This is an interview Series for the National Film and Sound Archive Aural History Programme.
My name is John Fife (JF) and I have with me Morrie Pilens (MP).
: Is the big story always the hardest story?
MP: Not really, not really. A big story happens and you just select shots how you’re going to talk about it. It’s really hard to say what story is what. I think the soft story is better, see for instance, Charles. (puts on very posh English voice) ‘Prince Charles arrived here to be educated’, so they sent him to Timbertop. So at Timbertop we had a photo opportunity – to photograph as he stands around and poses for cameras. So we, in a sort of enclosure in the back yard, and there’s a pile of wood and an axe down there. And everybody says ‘Highness this’ and ‘Highness that’. ‘Look this way, look that way.’
So Morrie says ‘Your Highness, if you pick that axe up and chop a couple of pieces of wood, it would be a very nice picture.’ And everybody looks at me and says ‘Ah, you can’t talk to him like that…’ And he chops wood for me. On silent film, Bell and Howell, you can DO it. You can do it, you know.