John E. Blakeley (1 October 1888 – 20 February 1958) was a British film producer,

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

and

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

, the founder of

Mancunian Films Mancunian Films was a British film production company first organised in 1933. From 1947 it was based in Rusholme, a suburb of Manchester, and produced a number of comedy films, mostly aimed at audiences in the North of England. History Founded ...

. Born in

Ardwick Ardwick is an area of Manchester, England, southeast of the city centre. The population at the 2011 census was 19,250. Historically in Lancashire, by the mid-nineteenth century Ardwick had grown from being a village into a pleasant and wealt ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, son of James Blakeley (born c. 1862; Manchester), and Margaret Quirk (born c. 1861; Glasgow, Scotland), he was of Lancashire (Church of England) descent on his father's side of the family and

Irish Catholic Irish Catholics () are an ethnoreligious group native to Ireland, defined by their adherence to Catholic Christianity and their shared Irish ethnic, linguistic, and cultural heritage.The term distinguishes Catholics of Irish descent, particul ...

on his mother's. His father had become an early

film distributor A film distributor is a person responsible for the marketing of a film. The distribution company may be the same as, or different from, the production company. Distribution deals are an important part of financing a film. The distributor may set ...

in 1908 after previous work as a travelling draper. Blakeley joined his father's business and soon came to understand the tastes of the emerging

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ** Filmmaking, the process of making a film * Movie theate ...

audiences in the northern industrial towns. By the 1930s, the younger Blakeley was making films starring the idols of northern

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

George Formby George Formby, (born George Hoy Booth; 26 May 1904 – 6 March 1961), was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and record he ...

Frank Randle Frank Randle (born Arthur Hughes, also known as Arthur McEvoy or Arthur Twist; 30 January 1901 – 7 July 1957) was an English comedian. A contemporary of fellow Lancashire, Lancastrians George Formby, Jr., George Formby and Gracie Field ...

and Sandy Powell. Dickenson Road Studios

Initially relying on studios in London, rising costs encouraged him to found the Mancunian Film Studios in his hometown in 1947. With £70,000

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

, a former Methodist chapel on Dickenson Road in

Rusholme Rusholme () is an area of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England, two miles south of the Manchester city centre, city centre. The population of the ward at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 13,643. Rusholme is bounded by Chorl ...

was converted into a film studio. The studios produced a sequence of profitable films, often on shoestring budgets, until Blakeley's retirement in 1953. The following year the studios were sold to the BBC. Blakeley died in

Stockport Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt, Rivers Goyt and River Tame, Greater Manchester, Tame merge to create the River Mersey he ...

aged 69.

Filmography

Director

* '' Dodging the Dole'' (1936) * ''

Somewhere in England ''Somewhere in England'' is the ninth studio album by the English musician George Harrison, released on 1 June 1981 by Dark Horse Records. The album was recorded as Harrison was becoming increasingly frustrated with the music industry. The alb ...

'' (1940) * ''

Somewhere in Camp ''Somewhere in Camp'' is a 1942 British comedy film directed by John E. Blakeley and starring Frank Randle, Harry Korris and Robbie Vincent. The film continues the adventures of Private Randle from the 1940 film '' Somewhere in England''. It ...

'' (1942) * '' Somewhere on Leave'' (1942) * ''

Home Sweet Home Home Sweet Home may refer to: Film * ''Home, Sweet Home'' (1914 film), a film about the life of John Howard Payne * ''Home Sweet Home'' (1917 film), a British silent film * ''Home Sweet Home'' (1926 film), a silent film drama * ''Home, Swe ...

'' (1945) * '' Demobbed'' (1946) * ''

Under New Management ''Under New Management'', also known as ''Honeymoon Hotel'', is a 1946 British comedy film directed by John E. Blakeley and starring Nat Jackley, Norman Evans and Dan Young. The screenplay concerns a chimney sweep inherits a hotel and calls o ...

'' (1946) * ''

Holidays with Pay ''Holidays with Pay'' is a 1948 British second feature ('B') comedy film directed by John E. Blakeley and starring Frank Randle, Tessie O'Shea and Dan Young. It was written by Randle, Blakeley, Mavis Compston and Harry Jackson. The film follo ...

'' (1948) * '' Somewhere in Politics'' (1948) * ''

Cup-Tie Honeymoon ''Cup-tie Honeymoon'' is a 1947 British film directed by John E. Blakeley and starring Sandy Powell (comedian), Sandy Powell. It was the first film to be made at the Dickenson Road Studios by the Mancunian Film Corporation in 1947 . Plot summar ...

'' (1948) * '' What a Carry On!'' (1949) * '' School for Randle'' (1949) * ''

Over the Garden Wall ''Over the Garden Wall'' is an American animated dark fantasy television miniseries created by Patrick McHale for Cartoon Network. The series centers on two half-brothers who travel through a mysterious forest to find their way home, encount ...

'' (1950) * '' Let's Have a Murder'' (1950) * '' It's a Grand Life'' (1953)

Producer

* ''

The Penny Pool ''The Penny Pool'' is a 1937 British comedy film directed by George Black (producer), George Black and starring Douglas Wakefield, Billy Nelson (English actor), Billy Nelson and Chuck O'Neil. It was made at Highbury Studios.Wood p.96 Cast Refe ...

'' (1937) * ''

Calling All Crooks ''Calling All Crooks'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by George Black (producer), George Black and starring Douglas Wakefield, Billy Nelson (English actor), Billy Nelson and Leslie Perrins. It was made by the Manchester-based Mancunian Fi ...

'' (1938)

Bibliography

*Williams, Philip Martin & David L. (2001) New Edition (2006) ''Hooray for Jollywood - The Life of John E. Blakeley & The Mancunian Film Corporation''

References

External links

*
Biography
from the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Blakeley, John E. 1888 births 1958 deaths People from Ardwick English film producers 20th-century English businesspeople