Amateur Movie Makers (Dec 1926-Dec 1927)

They Tell THE STORY THERE may still be a few skeptics whose belief it is that the Amateur Cinema League had its origin in the great American habit of joining something. For their benefit and for that of the more charitable, the following comments from every part of the United States are published. They came unsolicited. In the case of letters, they came accompanied by a membership application with checks ranging from five to one hundred dollars. Some came with money that not only was intended for membership charges but for the use of the League as it saw fit. They, indeed, tell the story better than any analysis of them could. The New York Herald Tribune, on its editorial page of December 4, said : Amateur Cinematography "When a pastime has become so popular as to warrant the publication of a magazine devoted solely to its interests, it must be recognized as a factor in the life of the people. Such a pastime, or hobby, amateur motion picture making has become, for the first number of "Amateur Movie Makers," a monthly magazine, published by the Amateur Cinema League has just appeared at Hartford, Conn. "One wonders. Harmless and delightful the new photography must at first seem to be. But will it, or will it not, stimulate the ambitions of thousands of young people to become professionals of the screen? It can be argued, of course, that it will act as a safety valve to such aspirations. The young person, especially the young female person, who feels the Hollywood urge may be satisfied, or even disillusioned, by starring in the homemade film. But alas! we are confronted by a deadly analogy. Does a young person aspire to write or paint, and does he produce a story or picture admired by devoted relatives and friends? Promptly he puts the precious work in his suitcase and sets out for a center of literature and art to win the fame for which he is obviously destined. Will Hollywood soon be besieged by fresh thousands of young persons, most of them young female persons, each bearing a reel of amateur film neatly bound around with blue ribbon and sealed, figuratively speaking, with the plaudits of the folks at home? "Well, there is no stopping the spread of the new picture taking and no doubt it will do more good than harm. But we urge upon the older relatives and friends of young persons who begin to experiment with amateur cinematography that they become at once the severest critics as well as dearest pals of the youthful actors and actresses." WRITING from Dublin. Ireland, Clifton Adams, official photographer for the National Geographic Magazine, said : "I am just now finishing a photographic survey of Ireland. The article will be by a famous Irish novelist, Donn Byrne, and is scheduled for an early number of The Magazine. I'm keenly interested in the A. C. L., and want to be an active member. Would you allow me to contribute still photographs for the League publication and perhaps short articles from time to time?" J. E. Brulatour of New York wrote: "I am very happy indeed to be one of the original members of this organization, as I am very much interested, and know that it will attain tremendous scope and be of great benefit to amateur users of the motion picture camera." Carl Louis Gregory, editor of the Camera Magazine, said : "I have published an article regarding the Amateur Cinema League in the Camera Magazine and expect to receive a large number of inquiries for particulars and membership applications." CHARLES E. Bedeaux, who has just returned from six months trip through British Columbia, where he has been making moving pictures in parts hitherto unexplored, wrote: "I wish to call to your attention a serious need for a service in connection with amateur cinematography which at present is not existing. I refer to the editing of films after they have been developed. I am convinced that the average user of amateur moving pictures is deprived of his full enjoyment of his films and is at times guilty of boring his friends because his films are not properly edited with suitable titles." J. D. Barnum, publisher of the Syracuse, N. Y. Post Standard, wrote : "May I express the belief that a great work can be done by your organization if you will make an appeal to your members to send in films of all kinds of outdoor life. Many owners of small movie camera have been taking pictures on their outing in Europe and world trips and such material properly edited will afford better films for the average household than the material that is now being released through the established libraries of professional films. "Another distinctive service to build up would be to solicit your members for films of big events in their territory, to be incorporated in a weekly or monthly sport news film. It would be impossible to reproduce extracts from all the letters which have been received. A few of the others who wrote were : Calbot Field of Hope, Arkansas ; Harry C AVilson of Memphis, Tenn. ; Frieda Kalb of Beverly Hills. (Continued on page 32) T w e n t v o n e z —