Documentary News Letter (1944-1945)

48 DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER No. 4 1944 ROLE OF THE "SHORTS" What role should the "short" play in the film society programme? Even when it meets the requirement of quality, it should not be merely something which fills out the programme to the desired running-time. A film society should have at least two reasons for showing a short : its demonstration of some advance in technique or experiment in subject-matter; and the complementary contribution it makes to the interest of the other films in the programme. Programmes composed to a theme, once a revolutionary experiment, are now included in most film society seasons. There are several bases for choosing the films : technique, origin, content, period of production. As an example of the first, the use of music in films may be illustrated. Such a programme was given by the Ayrshire Film Society this season when it showed, with Battle for Music, Troopship (Richard Addinsell), Paderewski, and Malta, G.C. (Sir Arnold Bax). Other technique programmes are possible on colour, sound, decor, and the camera. For a programme on the camera I recommend societies to watch for a Columbia film, Address Unknown, in which the combination of William Cameron Menzies and Rudolph Mate produces an acutely picture-conscious treatment. Films grouped under their country of origin normally offer little difficulty and it is one of the societies' duties to illustrate cinema achievement in other countries. During the war, however, this has not been possible except for America and Russia. The U.S.O.W.I. is bringing into the country a steady flow of films which make an American programme easy to compile. Among the latest films to arrive is The Valley of the Tennessee an illuminating account of the T.V.A. experiment, with something of the dramatic power of The River. The arrangement of a Russian programme is greatly facilitated by The Russian Story which, with its excerpts from most of the outstanding Soviet films, does with ease in an hour or so what some film societies have previously laboured earnestly and unsuccessfully to do. If any society south of the Border is considering a Scottish programme, the new Scottish shorts (Power for the Highlands, Highland Doctor, Crofters, and the widely-praised Children of the City) make possible an attractive programme, with perhaps a revival of Michael Powell's Edge of the World. Programmes based on content can have a wide and fascinating variety. For example, the London Film Institute Society opened its season with an unusual programme of crime films, in which Children of the City and a reel from Blackmail preceded Fritz Lang's M. I should like to see a programme on comedy with, perhaps, short pieces by Laurel and Hardy and W. C. Fields shown with a reel from a Marx Brothers film and The Gold Rush. Period programmes which carry the audience ten, fifteen, twenty years back in film time, can also be fascinating and revealing. A programme with The Blue Angel was a notable success in Edinburgh last season, and a similar programme, dipping further back in film history — the period of The Last Laugh — is being considered. I find that, although there is no lack of short films of interest to film societies, news of their existence sometimes fails to reach those who would find it most useful. One of the reasons for this is that shorts are so rarely seen by the film critics; and even when they are seen, there is little space available to comment on them Among the new M. of I. films which societie should consider for their programmes are Thd Grassy Shires, first of the "Pattern of Britain."T series; Cotswold Club, the story of a Village) Produce Association ; The New Crop, on timber and re-afforestation; A Start in Life, on health services for children: Atlantic Trawler, an impression of trawlermen at war ; and Night Flight, a study of map-reading as an aid to navigation. These are in addition to the Scottish films mentioned above. It is probably a prejudiced \iew-j point, but I consider Crofters the most beauti-T fully photographed film of the war. Of the British Council's films, produced; primarily for showing abroad, there rs a number which should interest film societies. The New\ Mine is an account of the new methods in use at the Comrie Colliery in Fife. Cambridge effectively conveys the town's architectural character and includes glimpses of the famous men who teach there. Teeth of Steel, in impressive technicolor, illustrates the work of giant excavators; it is to be followed by a more ambitious film in colour on the production of steel. Accident Service is a medical film in the tradition of the Council's successful Surgery in Chest Diseases. There have been several recent additions to the "World in Action" series, produced in Canada by Stuart Legg under John Grierson's supervision. These include War for Men's Minds. on propaganda; Labour Front, on world manpower problems ; and Global Air Routes, a stimulating discussion on international aviation. In conclusion, one or two unrelated impressions: the improving quality of M.G.M. colour cartoons, cf. Dumb-Hounded; the liveliness of Georg Pal's work for Paramount ; and the return to form of Robert Benchley, in, for example, No News is Good News. H. FORSYTH HARDY Film Societies Edinburgh Film Guild opened its season with Toscanini and Duvivier's The Heart of a Nation. The second programme was Circonstances Attenuates and The Battle of Russia and films announced include The Childhood of Maxim Gorki, Strange Incident, Le Jour se Leve, Welcome to Britain, and Un Carnet de Bed. A feature is to be made of Frank Capra's war films, shown in special programmes with British documentaries of the equivalent period. Last season's membership record has been broken and the roll has had to be closed. Manchester and Salford Film Society has shown Jacob Sverdlov and The Magnificent Ambersons. Men of Rochdale and Derriere la Facade are announced. A Film Forum to express and discuss viewpoints on the cinema has been held monthly in the British Council rooms. Dundee Film Society has decided to place a limit this year on its steadily growing membership. The season opened with the unusual American film, The Remarkable Andrew. Un Carnet de Bal is to be revived. Film Society of Ayrshire followed its opening programme on music with Le Dernier Townant. Performances will be held this season in Ayr only. Aberdeen Film Society showed Education de Prince at its opening performance. The Capra war films will be included in later programmes. * For your information TN every progressive enterprise there must be leaders -A-and those who follow behind. As artistic and technical progress in kinematography quickens to the tempo and stimulus of war, " KINEMA.TOGRAPH WEEKLY" is always to be found " up-with-theleaders ", its well-informed pages radiating perception and far-sighted thinking. Kinematography's leaders themselves know this for truth and turn to "K.W." week by week for information and /, ^.//rft enlightenment 93 LONG LONDON ACRE W.C.2