Part 12 - Hilda Barrow's Campaign For Recognition For Her Brother George

It's been such a wonderful day and the highlight of my life -  [Hilda Barrow]

Hilda Barrow sister of sound pioneer George Groves
George Groves' sister Hilda Barrow (1903-98) pictured in interview in 1995


George Groves' sister Hilda Barrow was very proud of her brother's achievements and was concerned that his role in the development of motion picture sound had been overlooked in the land of his birth. So in 1993, Hilda began a campaign for official recognition in the UK. She wrote to her Member of Parliament, David Alton, who replied that he was quite an Al Jolson fan and so was especially keen to lend his support!

Mr. Alton forwarded Hilda's letter onto the Prime Minister, John Major, who replied that regrettably it was not government policy to grant posthumous awards. However Hilda's letter was passed by 10 Downing Street onto the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to see if they could find a means of recognising George's achievements. In turn BAFTA referred Hilda’s letter to the British Film Institute (BFI).

Jazz Singer Screening at Citadel St.Helens
The St.Helens Film Society were alerted and members interviewed Hilda Barrow to create an oral history of her memories. On 15th January 1996, the Society invited Hilda and her family, Keith Deakin the Mayor of St.Helens, Vince Maloney of the International Al Jolson Society and Clive Garner of Radio Merseyside plus other guests to a special screening of The Jazz Singer at the Citadel Arts Theatre in St.Helens. In this photograph is (left to right) Cllr. Deakin, Clive Garner, Vince Maloney and Chris Coffey of the film society with Hilda.

Then on June 22nd 1996, Hilda Barrow and Bob Allen of the Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS), unveiled as part of the centenary of cinema celebrations, a British Film Institute plaque to George's memory at 57 Duke Street in St.Helens where George had been born some 95 years earlier. Over thirty guests including Gerry Bermingham, the then Member of Parliament for St.Helens South, were in attendance.

Plaque at George Groves' birthplace in St.Helens
Plaque at 57 Duke Street in St.Helens the birthplace of film sound pioneer George Groves

As part of the ceremony the York Street Mission Band who had been founded in 1899 by George's father, played their own special tribute to the man Al Jolson called "The Quiet Little Englishman". At the reception after the unveiling 93-year-old Hilda said:

I feel that it's been such a wonderful day and the highlight
of my life to feel that he has been so honoured.

Unveiling to plaque to Stanley Watkins and George Groves in Warners cinema in 1996
Hilda Barrow and Molly Watkins unveil the plaque in London's West End watched by Peter Dobson


On October 1st that year Hilda Barrow and family members travelled to London to participate in another plaque unveiling at a prestigious Warners cinema in Leicester Square. This BFI plaque is dedicated to the pioneering work of both Stanley Watkins and George Groves. Fellow Englishman Stanley Watkins worked with George at Western Electric / Bell Labs and in the early days of Vitaphone he was their Chief Engineer.

Plaque at Warners cinema in London to George Groves and Stanley Watkins
The ceremony was witnessed by over thirty people including Molly Watkins (Stanley's widow), Bob Allen of the Association of Motion Picture Sound, Chris Coffey of St.Helens Film Society and Peter Dobson, M.D. of Warners Theatres (UK). The plaque was situated in a prominent position within the cinema and for a few years its 1 million annual visitors were able to read these words:

STANLEY S.A. WATKINS (1888-1975) GEORGE R. GROVES (1901-1976). The British electrical engineers who worked in America for Western Electric and Warner Bros. and played major roles in the development of 'Talking Pictures'.

Hilda passed away peacefully in 1998 knowing she had at long last achieved her goal. However Warners sold their cinema chain in 2003 and the new owners removed the plaque from the West End cinema. Its whereabouts are presently unknown, although the plaque in St.Helens remains.