In 1970, Colin Ford collaborated with the film critic George Perry in getting the Sunday Times to sponsor the exhibition Cinema City, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the birth of cinema – recognised as 1895, when the Lumière Brothers gave the first public performance of projected films in Paris. I was a neophyte sub-organiser in charge of the “Westerns” room.
Located at the Round House in north London, Cinema City employed an early experimental computer system to run thematic film loops continuously (but not always successfully) on 16mm projectors, and soundproofing was a problem. But the daily screening events were a triumph.
Colin used his persuasive charm to attract people such as Gene Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Joseph Losey and John Schlesinger to attend and entertain the audiences. The Sunday Times published highlights of movie history and film star profiles in special colour supplements.
My own career as a film archivist is down to Colin, my first boss at what is now the BFI National Archive. He remained a mentor and we became lifelong friends. His influence on film and photography curatorship has been immense.
