The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

30 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN February, 1954 Cine Profile Ian Crawford TAN CRAWFORD, chief A.C.T. Steward at British *■ Acoustic for the past year, came from Australia in 1951 to look around Europe for a few months. He saw a bit of Germany, France, the Benelux countries and Switzerland, but he liked London best and decided to settle here for a while, especially as he has now become engaged to a girl who works for the British Electricity Authority. Strangely enough, Ian's fiancee, whom he met in England, is an Australian girl. He travelled to the U.S.S.R., when the B.A. workers sent him on a delegation to the Moscow May Day celebrations in 1952; he found the people there very happy and with a good sense of humour, although sometimes he thought " they rather overemphasised their desire for peace." He was impressed by the way Soviet cinemas were often attached to factories; the Moscow 3-D cinema was not yet as commercial a proposition as ours, though he preferred the way their system did not require glasses. Ian went on his own to a Russian radio station, where he was particularly interested in the equipment, which was " very similar to that in Australian commercial stations." Equipment is Ian's business, as he's in the Test Department at B.A. A large amount of equipment is manufactured there both for the home and overseas markets. Among the latest developments are CinemaScope equipment, built to American specifications, but designed by our technicians at B.A. Their first full CinemaScope equipment was used in Milan, where it was regarded as equal to any in the world. A.C.T. NEWS— continued KODAK: The Management at Kodak have very kindly given A.C.T. the use of their excellent Hall at Harrow for a Film Ball which we are organising in aid of the Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund. It will be held on Friday, 19th March. Film stars will be there. Tickets: single 10/6, double fl. We hope our members will give it every support. More information in the next issue of the journal and in the meantime keep the date free. LONDON FRIENDS OF MUSIC: Pat Holmes has informed us that Malcolm Arnold, who is one of the most prolific young composers in England today, and as many will know is mainly associated with London Films where he wrote the scores of such well-known productions as Sound Barrier, The Ringer and Captain's Paradise, and who was responsible for the score to the new David Lean production of Hobson's Choice, is giving a lecture in the Recital Room of the Festival Hall on Thursday, 11th March, 1954, at 8.15 p.m. The title of the lecture to be " The Serious Composer's Approach to Film Music." In view of the keen interest that has been expressed within the film industry the London Friends of Music have decided to make a special offer to members of the A.C.T., to attend the function at half price rates, that is, 4/-, 3/ or 1/9 (unreserved). This concession is, of course, only available as long as tickets are unsold. Interested members are asked to apply direct to the Secretary, London Friends of Music Ltd., 9 Russell Chambers, Bury Place, W.C.I, in writing, or telephone Mr. Maxted Jones at HOLborn 7978. Then there's the 16mm. projector, which can take both optical and magnetic tracks as well as recording magnetic. The B.A. technicians consider these equipments, along with all recording and general cinema equipment, to be unsurpassed by any other types on the market. CinemaScope manufacture at B.A. has brought its trade union problems: as repair and laboratory workers have been shifted over to producing the large amount of equipment being ordered, the unions have been going forward for special local agreements to make conditions satisfactory for these workers, especially on overtime rates. Supporting Ian on the A.C.T. Committee are Branch Treasurer Ted Harris, Jim Caldon, Roy Mingaye (son of the N.A.T.K.E. Studio Organiser), who are elected by the whole shop, and Section Stewards Bill Langdon (Laboratory), Eric Cherry (Repair Shop) and Arthur Clements (Stores and Despatch); Phil Booth used to be Chairman until he moved to the Patents Department of B.O.P.E., and there's also a vacancy for a representative of the Assemby Shop. Ian has done a lot in a little time to build up 100 per cent trade unionism at B.A. and to work closely with the Amalgamated Engineering Union, the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers and the Sheet Metal Workers there, but he modestly says that Lyn Blakelock, of the A.E.U., who is Secretary of the Joint Shop Stewards Committee, has been mainly responsible for bringing the unions together to work in harmony. This unity resulted in our members solidly coming out on strike in support of the engineers' recent one-day stoppage. Since A.C.T. put forward its general claim for an overall wage increase, the management have said they are only prepared to consider increases on a sectional basis. That's why Ian says that the main concern of the B.A. employees is for " absolute unity between the skilled technical men and the non-technical workers." He is confident A.C.T. will support pay increases for all sections. As with other branches of A.C.T., wages overshadow all other problems, but we are the Association of Cinematograph and allied Technicians, and the allied technicians at B.A. face other problems as well — fixing bonuses for the Assembly Shop, organising the clerical employees into N.A.T.K.E. again, getting a new grade for A.C.T. members in the new departments making CinemaScope screens and magnetic heads, and getting proper training for newcomers; this last point is something they have recently achieved at B.A. Ian's other activities include representing with Jim Caldon the B.A. Branch at the Hammersmith Trades Council — and athletics. In 1952 he won the half-mile in the B.O.P.E. sports. He finds unity a good thing in sport, too, as with Harry Tubbs. Jimmy Mitchel and Johnny Gaisford he won the mile medley relay race for B.A. both last year and the year before. At 25 years of age, Ian Crawford spends much of his time on behalf of A.C.T. — but he still has time to take his fiancee to the pictures twice a week. Their preference? A British picture, of course. RECORDER.