Sir Sydney Samuelson Dies: Former BAFTA Head And First British Film Commissioner Was 97

Zac Ntim
·3 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

British film industry veteran Sir Sydney Samuelson has died. He was 97.

Samuelson died from old age on December 14. A statement from the British Film Institute said he was “surrounded by his loving family.”

More from Deadline

Samuelson was born on December 7, 1925. He came from a UK film industry family. His father, George ‘Bertie’ Samuelson, was a producer of silent films, making more than 100 movies from 1910 onwards; his mother Marjorie ran a draper’s shop in Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex.

Samuelson entered the film business in 1939 at the age of 14 in the projection box of the Luxor Cinema in Lancing, West Sussex, going on to work as a relief operator in several cinemas in the Midlands for ABC cinemas. He then trained as a Film Editor with Gaumont British Newsreel in London.

He was later a cinematographer and worked on many shows for the BBC and independent television companies on a range of productions, including Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation at Westminster Abbey in 1953. He was responsible for the famous shot of The Queen being crowned.

In 1954, Samuelson purchased a clockwork Newman Sinclair film camera, and thus began to explore the possibilities of renting out equipment to other professionals. Originally operated from their home, he and his wife Doris formed Samuelson Film Service, later joined by his brothers. “Sammies” as it became known.

The company established a prolific reputation, working on all of David Lean’s films including Doctor Zhivago, 13 James Bond movies, Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi, Richard Donner’s Superman, Fred Zinnemann’s A Man for All Seasons, Norman Jewison’s Fiddler on the Roof, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and Milos Forman’s Amadeus amongst many other films.

In 1985, Samuelson received BAFTA’s Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Film, in 1993, a BAFTA Fellowship for his contribution to the film and television industry, and in 1997 a British Film Institute Fellowship, amongst many other industry awards of merit. In 1978, Sir Sydney’s work in film was acknowledged with a CBE, followed by a Knighthood in 1995.

Samuelson also had a close relationship with many of the UK’s key film institutions. He served as Chairman, Vice-chair of Film, and a founder Trustee for BAFTA where he took a fundraising leadership role in establishing the British Academy’s headquarters on London’s Piccadilly. His efforts are credited with saving BAFTA from financial ruin during the redevelopment. He was also appointed as the first British Film Commissioner in 1991 by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Samuelson officially retired in 1997.

At a special tribute in 2011, the late Lord Richard Attenborough said of Samuelson: “For me, you represent all that is best about the wonderful industry to which we have both devoted our adult lives.”

He is survived by his sons Peter, Jonathan and Marc and their families including eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.