Charles Chilton
Encyclopedia
Charles Chilton MBE
(born 1917) is a BBC radio presenter, a writer and a producer. Born in Bloomsbury
in London
, England
, he never knew his father - who was killed during World War I
- and when he was six his mother died as a result of having a botched abortion, so he was raised by his grandmother. He was educated at St. Pancras Church of England
school.
Chilton left school at the age of 14, and after a brief apprenticeship making electric signs which he soon left,, he joined the BBC as a messenger boy. A year later he became an assistant in their gramophone
library. He had a passion for jazz
music, and in 1937 formed the BBC Boys' Jazz band.
His first role as a producer was for I Hear America Singing, after which he moved to the BBC variety department. He then presented his own show between 11pm and midnight called Swing Time, and a weekly jazz programme called Radio Rhythm Club.
Next came five years' war service with the RAF
, after which he was sent to Sri Lanka
to run the forces radio station with broadcaster David Jacobs
.
Back in the BBC he wrote and produced programmes for, among others, Roy Plomley
, Michael Bentine
and Stéphane Grappelli
. He also met and married his wife, Penny, who was a secretary at the corporation. He was then sent to the United States
to research, write and produce a number of series based on American western history. One of these, Riders of the Range, lasted for five years until 1953. During its run, Riders of the Range attracted audiences of around 10 million. Chilton wrote a comic-strip version of the series for the Eagle
which outlasted the radio version, and wrote another western series, "Flying Cloud", for the Eagle' s sister comic Girl
. Chilton was also a producer on the comedy series The Goon Show
.
However, major international recognition came with his science fiction
trilogy
Journey Into Space
which he wrote and produced between 1953 and 1958. His interest in space travel also led him to join the British Interplanetary Society
.
He was presented with an MBE for his services to the radio by the Queen Mother
(the Queen
was abroad at the time) in 1976, a year before retiring from the BBC after 46 years.
He now also spends time acting as a tour guide
for The Original London Walks company.
Additional Production/writing credits:
These 30 minute radio programmes were broadcast on NZBC in the 1970s, presumably from transcription disks from the Overseas Service of the BBC / BBC World Service (these disks should still be available somewhere):
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 1917) is a BBC radio presenter, a writer and a producer. Born in Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury
-Places:* Bloomsbury is an area in central London.* Bloomsbury , related local government unit* Bloomsbury, New Jersey, New Jersey, USA* Bloomsbury , listed on the NRHP in Maryland...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, he never knew his father - who was killed during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
- and when he was six his mother died as a result of having a botched abortion, so he was raised by his grandmother. He was educated at St. Pancras Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
school.
Chilton left school at the age of 14, and after a brief apprenticeship making electric signs which he soon left,, he joined the BBC as a messenger boy. A year later he became an assistant in their gramophone
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
library. He had a passion for jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music, and in 1937 formed the BBC Boys' Jazz band.
His first role as a producer was for I Hear America Singing, after which he moved to the BBC variety department. He then presented his own show between 11pm and midnight called Swing Time, and a weekly jazz programme called Radio Rhythm Club.
Next came five years' war service with the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, after which he was sent to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
to run the forces radio station with broadcaster David Jacobs
David Jacobs (disc jockey)
David Lewis Jacobs CBE is a British actor and broadcaster who gained prominence as presenter of the peak-time BBC Television show Juke Box Jury and the BBC Radio 4 political forum, Any Questions?-Early career:...
.
Back in the BBC he wrote and produced programmes for, among others, Roy Plomley
Roy Plomley
Francis Roy Plomley , OBE was an English radio broadcaster, producer, playwright and novelist.-Early life:Plomley was the son of a pharmacist and was educated at King's College School, Wimbledon...
, Michael Bentine
Michael Bentine
Michael Bentine CBE was a British comedian, comic actor and founding member of the Goons. A Peruvian Briton by heritage as a result of his father's nationality, In 1971 Bentine received the Order of Merit of Peru because of his fund-raising work for the 1970 Great Peruvian...
and Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands....
. He also met and married his wife, Penny, who was a secretary at the corporation. He was then sent to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to research, write and produce a number of series based on American western history. One of these, Riders of the Range, lasted for five years until 1953. During its run, Riders of the Range attracted audiences of around 10 million. Chilton wrote a comic-strip version of the series for the Eagle
Eagle (comic)
Eagle was a seminal British children's comic, first published from 1950 to 1969, and then in a relaunched format from 1982 to 1994. It was founded by Marcus Morris, an Anglican vicar from Lancashire. Morris edited a parish magazine called The Anvil, but felt that the church was not communicating...
which outlasted the radio version, and wrote another western series, "Flying Cloud", for the Eagle
Girl (comic)
Girl was a weekly comic for girls published from 1951 to 1964. It was launched by Hulton Press on 2 November 1951 as a sister paper to the Eagle, and lasted through Hultons' acquisition by Odhams Press in 1959 and Odhams' merger into IPC in 1963. Its final issue was dated 3 October 1964, after...
. Chilton was also a producer on the comedy series The Goon Show
The Goon Show
The Goon Show was a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme...
.
However, major international recognition came with his science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
Journey Into Space
Journey Into Space
Journey Into Space is a BBC Radio science fiction programme, written by BBC producer Charles Chilton. It was the last radio programme in the UK to attract a bigger evening audience than television...
which he wrote and produced between 1953 and 1958. His interest in space travel also led him to join the British Interplanetary Society
British Interplanetary Society
The British Interplanetary Society founded in 1933 by Philip E. Cleator, is the oldest space advocacy organisation in the world whose aim is exclusively to support and promote astronautics and space exploration.-Structure:...
.
He was presented with an MBE for his services to the radio by the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
(the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
was abroad at the time) in 1976, a year before retiring from the BBC after 46 years.
He now also spends time acting as a tour guide
Tour guide
A tour guide provides assistance, information and cultural, historical and contemporary heritage interpretation to people on organized tours, individual clients, educational establishments, at religious and historical sites, museums, and at venues of other significant interest...
for The Original London Walks company.
Production/writing credits
- Follow the Fun (writer) play.
- Fledgling (writer) play based on Follow the Fun (1940).
- The Long Long Trail (writer) - a musical about the First World War featuring popular songs of the time interspersed with scripted material.
- Oh, What a Lovely War!Oh, What a Lovely War!Oh, What a Lovely War! is an epic musical originated by Charles Chilton as a radio play, The Long Long Trail in December 1961, and transferred to stage by Gerry Raffles in partnership with Joan Littlewood and her Theatre Workshop in 1963...
(producer) - Round The Bend in Thirty Minutes (producer, series 2 and 3, 1958 to 1960) - starring Michael BentineMichael BentineMichael Bentine CBE was a British comedian, comic actor and founding member of the Goons. A Peruvian Briton by heritage as a result of his father's nationality, In 1971 Bentine received the Order of Merit of Peru because of his fund-raising work for the 1970 Great Peruvian...
- Riders of the Range - a cowboy series that found its way into the Eagle comic.
- Shakespeare's London
- Dickens' London
- London's Pleasure Gardens
- Cries of London
- Ballad History of Samuel Pepys
- The Goon ShowThe Goon ShowThe Goon Show was a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme...
(producer) - series 3 episodes 18 and 19, series 8 episodes 1-5 and 17-26, 'Vintage Goons' series episodes 1-2 and 9-14. - How Jazz Came to Britain (presenter, July 8, 2000)
- Journey Into SpaceJourney Into SpaceJourney Into Space is a BBC Radio science fiction programme, written by BBC producer Charles Chilton. It was the last radio programme in the UK to attract a bigger evening audience than television...
(writer/producer) - Space ForceSpace ForceSpace Force was a BBC Radio science fiction serial, broadcast in the mid-1980s.Written by Charles Chilton, it was originally intended to be a sequel to his Journey into Space series , using the cast who'd just made a one-off revival of that series ; while this idea was dropped late in the day, the...
(writer/producer, 1984 and 1985)
Additional Production/writing credits:
These 30 minute radio programmes were broadcast on NZBC in the 1970s, presumably from transcription disks from the Overseas Service of the BBC / BBC World Service (these disks should still be available somewhere):
- Oh - What a Lovely War! by Charles Chilton. In memory of all of those who served and died in the trenches of World War I.
- Botany Bay by Charles Chilton. The founding of New South Wales, Australia.
- The Victory by Charles Chilton. A musical presentation about HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship.
- Musical Portrait of London by Charles Chilton.