Edgar Spencer Burdett

At a Film Convention in London last October an amateur B&W film was shown which particularly fascinated me. The titles, which were hand written on a blackboard, read: -

"O.N.A. Sound News - Sound But Not Audible". "Talking Picture of Mr Burdett Filmed at Ongar'. " and Edited by W.N. Rest"

The Film opens with a smartly gentleman dressed in a dark suit with waistcoat white shirt and bow tie. opens the front door of a cottage and waves to the audience. He is quite a distinctive looking person wearing rimmed glasses with a moustache and pointed beard, which is mostly grey, aged fifty or so. The cottage is a two storey white weather boarded structure with a tiled roof: there is porch canopy over the front door (possibly dating from the 1700s). He waves to the camera turns to the left and walks a few steps to a gate, which he opens. As he closes the gate he lights up a cigarette and takes a puff, he walks to the left flank of the cottage and sits down.

Mr Burdett then starts a monologue to the Camera: - "Good Evening Everyone -No I am not Bernard Shaw, but I am quite as good as you all know me as a film star. I am infinitely his superior. (Mr Bernard Shaw appeared in early Movietone Sound Newsreels). If this reel is not much of a success that is not my fault! The only extraordinary thing is that you can see or hear me at all! Therein lies my superb artistry. Usually Bill doesn't know anything about this business. He's over there now just turning a handle or something. As a matter of fact that is about all he does, he puts the film work out and that's that! So when the idea of making a talkie leaked through a crack in his skull, he immediately started as usual searching for his victim ... All Mr Burdett the very one! So here I am having been exposed, inversed recorded synchronized and all sorts of I's. What I am supposed to talk about I don't quite know and I cannot see whether you are listening to me or not. for one thing you are all sitting in the dark and though I hear that someone is talking at the back there. But this machine makes such a creaking noise that I can't hear distinctly. Now Stop rattling those chairs and listen to me will you!"

The End.

What is remarkable about this amateur sound film is that it was taken in the 1930's. The sound had been recorded on a 78 record without any sync link to the clockwork 9.5mm Cine Camera. It has only recently been discovered and using a computer the sound has now been synced with the picture. I am fortunate to have this unique gem on DVD. I became fascinated on finding out who was this witty gentleman and where in Ongar was this pioneering amateur film made?

On asking lifelong residents of Ongar, I was soon able to establish that Mr Burdett was Choirmaster & Organist at St Martins Church in the 1930's & 40's. and died in the 1940's. Charles kellam when shown the film confirmed that this was indeed Mr Burdett. He recalls that in the 1930@s when he was a young lad he used to pump the organ on Sundays, for which he was paid sixpences Rod Wingar was also in the choir. Charles recalls that Mr Burdett used to walk across the fields from his home in Greensted to St. Martin's church, a distance of about two miles. He lived at what is now New House Farm and Brook Cottage (not where the film was shot).

From a visit to the Essex Records Office I was able to ascertain that he was born in 1882 in West Ham. The 1901 Census records him as living in West Ham with his parents and two younger brothers; aged 19 his occupation is listed as a Teacher. The St. Martins Church. Chipping Ongar Parochial Church Council Minutes from 1932 onwards record his active participation in the running of the Church as both Organist & Choirmaster. In 1932 he had agreed to a reduction from £50pa to £40pa to help the Church, as it was £20 overdrawn on a Budget of £230! The final payment made to him was on the 10h April 1944.

Following a hunch, I knew that The Ongar Millennium History Society were recording the details of the graves in the Town Cemetery, I phoned Felicity Barnes and she was able to tell me that he was indeed buried in Ongar behind the Chapel, near the fence. I was able to find his grave. Below a Cross the plinth reads: -

"In constant memory of my dearly loved husband
Edgar Spencer Burdett who fell asleep May 3rd 1944
well done thou good and faithful servant".

I still have not discovered where the film was taken, or who was William N. Rest? I am gradually finding out more and more about Mr Burdett who died just before I was born. He had a daughter I have a picture of him with Annie Barker who was an Ongar School Teacher.