Philip Jenkinson
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Philip Jenkinson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 August 1935 Sale, Cheshire, England |
| Died | 11 March 2012 (aged 76) |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, television presenter, film collector |
| Spouse | Sally Jay |
Philip Jenkinson (17 August 1935 – 11 March 2012)[1] was an English cinema specialist, journalist, BBC television presenter, and film collector.[2] His collection was known as Filmfinders. During the 1970s, Jenkinson contributed a weekly column for the television listings magazine Radio Times and edited films for the BBC Two music show The Old Grey Whistle Test.
Jenkinson was born in Sale. When he was a child he won a holiday talent contest by performing George Formby imitations[3] at a Butlins holiday camp. A talent scout noticed him and arranged an audition with BBC Children's Hour. That incident led to much radio work from Leeds. His parents were not interested at all. The money he earned he spent on elocution lessons to get rid of his Manchester accent. In those days no successful actor would have a regional accent.
He had severe asthma as a child and consequently missed much school, so the milkman gave his mother a 9.5mm projector to keep him amused, and by that means he started watching films. His mother used to give him money to go swimming to build up his strength, but he spent it at the cinema instead. His mother disapproved, believing he'd pick up too many germs, but he would put his swimming trunks under the tap before returning home so that she would not discover the deception.
When he left school he started work as a projectionist, then worked in the theatre, in stage management and acting. At one theatre he met the set designer Sally Jay, later his wife. The couple decided to move to London where they gained work with the distributors Contemporary Films.[3]
