Peter Grossett

(b. Johannesburg, 20/10/1931). Editor, director. Peter Grossett is the son of W.L. Grossett, a commercial artist who also was an occasional set designer for the theatrical company run by Nan Munro and Margaret Inglis. He entered the film industry as an uncredited assistant to Gerald Ehrlich, the editor of Donald Swanson’s The Magic Garden (1951). Swan Films had offices adjacent to the documentary company Cine Union and when the film was completed, George Groom of Cine Union offered Grossett a job as editor on a number of safety films made for the Chamber of Mines. This, in turn, led to a job with J. Blake Dalrymple’s Films of Africa in what was then Southern Rhodesia. There he gained experience until Ehrlich, who by then had moved to African Film Productions at Killarney, invited him to join AFP, initially on the newsreel African Mirror and its Afrikaans equivalent Ons Nuus.

Between 1955 and 1968, Grossett was a key film editor at African Film Productions (Afrikaanse Rolprentproduksies) as it moved through its various incarnations as South African Screen Productions (Suid-Afrikaanse Rolprentproduksies) and Killarney Film Studios (Killarney Filmateljees), working on both features and documentaries with directors such as Pierre de Wet, Gordon Vorster, Jan Perold, David Millin and Robert D. Webb. In 1969 he joined Films of Africa (this time in Johannesburg) / Raymond Hancock Productions / Independent Film Centre, working on numerous sponsored documentaries and also turning to directing, including a number of series for the SABC. After his retirement he often collaborated with John Varty of Londolozi Productions on his wildlife productions and continued to pursue this interest by working as volunteers with FreeMe, a wildlife rehabilitation centre, by releasing meerkats into the wild. In all these activities he was usually assisted by his wife, Joan, whom he married in 1959. (FO)

CREDITS

DOCUMENTARIES (as editor)

Guardians of the Soil / Bewaarders van die Grond (David Millin/1955), Fisherfolk of Kalk Bay / Vissers van Kalkbaai (Errol Hinds/1955), A Hundred Years and a Day / Honderd Jaar en ‘n Dag (Jan Perold/1955), Colourful Courtship / Ndebele Troue (Kurt Baum/1956), New Horizons (Kurt Baum/1956), The Vaal River Story / Die Vaalrivier (Gordon Vorster/1957), The Wild Are Free / Ons Wild Is Vry (Errol Hinds/ 1958), A Mine in the Making / Begin van ‘n Goudmyn (J. Blake Dalrymple/1969), Hollard Street Story (J. Blake Dalrymple/1970), Seasons in the Sun (Edgar Bold/1971), The Day They Stopped the Orange / En Toe Tem Hulle die Oranje (not credited/1971), Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: the Story of Carlton Centre (Edgar Bold/1973).

FEATURES (as editor)

Dis Lekker Om Te Lewe (Pierre de Wet/1957), Fratse in die Vloot (Pierre de Wet/1958), Nooi Van My Hart (Pierre de Wet/1959), Piet Se Tante (Pierre de Wet/1959), Die Vlugteling (Gordon Vorster/1960), Oupa en die Plaasnooientjie (Pierre de Wet/1960), Die Jagters (Gordon Vorster/1960), En Die Vonke Spat (Pierre de Wet/1961), Basie (Gordon Vorster/1961), As Ons Twee Eers Getroud Is! (Jan Perold/1962), Die Tweede Slaapkamer (Gordon Vorster/1962), Jy’s Lieflik Vanaand (Gordon Vorster/1962), Die Ruiter in die Nag (Jan Perold/1963), Seven Against the Sun (David Millin/1964), Piet My Niggie (Jan Perold/1964), Ride the High Wind (David Millin/1965), The Second Sin (David Millin/1966), The Cape Town Affair / Escape Route Cape Town (Robert D. Webb/1967), The Jackals (Robert D. Webb/1967), Majuba: Heuwel van Duiwe (David Millin/1968), Lambarene / Schweitzer (with with Margaret-Ann Smith) (Gray Hofmeyr/1990), Sweet ‘n Short (additional editing with Ronelle Loots) (Gray Hofmeyr/1991).

TELEVISION DOCUMENTARIES (as director)

The Storyteller (1975), The World of Alexis Preller (co-directed with Edgar Bold/197-), The World of Gordon Vorster (1979), Then Came the English - Series (co-directed with Lionel Friedberg/1982), Those Crowded Years: South Africa and the War 1939-45 - Series (+ writer) (1985), The Mining Magnates (+ writer) (1987).

TELEVISION FICTION (as director)

Kwazindwezana (Series 1/1981) (Series 2/1985); (as editor): The Big Time (Gray Hofmeyr/1990-92)

LONDOLOZI PRODUCTIONS

The Super Predators (John Varty/1994), Hyaena: the Great Opportunist (scriptwriter with John Varty & Warren Samuels) (Warren Samuels), The Savannah Cats (scriptwriter with John Varty & Warren Samuels) (Warren Samuels/1995), Shingalana: the little hunter (1995/96) (co-editor), Living With Leopards (co-director with John Varty/1997)

Sources

Le Roux, André I. & Fourie, Lilla – Filmverlede: geskiedenis van die Suid-Afrikaanse speelfilm

Personal correspondence

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