Marie-Françoise]

The best I can do is a reference to films by D.J. Dwyer, who was an American who made films for the Canadian government before parting company with his employers under obscure circumstances and returning to the states.

He is mentioned on the National Film Board's on-line feature on First World War films.  The site is here:

http://www.nfb.ca/ww1/

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

(Oooops... here is a 2 nd try)

Hello/Bonjour/Schüss

I'm French and new to this Forum.

I was led to this very e-mail through one link or other, while researching sites showing photographs of WW1. Woah !!! Being able to look at animated pictures that are today 87 years old ... with a mere click on the net... *Many* many thanks for letting us know of this Canadian film, Mr ou Ms "JHill".

Fact is I'm trying to find old photographs of battle sites in France, so as to enrich our free site, called www.gencom.org. It is a site on a volunteer basis, aimed at giving detailed info about places in France. It's mostly aimed at amateur genealogists (old names of a village, ancient parishes, relevant books, direct access to relevant Cassini maps and present-day locators, lists of ancestor names on the net, links with photos or dedicated sites, etc). Tip : you might also use this site whenever in doubt of the true name of a place in France, or when searching for a tiny location (provided somebody has thought of publishing it on the site before you come visit it!).

The 1918 canadian films addy is now referred to in gencom when you look up the "communes" of : Valenciennes, Bapaume, Bourlon. I'll add Cambrai and Arras. Btw does anyone know which villages are seen near Cambrai in the film # near Cambrai 3 ? And if the "Monchy" place mentioned in some commentaries is really The "Monchy-le-Preux", in the dpt of Pas-de-Calais (62), taken by Canadians on August 26., 1914, and not one of the other "Monchy" in the same area ?

May I add that I am no "war addict" as such, but do feel a great urge to maintain proper memories of this very special conflict, where all elements of further conflicts in the century can be seen tried and tried again ... Since I began looking for photos of WW1, so many persons have told me they did not know much about that conflict ...

I'll go and see if there are any other sites mentioned in the archives. Thanks again!

Friendly yours

Marie-Françoise