Reflections from Tim Waygood
Alas, the name Arthur Cambridge has faded to black for the last time in the credits……… perhaps you would pass on the sad news to his many, many work friends, DOP’s, editors, directors, producers, post production managers et all. My 20 years at Colorfilm working with Arthur bring back enough memories, dramas and stories of individual features, series, docos, and shorts that would fill many books! We all have achieved a great deal with some superb films and series and should be rightly proud – as l was wearing my Colorfilm logo on my suit lapel for his funeral. A unique and highly gifted technician of extraordinary grading talent, and a gentleman to the end.
Brought in to the strong tones of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” and closed with John Williamson’s “Home Among The Gum Trees” Arthur was farewelled by Jan his wife, his sons Doug and Mark, his grandchildren and close family and friends, in all around 50 people. Doug gave a short but personal eulogy and the service was warmly conducted by Ken Moxham. There was an audio visual of Arthur being presented with the Byron Kennedy Award by George Lucas back at the 1998 AFI Awards, it was good to see him again receiving such just rewards.
Arthur had been ill for some time and his passing was l believe peaceful. Few from the industry were there as a family decision was made not to post a funeral notice in any of the papers and as a consequence very few people would have heard of his death or today’s funeral. Murray Forrest heard as l did from Tom today with only hours to spare, but the short notice prevented Tom & Sue Milliken from being there. So from the industry, Murray, myself, the two graders Tony Manning & Tina, Tony Oldham and Colorfilm/Atlab printer Steve Mayles along with Georgie Bates.
And so the book closes on another of the ‘Colorfilm Quintisential Quartet’ – Bill Gooley, Maggie Cardin & Arthur Cambridge…… we are not sure whether optical effects man Roger Cowland is still with us. There will be quite a conversation going on somewhere ‘up there’ tonight! Bill spinning on the right foot and clasping his forehead in feint panic as another feature has its trial print day reduced by a week, Maggie from behind her always locked negative cutting room door, reminding us that she had “the skin of a teenager dear” and Arthur uttering those famous words…… “This is the hardest job I’ve ever done!” Ah the memories, the achievements and the experiences of working through those halcyon years…..
RIP Arthur.
