Documentary News Letter (1944-1945)

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DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER No. 2 1944 15 NOTES OF THE MONTH Comings and Goings during the past month or two there have been a number of significant transatlantic trips in the interests of film propaganda. Basil Wright is back refreshed by the sight of Canadian progress, particularly in the non-theatrical field, whilst George Archibald has returned to assumed the post of Controller of Home and Films Divisions in the Ministry of Information. This appointment has had the effect of elevating Tom Baird into Archibald's former post of Films Division representative in the United States. Baird pioneered, under John Grierson's guidance, in the building up of non-theatrical distribution in this country, and did much to lay the foundations of what has pretty certainly become a permanent part of our national life. The most mysterious journey was made by Alfred Hitchcock who left Hollywood for a few months to make in British studios some official shorts intended for eventual distribution in liberated Europe, and who has now returned to America and to his more permanent pursuits. The nature of Hitchcock's work remains shrouded in appropriately melodramatic mystery and we have as yet had no opportunity of judging whether this first-rate technician has blossomed out into a good propagandist. Something Positive a.c.t. have produced a most valuable and timely document in their Memorandum on Documentary and Educational Films which reaches us as we go to press. It reviews the whole field of specialised film making, and draws therefrom conclusions which, we hope, will be of influence in high places, and particularly the Board of Education. Special emphasis is laid on the impossibility of separating planned production from planned projection — a point which should be self-evident but which is always being overlooked, particularly as regards films for schools. At a time when monopolistic groups are casting covetous eyes on the whole educational field, A.C.T.'s memorandum is of especial importance, stating as it does a sober and cogent case for the production and use of films for the community by the community. For, whatever may have been the shortcomings of Government film-sponsorship during the past five years, the net result of the great expansion of the documentary film for purposes of propaganda, information, exposition and education will be an incalculable benefit to the nation, provided always that no attempts are made, on grounds of "economy", to revert to the pre-war situation. This, as the Memorandum rightly points out, would only hold back "full development of the use of such films for the benefit of the community". Supplies of the A.C.T. Memorandum are limited by the usual paper shortage but we understand that a few copies are still available from Assoc, of Cine-Technicians, 9 Bromefield, Stanmore, Middlesex. Teachers in particular would do well to get copies and read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them. Newsreels in Germany a fairly substantial report on the situation of Newsreel cinemas in Germany, which slipped through from Berlin via Switzerland, throws an interesting spotlight on the changing conditions over there owing to the war, in respect of documentaries. There was, so we are told, a real boom in newsreel cinemas only a few years ago ; cinemas which specialised in programmes of several newsreels plus cartoons and educationals, proved so successful that theatres of this type were opened all over the country in increasing numbers. Then, the situation was changed by the war. Overseas connections were interrupted. There was one newsreel only available instead of a great many. The world reservoir of educationals and cartoons was cut off. Scores of newsreel cinemas had to close down or turn to showing old feature films. But, so strong has been the demand of the public for that type of film , programme that, in the first six months of 1943, the number of i newsreel cinemas had been doubled again, in spite of all the diffi culties; more have been, and will be, opened or re-opened since. Such (says the report) is the hunger of the public for actual topics. Hence the vast European documentary production that has been started by the Nazi film industry, with units sent to Spain, France, the Low Countries, Denmark, Norway, Rumania, Greece, Italy and so forth. Here are some titles: Strolling Through Madrid, Ancient Amsterdam, A Day in Barcelona, Eternal Works (on bronze casting in Paris), Cattle Breeding in France. . . . This report, as a whole, presents some valuable clues for both the present and the future. It betrays, when properly scrutinised, the German public's desire for even the slightest opportunity of having a glimpse into the outside world, as shown in foreign newsreels and cartoons, from which they have been cut off by Nazi prohibition of foreign journals, etc., for eleven years. It shows, at the same time, a public preference for any factual films, taken abroad, to the usual fare of propaganda or escapist features, as well as of Nazi speeches and articles. If this is the correct interpretation of that Berlin report there appears to be an implication in the present situation as regards the post-war future. Documentary films seem to be predestined to play a prominent part in the moral reconstruction of the German public. These popular newsreel cinemas may prove the most suitable schools or lecture halls ; and documentaries the most efficient and welcome teachers if they are produced with a view to serving this particular purpose. [We are indebted to Mr. H. H. Wollenberg for the information contained in this note.] D.F.C. we congratulate Pat Moyna on the award of the D.F.C. The terms of the official citation are as follows : "Acting Squadron Leader Edward Patrick Gordon Moyna, R.A.F.V.R. This officer has participated in a large number of sorties against a wide variety of important and well defended targets. He has displayed exceptional skill and great gallantry and his efforts to make every sortie a success have set an example of the highest order." Moyna has been for many years a most valuable member of the documentary movement, and it is a source of great gratification to his many friends and co-workers that his merits in a job which is dangerous and hazardous enough without the extra problems and pre-occupations of cinematography have been so suitably rewarded. Don't look now, but . . . in a statement released to the American press by the "Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals" there occurs, among other plums, the following sentence : "In our special field of Motion Pictures we resent the growing impression that the industry is made up, and dominated by, Communists, radicals and crackpots." Whether or not the phrase "made up" refers exclusively to Max Factor and his merry men, the "domination" idea suggests the possibility of a glorious witch hunt, involving more particularly Donald Duck, the Marx Brothers and "Red" Skelton. The question of allocating the adjective "crackpot" is one which few students of Hollywood would care to undertake unless they were rich enough to stand a series of libel actions. The elaborate statement of this mysteriously indignant Alliance is a joke at first, second and third reading. Yet we feel sure that our American allies will forgive us if we say that their sense of humour in such matters is not always dependable. We hope they are ready to laugh out of court any requests which may now be made to ban enlightened Hollywood themes merely because they might give substance to the charge which has been so gratuitously (but perhaps ingeniously) invented by the body concerned with the "Preservation of American Ideals". In our view Hollywood is "made up, and dominated by" people obsessed with the preservation of American ideals.