George Williams Hails Majid Michel but says the Ghanaian Movie Industry is Retrogressing

Veteran Ghanaian actor George Williams, says the Ghanaian movie industry is rather retrogressing contrary to the notion that it is growing. Mr. Williams’ view, which is shared by many other veteran actors and actresses, was echoed in an interview on TV3.

Mr. Williams AND RAFIU FISHBONE The man, affectionately referred to as Mr. Addison following his role in the popular 90s series, Ultimate Paradise, is particularly irked by what he calls extreme emphasis on ‘juju’, witchcraft or superstition which has become the major theme for most locally produced films in recent years. “I see it to be quite honest as debauchery. That is what it is. The fact of it is that they like to make juju films and that sort of thing. The fact is that we are retrogressing. We are going back to the stage where they had movies and not talkies. The movies came; there was no dialogue; it was that time of Charlie Chaplain and that is where this thing is going into now because we have a whole lot of juju films and the likes which are as far as am concerned diabolical. They are not worth talking about” he noted. Aptly referred to as the grandfather of the screen in Ghana, he is one of the known faces to reckon with since the inception of the Ghanaian Movie Industry. Still cheerful and fit at age 86, Uncle George started his career in 1952 with stage acting and plays. He later hit the screens with his first lead role in the movie Genesis Chapter X a few years later Veteran Ghanaian actor George Williams has extolled young actor Majid Michel, as one of the best in the Ghanaian Movie industry despite his conviction that the industry is retrogressing from the successes of the past. The man, affectionately referred to as Mr. Addison, following his role in the popular 90s series, “Ultimate Paradise,” told TV3 the movies produced in recent times are of poor quality. He was particularly peeved about the emphasis on the ‘juju’, witchcraft or superstitious movies, which have become the major theme for most locally, produced movies. When asked about some of his favorite actors or actresses in the industry, the veteran actor only mentioned Majid Michel. He later hit the screens with his first lead role in the movie Genesis Chapter X a few years later.

RAFIU FISHONE ON THE LEFT. MAJID MICHEL IN THE MIDDLE, JAMES GADINER ON THE RIGHT Spending most of his working time in broadcasting and earning a Commonwealth scholarship to study and work with the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, George Williams appears to have seen it all in the industry. He is advising those seeking to achieve excellence in the movie industry to seek academic and practical knowledge. “You got to learn how to write script to start with; you got to learn how to act and you got to learn speech and do all those things. You cannot runway from all those things and say you are doing a movie. That is debauchery. I have had the experience with people who unfortunately have not been adequately schooled in the processes of making a film and they are the people directing films because they have a few coins in their pocket. I have found that it is impossible working with 90/95% of those people. What you see is shameful,” he noted. He is advising those seeking to achieve excellence in the movie industry to seek academic and practical knowledge. “You go to school and that’s where you start from. Then you go through apprenticeship and keep learning because life itself is a lesson. However, the fact simply is that, I went through the mill and I think that anyone who wants to go anywhere should go through the mill. You just can’t do it anyway else” he emphasized. “Some of these younger fellows aren’t doing badly. Majid for instance is worth talking about because he is very conscientious and he works very hard. I wouldn’t recommend some of the roles I found him in; nevertheless he is a very good actor” he noted. Still cheerful and fit even at age 86, Uncle George started his career in 1952 with stage acting and plays.