Andrew Leith Goodall (1903-1978)

Inducted into ACS Hall of Fame – 1998

Andrew “Leith” Goodall was born in Kalgoorlie in W. Australia on Feb. 26th 1903. One of 4 brothers, he started work in Kalgoorlie as a projectionist’s assistant in 1917. He then came to Perth and worked for the next 20 years for Hoyts Theatres Limited becoming theatre manager and Chief Projectionist. For 4 years in the thirties, he was W. Australian cameraman for Fox Movietone News. During the Second World War, he was senior projectionist for Hoyts and ran the Ambassadors Theatre.

He tried to enlist but was refused because he was deemed essential to the entertainment of civilians….so he became the Air Raid Warden for the city block…. Hay St.,London Court, St. Georges Tce., Barrack St. In the 1940’s he formed in partnership with others, Southern Cross Films Ltd. For 6 years, he produced a great number of documentaries in 16mm and 35mm for Government departments and industry. In 1947 it was decided to open a theatrette in a basement in Hay St. Perth. There were very few stories from the “West” in the local cinemas and as the Mayfair could not get newsreels from Cinesound Review or Australian Movietone News, they produced their own weekly “Westralian News” that first screened at the Mayfair on March 11th. 1948. It was screened every Friday and ran for 35 weeks. The exposed negative was sent to Herschells in Melbourne along with notes detailing the story. Herschells would process the neg, write the script, record the voice-over and send the finished print back on Thursday. The last issue #35 was screened on October 31st. Surviving prints and negatives of “Westralian News” are preserved in the National Film Collection, Canberra and the Battye Library – State Film Archive in Perth. In 1952, Leith joined the WA Education Dept. film unit and continued to produce documentaries and promotion programmes for WA State Government Departments and the WA Tourist Bureau.

He retired in 1968 and passed away on October 16th 1978. Leith was a founding member of the Western Australian branch of the ACS.

On the 16th. May 1998, Leith was posthumously inducted into the ACS Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the art of cinematography, and distinguished service to the ACS.