Film is Fabulous! and De Montfort University’s Cinema and Television History Research Group are pleased to announce that films from the private collection of Max Robertson, the late BBC radio and television commentator, presenter, and author, will be catalogued and preserved.

Max is famous for his forty years of tennis commentary on BBC Radio. However, he also commented on major news events, including the funeral of King George VI in 1952. A year later, Max became the regular host of the long-running television series Panorama. Between 1965 and 1977, he was the presenter of the popular antiques show ‘Going For A Song’ with resident expert Arthur Neagus.

Several items within the collection relate to Max’s wife, Elisabeth Beresford, the creator of The Wombles, and their shared activity. There are early films from Elisabeth’s career as a writer and storyteller. Among these is an episode of ‘Tell Your Own Tale’, from September 1956. This was shown as part of ‘Jolly Good Time’, which was an Associated-Rediffusion children’s programme. During the episode, Elisabeth told a story based upon five objects. The story was illustrated by the television artist, Tony Hart.

The cataloguing will encompass the entirety of Max’s film collection, plus material found on various other formats. Once the collection has been catalogued, any missing or rare material will be scanned. Digital files, and some prints, will be returned to the copyright holders for preservation purposes. The missing material will be screened at future Film is Fabulous! events with other recovered items.

Film is Fabulous! Preserving film treasures for future generations.

30th July 2025