Herbert Mason

For the botanist, see Herbert Louis Mason.

Herbert Mason
MC
Born
Samuel George Herbert Mason

1891
Moseley, Birmingham, England
Died20 May 1960(1960-05-20) (aged 68–69)
London, England
NationalityEnglish
Other namesMaj. Herbert Mason, Bertie, Garry, Werb
Occupations
Years active1933–1955
Spouse
​
(m. 1914)​
Children2
Parent(s)Samuel George Mason (father)
Amy Mason (née Collins) (mother)
RelativesEdward Terry (uncle)
Military career
Years of service1914–1918
RankMajor
Unit16th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Battles / warsFirst World War
AwardsMilitary Cross

Samuel George Herbert Mason MC (1891 – 20 May 1960) was a British film director, producer, stage actor, army officer, presenter of some revues, stage manager, stage director, choreographer, production manager and playwright.[1][2][3][4] He was a recipient of the Military Cross[2] the prestigious award for "gallantry during active operations against the enemy."[5] He received the gallantry award for his part in the Battle of Guillemont where British troops defeated the Germans to take the German stronghold of Guillemont.

Mason began his theatrical career at the age of 16 and appeared in several productions at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre[6] including Barry Jackson's The Christmas Party.[7] During the 1920s, he stage managed some of the largest shows in London,[2] including many of André Charlot's musical revues, and began his film career with the arrival of sound in motion pictures. Mason was the assistant director for I Was a Spy, which was very successful at the box office and voted best film of the year. He made his debut as director in 1936 with The First Offence. His most prominent film was A Window in London, a dark thriller set in the London Underground, which was a remake of the original French drama film Metropolitan. Another successful film included Take My Tip, in which he directed Jack Hulbert, whose "dances [were] beautifully staged".[8]

Several rising actors and actresses, including Vivien Leigh, made their film debuts in some of his films before they rose to prominence. He worked for several studios and production companies, including Gaumont British,[2] Gainsborough Pictures, London Films and MGM-British Studios. Mason directed 16 films (from thrillers to comedies). He moved into producing for the rest of his career, and authored some plays with his wife, Daisy Fisher, a novelist and playwright, who also had a background in theatre.[3][4]

His films were generally very well received, and some of them were marked out for the inventiveness of the plot, locations used for shooting[9] and humour. Some of his films are remembered for introducing rising actors and actresses to the screen before they became famous.[10]

  1. ^ "Herbert Mason". BFI. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d McFarlane, 2005, p. 462
  3. ^ a b Daniel Snowman Obituary: Michael Mason The Guardian 13 July 2014
  4. ^ a b "Michael Mason - obituary". telegraph.co.uk. Telegraph. 3 July 2014.
  5. ^ "Tuesday 17 September 2002 Supplement No. 1". The London Gazette. 17 September 2002. p. 11146. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  6. ^ Kemp, 1943, p. 142
  7. ^ Kemp, 1943, p. 132
  8. ^ "Herbert Mason". britmovie.co.uk. Britmovie.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 August 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  9. ^ "A Window in London". player.bfi.org.uk. BFI Player. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015. Herbert Mason's unjustly neglected film deserves viewing not just for its engaging plot but also for its fine location shooting
  10. ^ Tom Vallance (12 October 1998). "Obituary: Megs Jenkins". independent.co.uk. The Independent. Retrieved 15 April 2015. She entered films with a small role in Herbert Mason's exciting thriller...the first of over 50 films in which she was featured