David Berry 1943-2010
It was with great sadness that members of Cyfrwng heard of the untimely death of the film and media historian, David Berry, on 22 January 2010. Over the years Dave was one of the stoutest supporters of Cyfrwng, and he generously shared his advice and knowledge with us. He embodied the principal objective of Cyfrwng, namely to bridge the academic world and the media industry, and he played an indispensable part in our activities from the outset. It was a great privilege, therefore, to present him with the Cyfrwng Award in 2005 to acknowledge his special contribution to the promotion of mass media in Wales.
Dave was such an assiduous and enthusiastic researcher that, without his perseverance, it is unlikely that treasures such as Jerry the Troublesome Tyke or Maurice Elvey’s masterpiece, The Life Story of David Lloyd George (1918) would have been rediscovered and brought into the public domain.
Dave was an inspiration to dozens of students and researchers in the field of film history, not only in Wales but also in Britain and on the Continent. His splendid volume Wales and the Cinema, the First Hundred Years (1994) is quite indispensable. With characteristic generosity, he was always willing to spend hours discussing film and sharing his findings and knowledge with kindred spirits. He was a veritable treasure-trove of data on film history and we may never see his like again.
According to John Hefin, Chair of Cyfrwng: ‘Dave Berry was a fine Englishman. He fought tirelessly, and often without recompense, to create his masterpiece Wales and the Cinema – a pictorial classic – and this extremely valuable volume stands as a monument to his priceless contribution.’
David Berry’s death is a profound loss to the field of film and media in Wales, and even more so to those of us who had the privilege of knowing him and counting him a friend.
