On the death of veteran actor and filmmaker Kenneth Griffith at 84 ,Tony Whitehead, Chapter Art Centre’s Cinema Programmer commented:

"To say that Kenneth Griffith’s visit to Chapter in October 2001 was memorable would be an understatement – a bit like describing the documentaries he wrote and presented as mildly provocative. The occasion was a celebration both of Kenneth’s eightieth birthday and the sixtieth anniversary of his first credited film role, in the classic Love on the Dole.

Film historian Dave Berry and myself invited Kenneth to be involved in putting the weekend’s events together, and he applied himself to the task with a daunting blend of enthusiasm and precision.  His selection of films highlighted his remarkable career: an uncredited appearance with Will Hay in 1942; The Shop at Sly Corner, in which he established his screen reputation by playing a vicious hoodlum in 1947; classic comedy roles with Peter Sellers from the 1950s; and, of course, Christopher Monger’s much loved The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain, in which his role as the feisty Reverend Jones supplied the very heart and soul of the film.

Likewise, the guests who Kenneth asked us to invite bore witness both to his wide range of interests, and to the devoted loyalty he inspired in those close to him. One or two – Tony Benn among them – were forced to send their apologies, but the stellar line-up who were there to cheer him on included his great friend, the legendary Peter O’Toole, as well as  former BBC Wales drama chief John Hefin, the then chair of Sgrîn Geraint Stanley Jones, and prominent Sinn Fein politician Gerry McLoughlin.

In front of a packed house of friends and fans, Kenneth appeared on Chapter’s stage to give two lengthy interviews, in which he joked, reminisced, and held forth in his inimitable style.  The man who – as a lad in Tenby – first took to acting because he felt more confident when pretending to be somebody else, held the stage as to the manner born, and everyone present saw at first hand the combustible mix of intensity and integrity that made his acting performances so compelling and his documentaries so incendiary.

The linking factor between those two careers, of actor and documentary maker, was Kenneth’s burning desire to get at the truth.  You could see it in the way he took on complex roles like Shylock in The Merchant of Venice or Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment.  And whether you found his documentaries illuminating or infuriating, you could never doubt the utter sincerity of the way Kenneth treated subjects close to his heart.

In his autobiography, he wrote: "The work is a true reflection of the quality of the workman."  By that definition, all of us at Chapter that October weekend in 2001 were celebrating a remarkable man as well as a remarkable career."

We are screening The Shop at Sly Corner on Sun 17 Sept and a retrospective of Kenneth's work will form part of this year's Cardiff Film Festival.

Images: Left and right - Kenneth Griffith in characteristic pose at Chapter as part of his 80th birthday celebrations; Centre - Peter O’Toole leads the applauds as Kenneth Griffith ends his 80th birthday speech at Chapter. Photos: Dave Daggers