Full name, Edgar Harold MacFarlane Anstey; born February 16, 1907, in Watford, England; died in London, September 26, 1987. Edgar Anstey was considered apioneer of the documentary. At the start of his career in the early thirties,Anstey produced or directed such socially oriented films as Housing Problems, Enough to Eat?, and On the Way to Work--films lauded for both their realismand for their impressionistic style. In 1936 Anstey became director of productions for "March of Time," makers of theatrical newsreels, but left the position to create films for the Ministry of Information and Armed Services during World War II. After the war, Anstey briefly served as film critic for The Spectator, returning to filmmaking to serve as the head of the British Transportation Commission's film unit. Among the prizewinning films he created for the commission were Journey into Spring, Between the Tides, Under Night Streets, and Terminus. In 1966 Anstey's Wild Wings received an Academy Award for best non-fiction short subject. Among his numerous memberships and positions, Anstey served as chairman of the British Film Academy and was a senior fellowof the Royal College of Art.
OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:
Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: