On October 1st in the ground floor foyer of Warner's Westend Theatre, Leicester Square, a Cinema 100 Plaque honouring the major part played by Stanley Watkins and George Groves in the development of Bell Telephone Labs sound-on-disc talking picture system (see article Newsletter 19) was jointly unveiled by Mrs Molly Watkins, widow of Stanley Watkins, and Mrs Hilda Barrow, sister of George Groves.
When I discovered several years ago that two British engineers had played a large part in the advent of a viable talking picture system and that 'The Talkies' weren't , as the general public had been led to believe, an all American invention, I started a personal crusade to get recognition for Watkins and Groves.
In 1995, the British Film Institute Cinema 100 organisation announced that as part of the Century of Cinema celebrations they would be awarding plaques to commemorate the achievements of those who had made significant contribution to cinema during the first 100 years.
Nominations were called for. On behalf of AMPS I put forward the names of Watkins and Groves along with accounts of their achievements. Cinema 100 agreed to supply a double-sized plaque for Watkins and Groves provided a suitable public site could be found for it's permanent display.
So to the task of finding a suitable site. Birth places are usually chosen for such plaques but the original home of Stanley Watkins had been redeveloped years ago and George Groves was born in St Helens, Merseyside. The London office of AT&T, the parent company of Bell Telephone Labs was tried but showed little interest. However, a letter to Maj-Britt Kircher, Managing Director of Warner Bros Distribution brought a quick reply saying Peter Dobson, Managing Director of Warner Bros Theatres UK was 'very positive in his reaction'.
An on-site meeting with Peter Dobson indeed revealed his enthusiasm to have the plaque placed within the environs of the Warner Westend Theatre. A position in the entrance foyer alongside the lift and by the escalator to all of the nine cinemas was chosen, a position which all one million cinema goers who attend this multiplex each year, must pass.
The plaque position couldn't be more ideal nor could the site of Warner's flagship state-of-the-art cinema be more appropriate, for it was Warner Bros back in 1926 , using the sound-on-disc system developed by Bell Telephone Labs, that first brought sound to the cinema.
The unveiling was attended by a group of 35 people made up mainly of friends and relations of the two being honoured. Ninety three year old Hilda Barrow and her daughter Doreen with eight friends had travelled down from Liverpool for the day having made a 5AM start in order to be at the 11.30AM get together.
Sue Lawson, Stanley Watkins' daughter, escorted her mother Molly Watkins, and John Watkins, Stanley's son accompanied by his wife and sons were present. Stanley's other daughter Barbara who lives in the US, was represented by her son Daniel.
Amongst other guests were Sid Brooks of Cinema 100, Roy Fowler and Alan Lawson of the BECTU Oral History Project, Brian Hickin of AMPS accompanied by his wife Ineka, Chris Coffey of St Helens Film Society, and Jessica Starey of BKSTS.
On behalf of AMPS special thanks to Peter Dobson and Warner's Theatres (UK) Ltd for their hospitality and for providing such a prestigious site for the Watkins and Groves Cinema 100 plaque.
BOB ALLEN