Hugh St Clair Stewart

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

(14 December 1910 – 31 May 2011) was a British film editor and producer. He filmed

Bergen-Belsen Bergen-Belsen , or Belsen, was a Nazi concentration camp in what is today Lower Saxony in northern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle. Originally established as a prisoner of war camp, in 1943, parts of it became a concentrati ...

concentration camp following its liberation in April 1945. Born in Falmouth, England, Stewart was educated first at

Clayesmore School Clayesmore School is an independent school for boys and girls, aged 2 – 18 years, in the village of Iwerne Minster, Dorset, England. It is both a day and boarding school and is a member of The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HM ...

and then at St John's College at

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

where was taught and influenced by

F.R. Leavis Frank Raymond "F. R." Leavis (14 July 1895 – 14 April 1978) was an English literary critic of the early-to-mid-twentieth century. He taught for much of his career at Downing College, Cambridge, and later at the University of York. Leavis ...

. He entered the film industry in the early 1930s. He trained as a film editor at Gaumont-British, initially cutting together out-takes from ''Marry Me'' (1932) and working as assembly cutter on '' The Constant Nymph'' that same year. His first film as editor was ''Forbidden Territory'' (1934). Among the films he cut were ''

Evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

'' (1934), Alfred Hitchcock's original version of '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1934), '' Dark Journey'' (1937), ''

Action for Slander ''Action for Slander'' is a 1937 British drama film directed by Tim Whelan and starring Clive Brook, Ann Todd and Googie Withers. The plot is about an army officer who is falsely accused at cheating at cards by a man whose wife he had an affai ...

'' (1937), '' South Riding'' (1938), '' St. Martin's Lane'' (1938), and ''

The Spy in Black ''The Spy in Black'' (US: ''U-Boat 29'') is a 1939 British film, and the first collaboration between the British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. They were brought together by Alexander Korda to make the World War I spy thrill ...

'' (1939). During World War II, Stewart was commissioned into the

Army Film and Photographic Unit The Army Film and Photographic Unit was a subdivision of the British armed forces set up on 24 October 1941, to record military events in which the British and Commonwealth armies was engaged. During the war, almost 23 percent of all AFPU soldier ...

(AFPU) in 1940 and in 1942 led No. 2 AFPU during the Allied landings in Tunisia. The following year he edited film footage from the fighting into the documentary ''Desert Victory''. In 1944 he co-directed ''Tunisian Victory'' with

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...

and John Houston, although much of that film was shot in the United States. Stewart went on to lead No. 5 AFPU, covering the

D-Day landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

, the

Battle for Caen The Battle for Caen (June to August 1944) is the name given to fighting between the British Second Army and the German in the Second World War for control of the city of Caen and its vicinity during the larger Battle of Normandy. The battles ...

and the Rhine Crossing. Stewart insisted on filming

concentration camp following its liberation, with its piles of bodies being bulldozed into mass graves, its overcrowded barrack blocks and pitifully emaciated survivors. He was awarded a military MBE and demobilized with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. After World War II, Stewart became a film producer, beginning with ''

Trottie True ''Trottie True'' is a 1949 British musical comedy film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Jean Kent, James Donald and Hugh Sinclair. It was known as ''The Gay Lady'' in the US, and is an infrequent British Technicolor film of the period ...

'' (1949). He began to produce the films of comedian

Norman Wisdom Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010) was an English actor, comedian, musician and singer best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring a hapless onscreen character often called Norman ...

, from '' Man of the Moment'' (1955) onwards, and the comedy duo of

Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, 14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984) and Ernie Wise (Ernest Wiseman, 27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known as Morecambe and Wise (and sometimes as Eric and Ernie), were an English comic double act, working i ...

. Although he went into semi-retirement in the late 1960s, he produced several films for the

Children's Film Foundation The Children's Film Foundation (CFF) was a non-profit organisation which made films for children in the United Kingdom originally to be shown as part of childrens' Saturday morning matinée cinema programming. The films typically were about 55 ...

, including ''All at Sea'' (1970), ''Mr. Horatio Knibbles'' (1971), and ''High Rise Donkey'' (1980). He died on 31 May 2011, at the age of 100.

Selected filmography

Editor

* ''

Forbidden Territory ''Forbidden Territory'' is a 1934 British thriller film directed by Phil Rosen and starring Gregory Ratoff, Ronald Squire and Binnie Barnes. It was based on the 1933 novel '' The Forbidden Territory'' by Dennis Wheatley.Shaw p.15 The film, abo ...

'' (1934) * '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1934) * ''

Charing Cross Road Charing Cross Road is a street in central London running immediately north of St Martin-in-the-Fields to St Giles Circus (the intersection with Oxford Street) and then becomes Tottenham Court Road. It leads from the north in the direction of ...

'' (1935) * ''

Soft Lights and Sweet Music ''Soft Lights and Sweet Music'' is a 1936 British musical film directed by Herbert Smith and starring Bert Ambrose, Evelyn Dall and Harry Tate. It was made by British Lion at Beaconsfield Studios. The film is a musical revue showcasing a selec ...

'' (1936) * ''

Sporting Love ''Sporting Love'' is a musical written by Stanley Lupino with music by Billy Mayerl, lyrics by Desmond Carter and Frank Eyton. Produced by Lupino, it opened at the Gaiety Theatre, London on 31 March 1934 and ran for 302 performances, closing o ...

'' (1936) * ''

'' (1937) * '' Dark Journey'' (1937) * ''

Storm in a Teacup Tempest in a teapot (American English), or storm in a teacup (British English), is an idiom meaning a small event that has been exaggerated out of proportion. There are also lesser known or earlier variants, such as ''tempest in a teacup'', ''stor ...

'' (1937) * '' South Riding'' (1938) * '' St. Martin's Lane'' (1938) * ''

Q Planes ''Q Planes'' (known as ''Clouds Over Europe'' in the United States) is a 1939 British comedy spy film starring Ralph Richardson, Laurence Olivier and Valerie Hobson. Olivier and Richardson were a decade into their fifty-year friendship and were ...

'' (1939) * ''

The Lion Has Wings ''The Lion Has Wings'' is a 1939 British, black-and-white, documentary-style, propaganda film, propaganda war film that was directed by Adrian Brunel, Brian Desmond Hurst, Alexander Korda and Michael Powell. The film was produced by London Film ...

'' (1939) * ''

Ten Days in Paris ''Ten Days in Paris'', also known as ''Missing Ten Days'' and ''Spy in the Pantry'', is a 1940 British spy film directed by Tim Whelan and starring Rex Harrison, Kaaren Verne and C. V. France. The screenplay concerns a man in Paris who turns out ...

'' (1940) * ''

Gaiety George ''Gaiety George'' is a 1946 British historical musical film directed by George King and Leontine Sagan and starring Richard Greene, Ann Todd and Peter Graves.Harper p.179 It is set in the late Victorian music hall, when an Irish impresario ...

'' (1946)

Producer

* ''

An Ideal Husband ''An Ideal Husband'' is a four-act play by Oscar Wilde that revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. It was first produced at the Haymarket Theatre, London in 1895 and ran for ...

'' (1947) * ''

'' (1949) * ''

Night Without Stars ''Night Without Stars'' is a 1951 British black-and-white dramatic thriller film, starring David Farrar, Nadia Gray and Maurice Teynac. The screenplay was written by Winston Graham based upon his eponymous 1950 novel. The film was directe ...

'' (1951) * ''

Up to His Neck ''Up to His Neck'' is a 1954 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Ronald Shiner as Jack Carter, Hattie Jacques as Rakiki and Anthony Newley as Tommy. It was shot at Pinewood Studios near London with sets designed by ...

'' (1954) * '' Man of the Moment'' (1955) * ''

Up in the World ''Up in the World'' is a 1956 black and white comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Norman Wisdom, Maureen Swanson and Jerry Desmonde. It was produced by Rank. Plot Norman is given a job as a window cleaner at a stately hom ...

'' (1956) * '' Just My Luck'' (1957) * ''

Innocent Sinners ''Innocent Sinners'' is a 1958 British black and white film directed by Philip Leacock and starring Flora Robson. It was based on the 1955 novel '' An Episode of Sparrows'' by Rumer Godden. Plot Olivia Chesney is too sick to leave home, somew ...

'' (1958) * ''

The Square Peg ''The Square Peg'' is a 1959 British war comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Norman Wisdom. Norman Wisdom plays two different characters: a man who digs and repairs roads, and a Nazi general. Plot During the Second World Wa ...

'' (1958) * ''

Follow a Star ''Follow a Star'' is a 1959 British black and white comedy musical film directed by Robert Asher and starring Norman Wisdom. Plot Norman Truscott works as a dry cleaner, but dreams of being a stage performer. To this end, he takes elocution an ...

'' (1959) * ''

Make Mine Mink ''Make Mine Mink'' is a 1960 British comedy farce film directed by Robert Asher (director), Robert Asher and featuring Terry-Thomas, Athene Seyler, Hattie Jacques and Billie Whitelaw. The screenplay concerns a group of eccentric misfits who go o ...

'' (1960) * ''

The Bulldog Breed ''The Bulldog Breed'' is a 1960 British comedy film starring Norman Wisdom and directed by Robert Asher. Plot Norman Puckle (Norman Wisdom), a well-meaning but clumsy grocer's assistant, cannot seem to do anything right. After being rejected b ...

'' (1960) * '' In the Doghouse'' (1960) * '' On the Beat'' (1962) * '' A Stitch in Time'' (1963) * ''

The Intelligence Men ''The Intelligence Men'' is a 1965 comedy film starring the British comic duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. In the US, it was retitled ''Spylarks''. It is subtitled " M.I.5 plus 2 equals 0". The film was successful enough to enable Morecambe a ...

'' (1965) * ''

The Early Bird ''The Early Bird'' is a 1965 British comedy film directed by Robert Asher (director), Robert Asher and starring Norman Wisdom. It also features Edward Chapman (actor), Edward Chapman, Bryan Pringle, Richard Vernon, John Le Mesurier and Jerry De ...

'' (1965) * ''

That Riviera Touch ''That Riviera Touch'' is a 1966 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. It is the second feature-length film made by the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise. The film opened at the Leicester Square Thea ...

'' (1966) * ''

The Magnificent Two ''The Magnificent Two'' is a 1967 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Morecambe and Wise in the third and final of their 1960s trio of films. Plot Two British Action Man travelling salesmen are sent to the South American co ...

'' (1967)

References

Listing from the British Cinema History Research Project

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Hugh 1910 births 2011 deaths People educated at Clayesmore School British film editors British film producers People from Falmouth, Cornwall English centenarians Men centenarians British Army General List officers British Army personnel of World War II Members of the Order of the British Empire Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge