Elder, Clarence

Person

Elder, Clarence

Clarence Elder (b. 2nd October 1892, Glasgow) studied at The Glasgow School of Art from 1908 to 1914, then from 1915 to 1916, and finally in 1918/1919. For the large part he was an evening student in Drawing and Painting (including Life Drawing), alongside working professionally as a process artist. He studied under Andrew Watson and William Somerville Shanks, and was granted the Haldane Evening School Bursary (which required the student to attend the School at least four evenings a week). In the early 1920s Elder exhibited a number of oil paintings at The Royal Scottish Academy and The Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts.

Elder became better known for his work in the film industry. In the late 1920s he was appointed Supervising Art Director at British International Pictures (BIP, later renamed Associated British Picture Corporation), and also worked as a 'camouflage supervisor' during World War Two.

Elder gained a somewhat notorious reputation among colleagues at BIP. Art Director Cedric Dawe recalls (https://historyproject.org.uk/sites/default/files/HP0229%20Cedric%20Dawe%20-%20Transcript.pdf - PDF) that Elder 'was looked upon as a big bully…a very hard headed Scot' and describes the working environment at BIP as 'absolute chaos', while others have noted his habit of 'donning an artist's cap and smock when greeting design underlings'.

In 1947 Elder wrote and directed his own film, The Silver Darlings, based on the novel by Neil M. Gunn. Set in a struggling fishing village in the North East of Scotland during the 1800s, the film follows the story of a widow whose lover and son are threatened with conscription into the Royal Navy. With the exception of a short documentary called The Little Singer (1956), this was Elder's only stint as director, and the film – a 'two year labour of love' has gained mixed reviews.

Sources:

• Interview with Cedric Dawe (19/11/1991) @ https://historyproject.org.uk/content/0229
• British Film Design: A History, Laurie N. Ede
• The New Film History:

Sources, Methods, Approaches, edited by J. Chapman, M. Glancy, S. Harper

• The Encyclopaedia of British Film (Fourth Addition), edited by Brian McFarlane
• BFI Online Encyclopaedia @ http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f974a79
• Dictionary of Scottish Art, Peter J. M. McEwan
• The Silver Darlings: An Emblem of the Scottish Sea and History, Danièle Berton-Charrière @ https://etudesecossaises.revues.org/1175

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