About

Known credits:
56
Birthday:
1898-04-26
Place of birth:
Kilmadock, Stirlingshire, Scotland, UK
Website:
N/A

John Grierson

Overview

John Grierson (1898–1972) was a pioneering Scottish filmmaker and producer who shaped the documentary film movement, earning recognition as the father of British and Canadian documentary cinema. He famously coined the term "documentary" in 1926 and championed the idea that film should serve as a tool for social education and reform. As the driving force behind the British documentary movement, he founded the GPO Film Unit, which produced groundbreaking works like Night Mail (1936), and later played a key role in establishing the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) in 1939, turning it into one of the world's most influential documentary institutions. Grierson’s vision and advocacy for documentary as a vehicle for public service and civic engagement left a lasting legacy on global nonfiction filmmaking.

Known for

Acting
2024 A Return to Memory Actor Self (archive sound) N/A
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2014 Documenting John Grierson Actor N/A
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1990 Creative Process: Norman McLaren Actor Self 59
Average
1973 Grierson Actor Self (archive footage) 58
Average
1968 I Remember, I Remember Actor 58
Average
1959 John Grierson Actor Himself N/A
N/A
1938 The Face of Scotland Actor John Knox (voice) 59
Average
1936 Night Mail Actor Commentary 58
Average
1935 On the Fishing Banks of Skye Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
Hitchcock on Grierson Actor Self N/A
N/A

Directing
1935 On the Fishing Banks of Skye Directing Director N/A
N/A
1934 Granton Trawler Directing Director 58
Average
1930 Kuster Beaton Directing Director N/A
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1930 Herlock Sholmes in Be-a-Live-Crook Directing Director N/A
N/A
1930 Kerri Cheertum in Jungle-Tungle Directing Director N/A
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1930 Tom Mixup Directing Director N/A
N/A
1930 Our Dumb Friend Directing Director N/A
N/A
1929 Drifters Directing Director 58
Average

Writing
1960 Seawards the Great Ships Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1935 On the Fishing Banks of Skye Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1934 Granton Trawler Writing Writer 58
Average

Production
1965 Health of a City Production Associate Producer N/A
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1954 Devil on Horseback Production Producer N/A
N/A
1953 The Oracle Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1953 Man of Africa Production Producer N/A
N/A
1952 Miss Robin Hood Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1952 The Brave Don't Cry Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1952 You're Only Young Twice! Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1950 Four Men in Prison Production Producer N/A
N/A
1938 North Sea Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1937 The Smoke Menace Production Producer N/A
N/A
1937 Trade Tattoo Production Producer 58
Average
1937 A Job in a Million Production Producer N/A
N/A
1937 Daily Round Production Producer N/A
N/A
1937 Children at School Production Producer N/A
N/A
1935 On the Fishing Banks of Skye Production Producer N/A
N/A
1935 A Colour Box Production Producer 58
Average
1935 BBC: The Voice of Britain Production Producer N/A
N/A
1935 Coal Face Production Producer 58
Average
1935 Droitwich: The World's Most Modern Long Wave Transmitter Production Producer N/A
N/A
1934 The Song of Ceylon Production Producer 59
Average
1934 Granton Trawler Production Producer 58
Average
1934 Weather Forecast Production Producer N/A
N/A
1934 6.30 Collection Production Producer 59
Average
1934 Post-Haste Production Producer 58
Average
1933 Cable Ship Production Producer N/A
N/A
1933 The Coming of the Dial Production Producer N/A
N/A
1933 Spring on the Farm Production Producer N/A
N/A
1932 O'er Hill and Dale Production Producer N/A
N/A
1932 The New Generation Production Producer N/A
N/A
1932 Upstream Production Producer N/A
N/A
1931 Industrial Britain Production Producer 58
Average
1930 Conquest Production Producer N/A
N/A

Camera
1934 Granton Trawler Camera Director of Photography 58
Average

Crew
1962 Heart of Scotland Crew Treatment N/A
N/A

Editing
1929 Drifters Editing Editor 58
Average