American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1941)

Academy Award (Continued 'from Page 103) ing, to Anne Bauchens for "Northwest Mounted Police." It may be noted, too, that the Award for the best one-reel short-subject, given to Pete Smith's "Quicker 'n a Wink," was to a picture which depended for its entire appeal upon a new development in photography. This unusual film was made to illustrate the unusual effects of super-slow-motion movies made by means of the Edgerton high-speed stroboscopic flash at camera-speeds up to 2,000 frames per second. The non-techn'fcal Awards were: Outstanding picture, "Rebecca," David 0. Selznick; Best Performance by Actor, James Stewart,"Philadelphia Story;" Actress, Ginger Rogers, "Kitty Foyle;" Supporting Actor, Walter Brennan, "The Westerner;" Supporting Actress, Jane Darwell, "The Grapes of Wrath;" Direction, John Ford, "The Grapes of Wrath;" Original story, Benjamin Glazer and John S. Toldy, "Arise, My Love;" Best Written Screenplay, Donald Ogden Stewart, "Philadelphia Story;" Best Original Screenplay, Preston Sturges, "The Great McGinty;" Best Original Score, Leigh Harline, Paul J. Smith and Ned Washington, "Pinocchio;" Best Scoring, Alfred Newman, "Tin Pan Alley;" Best Song, "When You Wish Upon a Star," Leigh Harline and Ned Washington, for "Pinocchio;" Best Cartoon, "Milky Way," Rudolph Ising-MGM; Best One-reel Short-subject, "Quicker 'n a Wink," Pete Smith-MGM; Best two-reel Short Subject, "Teddy, the Rough-rider," Warner Bros. Special Awards were made to comedian Bob Hope for his unselfish services to the motion picture industry, and to Colonel Nathan Levinson for oustanding service to the motion picture industry and to the Army during the past nine years which made possible the present efficient mobilization of the motion picture industry facilities for the production of Army training films. The Academy's usual special Irving Thalberg Memorial Award, given annually for the most outstanding production achievement by an individual producer, was not given this year as the Committee felt that no individual achievement was sufficiently outstanding to merit such an Award. The Awards Banquet itself was precedent-making in that it marked the first time that the President of the United States addressed the motion picture industry. Speaking over a special radio network from the White House in Washington, D. C, President Roosevelt said: "To my friends of the motion picture industry whose representatives are gathered from far and near for the annual awards dinner of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In these days of anxiety and world peril our hearts and minds and all of our energies are directed toward one objective — that objective is the strengthening of our na tional defense. Every day that passes we realize that more and more things in our lives must be available in just such proportions as they contribute to the national defense. "The American motion picture as a national and international force is a phenomenon of our own generation. Within living memory we have seen it born and developed. We have seen the American motion picture become foremost in all the world. "Today our problem of national defense has become one of helping to defend the entire western hemisphere. You can no longer consider our own home problem of defense as a separate one. It involves the defense of all the democracies of the Americas and, in fact, it involves the future of democracy whenever it is imperilled by force or terror. "An all-important factor in hemispheric defense of democracies is the Lend-Lease Bill, whose early enactment by Congress we anticipate. It is our place here and now to acknowledge the great service which the news-reels have performed in acquainting the public of America of the various legislative stages. "The cooperation which has been shown by the three Americas in defending all the entire western hemisphere is the natural outgrowth of our own good neighbor policy, in our relations with the other American Republics. We have been seeking to affirm our faith in the western hemisphere through a wider exchange of culture and ideals, and through free expression among the various nations of this hemisphere. Your industry has utilized and is utilizing its vast resources of talent and facilities in a sincere effort to help the people of the hemisphere to come to know each other better. In carrying out the program of advancing continental defense, our government has established machinery to coordinate our growing commercial relations with the other republics. "Our government is inviting you to do your share of the job of interpreting to the people of the western hemisphere their thoughts, to one another and all of us. All 21 republics in the Americas and Canada are grateful that your response is so immediate and so whole-hearted. "I do not minimize the importance of the motion picture industry as the most popular medium of national entertainment. Tonight I wish to place the chief emphasis on the service you can render in promoting solidarity among all the people of the Americas. "For all of this and for your splendid cooperation with all who are directing the expansion of our defense forces, I am glad to thank you. In the months and weeks that lie ahead, wre in Washington know that we shall have your continued aid and support." The President's address, coupled with the presence of Major General John O. Mauborgne, Chief Signal Officer of the Army, and other high-ranking officers of the Army and Navy, gave a new and serious significance to the motion picture industry's most important function, and to the importance of that industry in the present national emergency. Possibly it was this thought, as well as the glitter ing assemblage of more than 1400 s directors, cinematographers, writers, (-xecutives and technicians which inspired' Academy-president Walter Wanger in his brief introductory comment when. harking back to the founding of the A< ademy 15 years ago, he remarked, "It jual shows what a Hollywood idea can do — • when it's right." National Defense (Continued from Page 109) The thorough-going magnitude of the industry's cooperation in this project' may best be gauged by Col. Levinson's statement that as the Army's Hollywood movie-making project gets completely under way, as many as 20,000 members of the industry will at one time or another be cooperating. The amount of production envisioned may be estimated from General Mauborgne's statement that at present his office I plans to spend close to a million dollars a year for Army Training Films "and." he adds, "the way every detail of the Army's program is expanding during the present national emergency, you needn't be surprised if our film budget should be expanded four-fold." Movie-making is no new thing to the Signal Corps. During the last war there were many Signal Corps still and movie units in the field, many of them including men now members of the A.S.C., making a complete photographic and cinematographic record of America's participation in the war. Some few training films were made during that war, and immediately thereafter, too; the present list still includes a f i -t subjects of this nature filmed in 1920-21. But it is only within comparative If recent years that the Army has gone into motion picture production on an extensive scale. Beginning in 1930, the Signal Corps., at the invitation of the Academy, has sent one or more officers to Hollywood for intensive practical and theoretical training in all types of motion picture making — production, direction, cinematography, sound-recordiiir. film-processing, sensitometry, cutting, and the like — under the guidance of the industry's leading specialists in these fields. First to come was Col. (now General) W. E. Prosser who after some nine months' practical instruction in Hollywood returned to active duty witl the Army. As he was joined by other Hollywood-trained officers, the preset Motion Picture Section of the Sismal Corps' Photographic Section was organized. During the intervening years, according to General Mauborgne, the Army's movie-makers have made from 20 to 40 training films annually. While recent developments in some phases of tai and military equipment have naturally 130 March, 1941 American Cinematographer