Donald Challis (born 26 June 1929) is a British sound and dubbing editor for many critically-acclaimed films including The Three Musketeers (1973 film),[1] A Taste of Honey (film)[2] and Help! (film)[3]. His most famous contribution was to Oh! What a Lovely War as the sound editor, winning him a BAFTA Film Award alongisde Simon Kaye for Best Film Soundtrack in 1970.[4]
Biography
editDon Challis was born in Tottenham, England. His career started at the age of 19 in 1948 at the Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England, during the time the Red Shoes (1948 film) was being filmed there. Recording sounds on a reel-to-reel audio tape recording, Challis captured sounds from the rumble of a car engine to the orchestral accompaniment to a film. From the 7-inch reel of 1/4-inch-wide or 1/2-inch-wide recording tape, he would listen to it and find where the desired sound was on the reel and cut it out with scissors to then splice into the audio tape for a film.
He started out as the assistant-editor for many 1950's films including Hindle Wakes (1952 film) and The Rough and the Smooth in 1959, but his small role in the productions left him uncredited in both films, as well as many documentary films like The Atomic Bomb: Its Effects and How to Meet Them in 1959.[5]
In 1969, he took the role of sound editor for the hit musical film Oh! What a Lovely War which went down as a huge success, winning five BAFTA Film Awards in 1970, one of which going to himself and his partner Simon Kaye (who was the sound mixer for the film) for the Best Soundtrack.[6] This huge success led him to being in the sound department for a range of horror and drama films including Tam-Lin (film) in 1970, Blue Blood (1973 film) and I Don't Want to Be Born in 1975. More so, the success gave him the opportunity to be the sound editor for the award winning adaptations of The Three Musketeers (1973 film) and The Four Musketeers (film) in 1974.[7]
In 1971, Challis became the sound editor for the award-winning film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof. However, he fell ill during the production of the film so his role was taken over by Les Wiggins, a sound editor from Middlesex, England.[8] This resulted in Wiggins being credited sound editor, leaving Don Challis uncredited despite his contribution.[9]
Challis' last contribution to the sound department of the film industry was in 1976 with Emily (film). Then, at the end of the same year, he moved from his home inHertfordshire, England, to Essex with his wife and two daughters. Marking the move as the end of his career in the sound department, he settled for the ownership of a post office, going into retirement at the age of (AGE).
Filmography
edit
Credited roles [10]
| Year | Film title | Role in production |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Emily (film) | dubbing editor |
| 1975 | I Don't Want to Be Born | sound editor |
| 1974 | The Four Musketeers (film) | sound editor |
| 1973 | The Man Called Noon | sound editor |
| 1973 | Blue Blood (1973 film) | sound editor |
| 1973 | The Three Musketeers (1973 film) | sound editor |
| 1972 | Nothing But the Night | sound editor |
| 1972 | The Ragman's Daughter | dubbing editor |
| 1971 | The Boy Friend (1971 film) | dubbing editor |
| 1970 | Tam-Lin (film) | dubbing editor |
| 1969 | Oh! What a Lovely War | sound editor |
| 1969 | Connecting Rooms | sound editor |
| 1968 | Petulia | dubbing editor |
| 1968 | Sebastian (1968 film) | dubbing editor |
| 1967 | How I Won the War | dubbing editor |
| 1966 | The Shuttered Room | sound editor |
| 1966 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (film) | sound editor |
| 1965 | Birth of a Twin | sound editor |
| 1965 | I Was Happy Here | sound editor |
| 1965 | The Knack ...and How to Get It | sound editor |
| 1965 | Help! (film) | sound editor |
| 1963 | Tom Jones (1963 film) | sound editor |
| 1963 | Girl with Green Eyes | sound editor |
| 1962 | The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (film) | sound editor |
| 1961 | During One Night | sound editor |
| 1961 | A Taste of Honey (film) | sound editor |
| 1960 | Sons and Lovers (1960 film) | sound editor |
| 1960 | A Circle of Deception | sound editor |
| 1959 | Beat Girl | dubbing editor |
| 1957 | Work Study Aids Farmers | sound editor |
| 1956 | A Journal of the Outdoors: Fun, Feathers and Finery | sound editor |
| 1956 | A Journal of the Outdoors: Have a Care | sound editor |
| 1956 | The Magic Ring | sound editor |
| 1956 | A Journal of the Outdoors: Signs of Life | sound editor |
| 1955 | A Journal of the Outdoors: Young at Large | sound editor |
| 1955 | A Journal of the Outdoors: On the Move | sound editor |
| 1955 | A Journal of the Outdoors: A Jump Ahead | sound editor |
| 1955 | Gateway to the Antarctic | assistant sound editor |
Uncredited roles [11]
| Year | Film title | Role in production |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Fiddler on the Roof (film) | Sound editor** |
| 1959 | The Rough and the Smooth | assistant sound editor |
| 1954 | John of the Fair | assistant sound editor |
| 1952 | Hindle Wakes (1952 film) | assistant sound editor |
| 1952 | The Atomic Bomb: Its Effects and How to Meet Them | assistant sound editor |
[**] role taken over by Les Wiggins (credited)
References
edit- ^ "full cast and crew of The Three Musketeers" Retrieved on 15 June 2015
- ^ "full cast and crew of A Taste of Honey" Retrieved on 15 June 2015
- ^ "full cast and crew of Help!" Retrieved on 15 June 2015
- ^ "BAFTA awards; best soundtrack 1970" Retrieved on 15 June 2015
- ^ "BFI: filmography of Don Challis" Retrieved 15 June 2015
- ^ "BAFTA awards; best soundtrack 1970" Retrieved on 15 June 2015
- ^ "BFI: filmography of Don Challis" Retrieved 15 June 2015
- ^ "BFI: Les Wiggins filmography" Retrieved 15 June 2015
- ^ "Fiddler on the Roof credits" The New York Times, Retrieved 15 June 2015
- ^ "BFI: filmography of Don Challis" Retrieved 15 June 2015
- ^ "IMDb: Don Challis filmography" Retrieved 15 June 2015