Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

Good evening.

For those of us here tonight

that are 70 years old or younger,

Jack Cardiff was shooting film

before we were born.

I don't do many interviews.

But when I was invited to speak

about Jack Cardiff, my friend,

I couldn't resist,

because Jack Cardiff

is a...an amazing guy.

Every time I saw certain names,

and one of the names

that kept cropping up was Cardiff.

Every time I saw these names, I knew

I was in for something very special.

And I began to have a very strong

affinity towards British cinema,

because of my recognition

of Cardiff's name, actually.

The way a movie is photographed

creates a mood,

and creates the mood of the movie,

so that the audience is prepared

for the kind of movie it's going to be.

Cinematography is central to film.

Motion pictures is...

is the art form of the 20th century,

and you can't do them

without the camera.

Going over to Bogie, he's dead.

She's dead, she's dead, she's dead.

She's alive.

I'm just alive.

It's fantastic, isn't it?

- You've outlived them all.

- Yeah.

Incredible.

I don't know. Do you think

it's a tragic industry to be in sometimes?

No, I don't think so, I think

it's a nonsensical thing...job to be in,

because it's full of, um...

full of hypocrisy, hyperbole.

Just about everything you can think of.

At this moment

your room is still not ready.

- Thank you.

- Your name?

If anybody said, "Who is that guy? "

because I don't think anybody

really knows who I am,

I'd say, "Well, I used to be

a stand-in for Frank Sinatra."

- That was made 50 years ago.

- Cinquante ans.

How are you?

Pleased to meet you.

- Nice to see you.

- Hello.

Come up a bit on this one,

and they're putting on a narrow one

on the number four.

How old are you now?

A couple of weeks ago, I was 91.

- And you're still working?

- Yes, well, not for long.

Another ten years,

and I'll have to take it easy, I think.

- Can you put it on now?

- Yes, sir.

Where you are now with the smoke.

That's it.

- When did you begin, Jack?

- In this business?

Er...well, I started in 19...

As a kid actor.

That's a long way back, isn't it?

And that's myself

when I was about five years of age.

- You'd already been in a movie.

- Yes, I had.

Do you remember, as a child,

the first film you acted in?

Very, very fuzzily. I know

that it was called "My Son, My Son".

I was four years of age,

and it was a silent picture, of course.

The director used to shout

the instructions through the megaphone.

"Now smile a bit, look over to her.

You love her. Come on, you do this."

That was...that was easy, you know.

In between stage shows,

my mother and father

would work as extras sometimes.

The standard rate of pay in those days,

the extras got one guinea a day.

And there was something like,

I don't know, 150 or 200 extras.

They were paid at the end of the day

by filing past a little booth.

After a while,

they realised what they could do,

they'd get to the end of the queue

and they'd change hats,

or put on a different coat,

and they'd go by

and they'd take another guinea.

They were making a fortune

until they were found out.

The queue was filing by for hours

collecting guineas.

I had a different home every week.

I went to about 300 schools in my youth

and learnt practically nothing.

So where did you pick up

all your skills?

I read a pornographic book

by Frank Harris.

But in between the porn, there was

all these great names he mentioned.

He'd met all these great writers

and painters and musicians.

And I went out to Foyles

and bought all the books he mentioned

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