Film and TV Technician (1957)

26 FILM & TV TECHNICIAN February 1957 The winter issue of " Bulletin ", organ of IATSE, our counterpart in the U.S.A., throws an interesting light on union affairs over there. It seems the Sound Section there are as much in the vanguard as here. In a large box on one page is notice of a substantial wage increase and a cut in the working week from 44 to 40 hours for R.C.A. sound maintenance men. The final paragraph of the notice would ring a bell for sound members. It refers to violations of the 44-hour week and asks members to submit copies of their time-sheets when this has occurred. An item for the Television Programme Contractors : Seattle members of the union, helping in a state-wide campaign to popularise the buying of goods bearing a union label, made a brief television film on the subject. The three local stations showed the picture free on their allotted public service time. Among the five new designs of Christmas cards sold in 1956 by the Motion Picture Relief Fund, the first two selected by the judges were the work of the Hollywood Scenic Artists Branch. Said their secretary, " We are proud of our members. They were competing with art directors and high-ranking artists of the nation ". . . A note for the Publicity Section : When Local (818) (Publicists) held its annual party one of the guests, a young star, made her entrance on a baby elephant, and Miss Jayne Mansfield attended in a miniature leopard's skin bikini. (How " miniature " can a bikini get?) South Africa Freedom is having a tough time of it in many parts of the world these days and not least in South Africa. Skimming through the pages of the I.L.O. review, usually packed with .such information as the fact that Afghanistan has ratified one ILO convention since that body's formation in 1919, I came across the following piece of vicious legal jargon from the South African Industrial Relations Act 1956. In the section dealing with definitions, the Act states: " A ' coloured person ' means a person who is not a white person or a native, a ' white person ' means a person who in appearance obviously is, or who is generally accepted as a white person, but does not include a person who, although in appearance obviously white, is generally accepted as a coloured person ". Hungary Members will be glad to hear, following the generous response to the TUC appeal, that the Hungarian TUC has written thanking the TUC for their help. No Assistants ? The Rank Organisation is noted for its excellent publicity. Recently it took a half-page in The Times for an advertisement that depicted the whole production team from production manager to clapper-boy all standing on the set. A chart by the large photograph (on which several A.C.T.T. members were recognisable) indicated the various jobs. I scrutinised the list, found there were full crews but for some reason or other only the First Assistant Director was included. A film at Pinewood without second and third assistants is rare to the point of being nonexistent. Redundancy I have been asked to reassure our members in Associated-Rediffusion TV about redundancy rumours in this company. I have it from most authoritative and reliable sources that there are to be no dismissals among those concerned with the writing, transmission, and distribution of memos. If anything, there is likely to be an increase in this work. " Young Film " I have a copy of " Young Film " before me, a new publication put out by the International Union of Students, and meant for young people working in or interested in films. It is an interesting development when a magazine published in Prague has a back page still of Miss Diana Dors. The magazine has a more serious side with articles on films made by the Prague High School of Cinematography. A quote from the caption under a cartoon, a jaded producer speaking : " Oh, it's the same old story . . . mad scientist meets apegirl, ape-girl throws mad scientist into volcano, werewolf bites apegirl, elephant boy marries daughter of vampire." Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Alan Blay on the birth of a daughter, Susan Ann, on 7th February. Both mother and daughter are doing well. Alan Blay is our deputy steward at Shepperton Studios, and our members there, particularly the sound department, extend their best wishes to the family. Our stills members have lost an old friend and colleague in Frank Bourne, who died recently in hospital. He had been in bad health for some time, but before that he had always been an enthusiastic member of the union and particularly of the stills section. He joined the A.C.T.T. in 1938 and will be remembered and missed by many old friends in the business. ftfCU* Cover Competition Result First prize of £10 10s. Od. in the competition for our new cover has been awarded to Jack Timms. The second prize of £3 3s. Od. has been awarded to Albert W. lTrry. Nine entries were received and the Journal Committee would like to thank all entrants fur the high standard of work submitted.