Norman Wilkinson was a Cinema Manager and Worker who worked at various Yorkshire-based cinemas between 1936 and 1967. Wilkinson began work in 1936 as a "Rewind Boy" and progressed to Chief Operator in the projection room. He was employed by one A. Shacklock Hyde who owned and operated several suburban cinemas in Bradford through Elite Cinemas, from his headquarters in Shipley. Mr Hyde, like most independent cinema owners, paid his staff very little, and to find a man like Mr`Wilkinson, who obviously loved his work and was prepared to put many hours of unpaid overtime into his efforts to boost business, must have been a godsend. Wilkinson was called up for service in 1940 and unfortunately was captured by the Japanese at Singapore. He spent nearly four years as a prisoner of war. From late 1945 to early 1948 he resumed work as Chief Operator in Bradford. He was later promoted to Manager of the Victoria Cinema in Burley-in-Wharfdale, where he won showmanship awards. In 1953, he was again promoted to Manager of the much larger Empire Super cinema of Regent Cinemas in Batley. Wilkinson's career in cinema ended in 1963 with the closure of the aforementioned cinemas, which coincided with the general decline of cinema attendance.