Biografía de Richard Massingham
Richard Massingham was a British physician, but he was better known for being an actor, director, and writer of short film comedies in the 1940s and 1950s. Born on May 25, 1898, in Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire, he was the son of a retired doctor who had become a writer. After his father's death in 1910 the family moved to Bath where Massingham attended King Edward’s School.
He found himself drawn to medicine and left school early to become a medical student at the University of Bristol in 1914, but his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I, and he served as a Red Cross orderly. After the war, he resumed his studies, moved to University College and qualified as a doctor in 1921. His early medical career involved work in general practice and mental health in Bristol, where he developed an interest in film-making.
During the 1930s, Massingham developed an obsession with filmmaking and started visiting local cinemas to watch the newsreels. He began writing articles for medical journals about the potential use of film in medical education, which led to his appointment as the first full-time medical officer for the J. Arthur Rank Organisation. However, he disagreed with the rigid approach to education, so he decided to leave the organization to pursue his passion for film-making independently.
In 1938 he made his first short film and became a prolific writer, actor and director of comedy short films. He specialized in instructional and documentary-style films, using humor to engage his audiences. Though the majority of his films were only a few minutes long, they were well-received and successful. Some of his most famous films include "Handkerchief Drill," "Coughs and Sneezes," and "Charley Junior’s Schooldays."
In conclusion, Richard Massingham was a multifaceted individual who proved successful in both the medical and entertainment fields. His passion for films combined with his medical training led to an innovative approach to filmmaking. He was a pioneer in the field of medical education through film, which later developed into a standard practice in the UK. Despite his success on the silver screen, Massingham never deserted his medical career and continued to practice as a physician alongside his film career.
