Stuart Legg
Encyclopedia
Stuart Legg was a documentary film-maker.
As part of the British Documentary Film Movement
, he worked with the General Post Office
film unit from 1933, before replacing Paul Rotha
as head of Strand Films in 1937. In 1939, he moved to Canada with John Grierson
, where he launched the National Film Board of Canada
's Canada Carries On
and World in Action
film series, for which he made many films. His most notable films include Churchill's Island
(1941), which won the first Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject
, and Warclouds in the Pacific, which was nominated for the same award. A few years after the war, he returned to Britain and worked as a producer for the Crown Film Unit
between 1948 and 1950. In 1957, he became chairman of the Film Centre International. He later produced documentaries for Shell
.
His interest in history led him to write The Heartland (New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 1970; later reissued as The Barbarians of Asia); dedicated to Grierson, the book "gives the grand sweep of European and Asian history in terms of the continual conflict between the great coastal civilizations (China, India, Persia, the Middle East, Europe) and the barbarian horsemen from the central Asian steppes (Huns, Turks, Mongols, and others)."
Stuart Legg married Margaret Amos (1910-2002), daughter of Sir Percy Maurice Amos KBE KC (of the prominent Amos legal dynasty). However they lived apart for many years.
As part of the British Documentary Film Movement
Documentary Film Movement
The Documentary Film Movement is the name given to the group of British film-makers, led by John Grierson, who were influential in British film culture in the 1930s and 1940s.-Principles:...
, he worked with the General Post Office
General Post Office
General Post Office is the name of the British postal system from 1660 until 1969.General Post Office may also refer to:* General Post Office, Perth* General Post Office, Sydney* General Post Office, Melbourne* General Post Office, Brisbane...
film unit from 1933, before replacing Paul Rotha
Paul Rotha
Paul Rotha was a British documentary film-maker, film historian and critic. He was educated at Highgate School....
as head of Strand Films in 1937. In 1939, he moved to Canada with John Grierson
John Grierson
John Grierson was a pioneering Scottish documentary maker, often considered the father of British and Canadian documentary film. According to popular myth, in 1926, Grierson coined the term "documentary" to describe a non-fiction film.-Early life:Grierson was born in Deanston, near Doune, Scotland...
, where he launched the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
's Canada Carries On
Canada Carries On
Canada Carries On was a series of short films by the National Film Board of Canada, which ran from 1940 to 1959. The series was initially created as morale boosting propaganda films during World War II...
and World in Action
World in Action
World in Action was a British investigative current affairs programme made by Granada Television from 1963 until 1998. Its campaigning journalism frequently had a major impact on events of the day. Its production teams often took audacious risks and gained a solid reputation for its often...
film series, for which he made many films. His most notable films include Churchill's Island
Churchill's Island
Churchill's Island is a 1941 propaganda film chronicling the defence of Great Britain during World War II...
(1941), which won the first Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject
Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject
This is a list of films by year that have received an Oscar together with the other nominations for best documentary short subject. Following the Academy's practice, the year listed for each film is the year of release: the awards are announced and presented early in the following year.-1940s:*1941...
, and Warclouds in the Pacific, which was nominated for the same award. A few years after the war, he returned to Britain and worked as a producer for the Crown Film Unit
Crown Film Unit
The Crown Film Unit was an organisation within the British Government's Ministry of Information during World War II. Formerly the GPO Film Unit it became the Crown Film Unit in 1940. Its remit was to make films for the general public in Britain and abroad...
between 1948 and 1950. In 1957, he became chairman of the Film Centre International. He later produced documentaries for Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
.
His interest in history led him to write The Heartland (New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 1970; later reissued as The Barbarians of Asia); dedicated to Grierson, the book "gives the grand sweep of European and Asian history in terms of the continual conflict between the great coastal civilizations (China, India, Persia, the Middle East, Europe) and the barbarian horsemen from the central Asian steppes (Huns, Turks, Mongols, and others)."
Stuart Legg married Margaret Amos (1910-2002), daughter of Sir Percy Maurice Amos KBE KC (of the prominent Amos legal dynasty). However they lived apart for many years.
As director
- Churchill's IslandChurchill's IslandChurchill's Island is a 1941 propaganda film chronicling the defence of Great Britain during World War II...
(1941) - Inside Fighting ChinaInside Fighting ChinaInside Fighting China is a 1941 Canadian short documentary film directed by Stuart Legg, and narrated by Lorne Greene. The film documents China's resistance to Japan's invasion during World War II...
(1941) - Warclouds in the Pacific (1941)