Videos of the Plaque Unveilings to Movie Sound Pioneer George Groves
a) 57 Duke Street, St.Helens - 2 mins. 16 secs.
SYNOPSIS: The video is a clip from the documentary 'The Quiet Little Englishman', made by S.R. Wainwright. It begins with Hilda Barrow in 1995 describing her brother's death in 1976 and assessing the importance of his work as a pioneer of motion picture sound. It continues with footage of the unveiling of the plaque commemorating George Groves' achievements at his birthplace in St.Helens, England taken on June 22nd 1996. The plaque was unveiled by Hilda and Bob Allen of the Association of Motion Picture Sound as part of the British Film Institute's Centenary of Cinema celebrations. Over thirty guests including Gerry Bermingham, Member of Parliament for St.Helens South, were in attendance. As part of the ceremony the York Street Mission Band, who had been founded in 1899 by George's father, played their own tribute to the man Al Jolson called "The Quiet Little Englishman". The video concludes with Hilda interviewed at the reception in the local museum. The wording on the plaque reads:
GEORGE GROVES
Leading Pioneer of Cinema Sound
Won many Oscars at Warner Bros. Studios
Hollywood, 1925-1972
Born here in 1901
Leading Pioneer of Cinema Sound
Won many Oscars at Warner Bros. Studios
Hollywood, 1925-1972
Born here in 1901
b) Warners Cinema in London's West End - 1 min. 46 secs.
SYNOPSIS: This video contains amateur footage of the unveiling on October 1st 1996 of a BFI plaque in Warners flagship cinema in London's West End. The plaque commemorates the engineering achievements of Stanley Watkins and George Groves in developing Vitaphone sound-on-disc technology during the 1920s. The unveiling was by Hilda Barrow and Molly Watkins (Stanley's widow) in front of over 30 guests. The cinema had over a million paying customers per year at the time, each of whom 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'.
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.The British electrical engineers who worked in America for Western Electric and Warner Bros. and played major roles in the development of 'Talking Pictures'.
