This film is part of Free

Dan Smith

Profile of the controversial 'economic overlord' of northern England.

Government sponsored film 1970 14 mins

Overview

This profile of the "economic overlord of the North of England" is a window on vanished worlds - and yet tremendously topical today. Former Newcastle council leader T. Dan Smith was one of the most famous local politicians of his day. Described here as a US-style 'town boss', he was a complex, flawed character who later proved corrupt, but also an articulate, original, sometimes foresighted thinker.

This was one of 26 editions of The Pacemakers, a series of British government-sponsored TV programmes distributed free of charge to North American and Australasian television stations. Each focused on an innovative or maverick contributor to British life.