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John Huntley

1921 – 2003

British film historian

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About John Huntley

Lived 1921 – 2003 (aged 82). John Huntley was a film critic.

John Frederick Huntley (18 July 1921 – 7 August 2003) was an English film historian, educator and archivist.

Huntley was born in Kew, London on 18 July 1921 and entered the film industry as a teaboy at Denham Studios around 1938. After war service in the RAF, where he had a sideline in using film shows as an educational tool, he re-entered the film industry as an assistant to film score conductor Muir Mathieson; Huntley had briefly studied at the Royal College of Music just after the war began.

He joined the British Film Institute in 1952, initially working for the information department, but from 1955 in distribution. His connection with the Telekinema during the Festival of Britain led to his being appointed as a programmer at the new National Film Theatre for a time. According to film collector Kevin Brownlow, Huntley was the most accessible of the BFI's staff because of his skill at bending the rules. in 1984, based from 2005 in Herefordshire.

John Huntley was a published author. His published works include British Film Music (1947), Railways in the Cinema (1969) and Railways on the Screen (1993).

Huntley was also a regular broadcaster. He presented Bioscope Days for the BBC (BBC2) in 1978, the Anglia Television series Bygones for two years from 1987, and a later similar series, Attic Archives, for BBC Scotland. He worked for Video 125 for a short period.

He died from cancer in London, England in August 2003.

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Important facts

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Also known as
John Frederick Huntley

People in John Huntley's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

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Frequently asked questions

Who was John Huntley?

British film historian

When was John Huntley born?

John Huntley was born on 18 July 1921.

When did John Huntley die?

John Huntley died on 7 August 2003.

What was John Huntley's occupation?

John Huntley was a film critic.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Huntley

· Wikidata: Q6240488

· DBpedia: John Huntley (film historian)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Huntley. https://biography.guide/john-huntley-film-critic/

MLA: "John Huntley." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-huntley-film-critic/.

Chicago: "John Huntley." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-huntley-film-critic/.

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