David Robinson (born 6 August 1930 in Lincoln) is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

critic and

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

. He is a former film critic for both the ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...

'' and ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...

'' and wrote the official biography of

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is conside ...

Life

Robinson began to write for ''

Sight and Sound ''Sight and Sound'' (also spelled ''Sight & Sound'') is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). It conducts the well-known, once-a-decade ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time, ongoing ...

'' and the '' Monthly Film Bulletin'' during the 1950s, becoming assistant editor of ''Sight and Sound'' and editor of the ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' from 1957 to 1958. He was film critic of the ''

'' from 1958 to 1973, before taking up the same post at ''

'' in 1973. He remained the paper's main film reviewer until around 1990 and a regular contributor until around 1996. From 1997 to 2015, he was director of the

Giornate del cinema muto Le Giornate del cinema muto (referred to in English as Pordenone Silent Film Festival) is an annual festival of silent film held in October in Pordenone, northern Italy. It is the first, largest and most important international festival dedicat ...

silent film festival, which takes place in Pordenone, northern Italy, every October. Robinson is also a supporter of the UK-based silent-film society

Bristol Silents Bristol Silents was established by Chris Daniels and Norman Taylor in 2000 to promote and celebrate silent cinema in the Bristol area and in the United Kingdom. The first ever event the organisation put on was a selection of Louise Brooks films in ...

and the annual Slapstick comedy festival, also based in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...

and usually held in January (the 2021 festival took place online in March). He played a part in the creation of the award-winning Museum of the Moving Image on London's

South Bank The South Bank is an entertainment and commercial district in central London, next to the River Thames opposite the City of Westminster. It forms a narrow strip of riverside land within the London Borough of Lambeth (where it adjoins Alber ...

which opened in 1988 and closed in 1999. In 1973, he was head of the jury at the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival. In 1995 he was a member of the jury at the 19th Moscow International Film Festival. He lives in Bath, Somerset. In 2019 he appeared in Chris Wade's documentary ''Charlie Chaplin: The Making of a Genius''.

Works

Robinson's books include ''Hollywood in the Twenties'' (1968) and ''The History of World Cinema'' (1973) which was expanded and revised as ''World Cinema: A Short History'' (''World Cinema 1895-1980'' on the cover, 1981). Robinson is the official biographer of

and his book, '' Chaplin: His Life and Art'', was first published in 1985 (in a revised form in 1992 and 2001). An illustrated biography entitled ''Charlie Chaplin: The Art of Comedy'' was published by Thames & Hudson in 1996, as part of their ‘ New Horizons’ series. He has also written a book on

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

. For the centenary of cinema in 1995, Robinson wrote ''The Chronicle of Cinema 1895-1995'', a 127-page introduction to film history. This was serialised in the form of five supplementary magazines accompanying ''

'' from September 1994 to January 1995.

Notes

References

External links

David Robinson articles
a
Brenton Film
1930 births Living people English biographers English film critics English male journalists People educated at Lincoln Grammar School People from Lincoln, England The Times people Male biographers {{England-nonfiction-writer-stub