ERIC CROSS BSC

Born in 1902, Eric had a fragmented education in various grammar schools whilst living in Twickenham. He began work as an apprentice in engineering at George Kent from Luton (specialists in water and sewage engineering) but the General Strike of 1926 closed it down, so he went off to do a photography course at St Albans and went to Twickenham Studios and spoke with the Stills Man, Eric Grey, and got a job as stills camera assistant.

The company moved to Elstree BIP Studios and he became head of the still department. Moved to Clapham studios, then to Associated Sound Film Industries at Wembley studios where he became a camera operator from 1928-1933 making quota quickies for Paramount. He worked as second unit lighting cameraman and went freelance doing Second Unit work across the studios until 1939. Then worked with The Crown Film Unit during and after WWII at Pinewood. He was active in the film union: The Association of Cinema Technicians, from the early days even though there was opposition from management to trade union recruitment.

His notable films as cinematographer included: Privates Progress (1956 directed by John Boulting); Three Men in Boat (1956 Directed by Ken Annakin), Tiger Bay (1959 Directed by J. Lee Thompson) which was the film debut of both Horst Buchholz and Hayley Mills. He amassed 65 screen credits as cinematographer and retired in 1963 but lived on for another 40 years until the age of 102!