PAULINE HARRISON
PAULINE HARRISON, a member of Preston Movie Makers, was telling me how she became interested in film-making.
'I bought my first cine camera whilst working in Japan in 1968.1t was an early version of the Super-S Canon 318 and cost £29, but I had to pay £19 duty when I arrived back at Heathrow Airport.
During the six months she spent working in the Far East, she filmed many interesting scenes of that photogenic part of the world. At this point. I should explain that Pauline's career as a dancer started with almost three memorable years as a John Tiller girl.
'After leaving the Tillers, I spent four happy years at the London Palladium and appeared in three Royal Variety performances,' she confides. Get Pauline talking about those times and you find she had the opportunity to meet many famous people, including Marlene Dietrich, The Beatles, Sir Noel Coward, Uberace and many others. She appeared in several TV commercials and in many films including Help, Oliver, The Charge of the Light Brigade (not the 1936 version!) as well as a TV episode of The Persuaders with Tony Curtis and Roger Moore. Pauline worked many times with the late Sir Harry secombe and was chosen for his TV series which launched the beginning of commercial television in 1955.
After 15 years as a professional dancer, Pauline decided to retire from show business and moved to her parents' home in the Wirral. It was an unsettling time since she knew few people in the area but she managed to pluck up courage to visit Hoylake Cine Club after reading about a photographic exhibition incorporating stills, slides and cine. The lady secretary greeted her unforgettably with 'We haven't any young members, this is not a social club. Have you any films and are they edited(!)?' She was allowed to join the Club and remained a member for about three years and was even asked to show her unedited Japan footage one evening when a speaker failed to arrive! Then she met and married Brian and moved to Preston.
In 1975, Pauline joined Preston Cine Club, as it was then, called, now 28 years later;: she is its second longest serving member.
Eventually, the idea for editing the Far Eastern footage came to her -'in the bath, in fact', she says. The disjointed scenes of her fellow-artists filmed by day and on the stage at night, together with shots of the train journey through Japan, were woven into a film with an introductory shot of Pauline taken under cherry blossom in a Preston park. A chance meeting with a Japanese lady and the help of a fellow Club member (a graphic designer) enabled the title On Tour- Japan to be produced in Japanese characters. This is her longest-running film at 20 minutes, her shortest being 1 minute and typically, Pauline's films average 8 minutes of which some are documentaries, a working day of the last milkman in the North West to use a horse and cart, and the craft of a monumental mason being examples. These are now records of a bygone time. Also she has made travel films and pieces covering royal visits to the Preston area.
Brian, Pauline's late husband, took an interest in Pauline's film-making, but his passion was the restoration of old Morris vehicles -two 1935 tourers, a 1924 Bullnose Morris and a 5cwt van. Naturally, Pauline filmed, not only the restorations, but also rallies and a holiday in Belgium that included 140 other Morrises.
Over the years, Pauline's films have been enjoyed by many and she's entered Regional and National IAC competitions. Her entries at inter- club level have helped gain wins for the Preston Club, her delightful film about the skill of her mother's paper-flower making is just one that comes to mind.
Because of her professionalism, Pauline knows the value of rehearsal and was therefore the natural choice to interview Nick Park (the Wallace and Gromit creator) as a Preston Movie Makers record of his being made a Freeman of Preston. She has guided the Club over many years ensuring its smooth running and serving as Programme Secretary and -she makes the tea as well!
Pauline's records show that, over the years, she has visited more than 20 Clubs in the North West Region to show her films (having been invited TEN times by one of them) and in 1991, she journeyed as far as the Edinburgh Cine & Video Society
It is on these occasions that Pauline's enthusiasm for her hobby, and her skills as a film- maker have endured her to So many. It was only fitting that in November of 2000, she was presented with an IAC Fellowship by the then Chairman, Val Ellis.
Preston Movie Makers is 57 years old - Read more about club's history here.
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