- Détails
- Création : 24 mars 2015
- Mis à jour : 27 août 2022
- Publication : 24 mars 2015
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Paul ROBELLO
(Aberdeen, 1867-Glasgow, 1961)
Jean-Claude SEGUIN
2
Paul Robello se forme, comme photographe, auprès de MM. Wilsons d'Aberdeen, avant de rejoindre, en 1892, William Walker pour lequel il est responsable des vues de lanterne et de l'éclairage de la scène lors des concerts:
GLENTANA.-SIR WILLIAM BROOKS' ENTERTAINMENT TO SCHOOL CHILDREN.-[...] There was a most admirable magic-lantern exhibition, suppliled by Messrs Walker, of Aberdeen; it was conducted by Mr Paul Robello, and was illustrated by the readings of Mr Harlinge Campbell.
Aberdeen Free Press, Aberdeen, vendredi 30 décembre 1892, p. 6.
En 1896, Walker fait l'acquisition d'un appareil cinématographique comme l'évoque son fils Charles :
"Royal"
In 1896, Mr Walker and Mr Robello went to London to purchase a cine camera and projector, and thereafter, Walker and Co.'s Royal cinematograph was featured in a big way at all concerts. The term "Royal" was used because of command performances given at Balmoral Castle.
It appears that Mr. Walker knew very little about the technical side of the cinematograph, and there is no evidence that he ever operated a cine camera or a projector.
Paul Robello was in full charge of that section from the beginning.
Aberdeen Evening Express, Aberdeen, mercredi 11 novembre 1959, p. 6.
Les premières séances vont avoir lieu en septembre à Aberdeen et le nom de Paul Robello est dès le début mis en avant par la presse:
"A NIGHT WITH CHARLES DICKENS"
[...]
In addition to all these, a special feature of the entertainment will be an exhibition of animated photographs, manipulated by Mr. Paul Robello. The photographs embrace now and interesting pictures in great variety, together with floral tableaux, and the displays be the largest that has yet been shown in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Press and Journal, Aberdeen, mardi 24 novembre 1896, p. 6.
La collaboration avec William Walker va se prolonger pendant de nombreuses années.
William Walker et [Paul Robello] en train de filmer Braemer Highland Gathering (1898)
Source: Scotland in Silent Cinema, p. 5
Vers 1910, Paul Robello commence à travailler dans un cinéma à Aberdeen et à produire des films d'actualité. En juillet 1918, il s'installe à Glasgow et travaille à la Green's Film Service et dirige leur département de production Scottish Moving Picture News :
Recollections.
Mr. Paul Robello is joining Messrs. Green's Film Service in the producing department this month. Mr. Robello was, many years ago, in the employment of Messrs. Walker and Co., booksellers and kinematographers, Aberdeen, who used to tour Scotland for a number of months each year with a concert company and kinematograph. They played in what is generally known as "one-night towns," and their field of operations, if I might put it that way, extended from about Ayr right up to Inverness.
Kinematograph Weekly, Londres, jeudi 4 juillet 1918, p. 94.
C'est en 1922 qu'il fonde le producteur Topical Productions:
TOPICAL TOPICS
Topical Productions, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, is engaged in the preparation of a prohibition film for propaganda purposes in America, where a strong anti-Prohibition movement is on foot. The film is to form part of the counter-movement for the maintenance of Prohibition in the States by showing what has been done in Scotland. It will embrace pictures of some of the "dry " areas in Scotland, showing old-time drinking saloons turned into savings banks, bakers' shops, and the like, pointing the moral that money which passes the drink shops is put to better uses. The "No Licence " demonstration held in Edinburgh, two years ago will also be embraced, and among other features a bit of scenic film of the Caledonian Railway system. The firm has also a lot of industrial publicity work on hand. The partners are R. Rutherford Mann, who was for five years with Green's, and Paul Robello, formerly with Wilson, Aberdeen. both very well known in the Trade. They are going to specialise on rushing locals, and they hoped on Tuesday of this week, when the King was in Edinburgh, to show forenoon ceremonies at five o'clock the same day in Glasgow and 6.30 in Edinburgh.
Kinematograph Weelky, Londres, jeudi 12 octobre 1922, p. 99.
Il multiplie alors ses activités de cinématographiste et participe à une expédition à l'île de St. Kilda :
A. GOOD deal of interest has been evinced in the kinema expedition to that lonely island, St. Kilda, situated far off the West Coast of Scotland. Among others who made the voyage on the " Hebrides " steamer was Paul Robello, whom we mentioned not long ago as being one of the early school of kinema men in the country. Mr. Robello was official cameraman for Messrs. McCallum, the steamship owners, at whose invitation the party paid the visit, and his long list of experiences in the Trade has been greatly added to on this occasion.
Kinematograph Weekly, Londres, jeudi 31 mai 1923, p. 81.
Par la suite, il collabore à de nombreuses reprises avec la maison Pathé.
Il décède à Glasgow en 1961, à l'âge de 93 ans.
Sources
http://bufvc.ac.uk/newsonscreen/search/index.php/person/769
Scotland in Silent Cinema, Scottish Screen, 1998, 34 p.
