Sinclair Frank Ditcham - Universal Pictures 1930's

[littlefacey]

Hello,

I'm looking for help tracking Sinclair Frank Ditcham's occupation in the 1930s. I found a newspaper clipping in 1933 stating Sinclair had taken the role of managing director of Universal Pictures Ltd from a Mr. Bryson and in 1939 he is listed as a Film Company Director... how can I find out more about his position? and is it the famous Universal we know today?

Thanks in advance

[mckha489]

Looking at the previous guy, James Van Bibber BRYSON (who was paying his girlfriend from company coffers apparently)

There is this on IMDB

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1033962/bio?mode=desktop&ref_=m_ft_dsk

And if you look for him in the papers you see he was the one who started the court case, and this article suggests it IS that Universal.

[mckha489]

James Van Bibber Bryson’s Passport application

Lists all countries he has visited for “motion picture interests”

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89X3-39QB-N?i=210&cc=2185145&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQV5B-D23V

Modified, he had that big salary (up to his dismissal in 1931) probate index says effects of just £140 when he died Dec 1935

Added. There are obituaries for him in the US papers of Jan 1st, showing on Newspapers.com but my sub frustratingly won’t let me read those ones. 

[mckha489]

Definitely That Universal.. Carl Laemmle

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Pictures

[mckha489]

Sinclair known as Frank.


If you look in newspapers with Frank Ditcham you can see he had appendicitis in 1931, went on a holiday jaunt to Atlantic City with Carl Laemmle

You will be able to fill a ring binder with these!

[mckha489]

I am suffering tree envy like ciderdrinker in reply 2 of this thread

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=824854.msg6882189#msg6882189


Sketch of him here, with potted history to 1929

09 January 1929 - The Bioscope - London, London, England

[hanes teulu]

Extract from reporting the 1933 court case

Daily Telegraph, 11 Feb 1933
" .... Mr Sinclair Frank Ditcham who succeeded Mr Bryson as managing director of defendant company, and who was formerly sales manager ....."

[mckha489]

By 1945 he is Managing Director of General Film Distributors Ltd
Which was the company formed to distribute Universal’s film after the Laemmles were pushed out in 1936

Then so far I see nothing until 1953 when a Frank Ditcham is managing director of the Camberwell Palace.

Sidney Frank Ditcham died that year.