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FILM
Along the Mole troops, waiting evacuation from Dunkirk, press back OS the wooden structure disintegrates
IT IS TIME
TO ADJUST
By
MICHAEL BALCON
" Wc ntuxt reconsider out whoh
approach to film production in
rt !at i"ii to content."
THE Association's 25th anniversary has an especial interest for me since, although my own film career is longer, it so happens that the life of the A.C.T.T. corresponds to some extent with what I might call the second stage of my industry life — the period with Ealing.
I am asked to write, however, about the development of feature films during the life of the Association, which means that I am dealing also with that period of about five years before I joined Ealing.
Well — 1933 was a period of high hope. Under the aegis of Mr. Isidore Ostrer and his brothers, the activities of the then GaumontBritish Corporation were of an expansionist nature in that the new additions to Shepherds Bush Studios had been completed and we were embarking on a large programme of films with which we aimed to conquer the world's markets
It i.-' perhaps Interesting to remember that at that time there were not nearly enough trained technicians In the country. But we had no difficulty in importing firstclass men from the United States
and from Europe 1 1 have in mind such outstanding technicians as Georges Perinal. Max Greene, Glen McWilliams, Otto Ludwig. Gunther Krampf and many others) and I think we must, to some extent, be grateful to them for helping to train some of the British personnel who were to become the backbone of our industry. Early apprenticeship schemes were also established, including classes at the technical school near the studio, principally for the training of make-up artists.
They were in some respects good days and, on looking back, I remember with affection such films as Jack's tin Boy, Man nf Aran, Rome Express, Tin Midshipmaid and The Good Companions.
Alas, our fondest hopes w< i dashed to the ground. We failed to conquer the American market and round about 1936-37 we were faced with one of our earlier crises The pity of it was that this was m some respects a vantage period for British films, with stars like Jack Hulbert, Cicelj Courtncidgc. Conrad Veidt, Jessie Matthew.-'. Tom Walls — to mention but a few — at the peak of their success.
There is no doubt that since its foundation the Association has