Business screen magazine (1942)

•^ Seven million peoplewere shown film." in one year by the "Celluloid Circus," the British Ministry of Information's 130 mobile film units, most of them equipped for 16mm films, a few for 35 mm. These vans drive "round the country, set up and give their programs in villages and small towns, to Womens' Institutes and social clubs, in barns or churches, to factory workers in their canteens during lunchtime or midnight breaks, to .seamen and dockers' clubs along the waterfronts, anywhere from the outer Hebrides to the Scilly Isles. SiBjEtTS Are Varied The programs usually last from 80 to 90 minutes, and are made up of films of general interest and instruction, training films for civil defense workers and fire guards, films to show factory workers how vital a part they play in the problems of war, films for farmers, for amateur gardeners changing over from rose growing to cabbages, films on blood transfusion, accident prevention and the need to keep healthy in the stress of war, films about the men and women in all the fighting services on every war front, the British and the other United Nations, too. Another million of a total annual audience of twelve million people has been reached by special showings arranged in movie theatres out of ordinary hours. These cinemas have often been lent free of charge. The programs frequently showed training films to Civil Defensr audienct's. or were tied u[) with special campaigns launched by the Ministries of Labor or Health, Agriculture or Food. Other Distribution Oiti.ets The third method of reaching the audience has been through the free lending of films by the London Central Film Library, the Scottish and .South \^est of England Film Libraries. With a supply of 750 different films, these libraries took care of 18.000 bookings during the year — an increa.se of more than 200% over the previous year — lending to 1300 organizations and individuals with their own projectors. The average audience at these showings was approximately 100 people. The Central Film Library also includes the pre-war Empire and General Post Office film libraries of about -100 films, many of these the now famous first documentary films to be made, in addition to the Ministry's own post-war production of 350 current films. The borrowers of these pictures includes people of widely differing interests: there were 500 adult or la MOBILE UNITS TOUR BRITAIN SOME RECENT 16MM BRITISH FILM RELEASES Britain's Paratroops: 1 reel; 10 minutes. Reportage of the training of paratroops and their functions in warfare, by Bob Considine. Motorcycle Traini.ng: 1 reel; 7 minutes. Training of the Canadian Army Motorcycle Corps in England. E.\amples of hazards cyclists overcome in running a message under combat conditions. Shock Troops: 1 reel; 11 tninutes. Britain's Commandos go through a tough workout on their training course; then combine with Navy and ,\ir Forces to raid the enemy coast. Street Fighting: 1 reel; 14 minute.<i A realistic demonstration by the Coldstream Guards of the tactics of house-to-house and street fighting. Battleship: 2 reels; 16 minutes. A detailed tour of the battleship HMS King George V, with shots of the Admiral and his staff at work. America Moves Up: 1 reel; 13 minutes. A report by Bob Trout, CBS commentator in London, on the many ways in which the U. S. is moving materials and men into action. Via Persia: 1 reel; 8 minutes. Army Film Unit production with diagram maps, showing transportation of heavy war materials through Iran for Russia. Control Room: 2 reels; 2.3 minutes. Through diagrams and detailed pictures we see the whole of the Civilian Defense organization working during a heavy raid on a large city. Eating At Work: 1 reel; 13 minutes. This film explains the dif ficulties factory workers have in getting adequate meals, pointing out that the solution lies in factory canteens managed by nutritionists. The running of such a canteen is shown. Women Away Fro.m Home: 1 rfp(; 10 minutes. Three girls are moved to Birmingham to do war work. Two are billeted and one goes to live in a hostel. The film follows them until they have settled down in their new homes. Dig for Victory: 1 reel; 7 minutes. An instructive appeal to everyone to get a piece of land and grow vegetables. Gardening, from spading the ground to the gathering of the grown vegetables, is demonstrated by a master of the craft. The Harvest Shall Come: 4 reels; 38 minutes. 'The story of Britain's agrictulturc from lilOO to the present, told through the life of a farm worker. It is a story of neglect and decay, relieved only when farmers were needed during the last war, and again today. The film stresses the post-war aim of revitalized agriculture and fair wages. Winter on the Farm: 2 reels; IC minutes. One of a series of films showing typical farm activities in each of the four seasons. The film gives a clear and instructive description of the problems of mixed farming and shows the various duties that must be carried out in all types of weather. How TO Dig: 2 reels; 17 7ninutes. Here are demonstrated various methods of digging for planting different types of seeds in different types of soil. Information concerning films described in these colunuis may he obtained through these local offices of the British Information Services nearest you: 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Neiv York City; 360 \orth Michigan .\venue, Chicago; and California Street, San Francisco. One of Britain's 130 mobile film units which bring war films to the people. ganizations of various kinds, local authorities, 387 youth organi-!' zations. 650 schools of all grades, i I Army Units and Royal Air Force] Stations, factories, churches, hospitals and prisons. So no matter what ' anyone's job may be in Gnat Britain now. how few leisure hours or how inaccesible the camps, liijlets or hotels, anyone who wants to attend these films can always find out just what is happening on the other war fronts, and how each job fits into the complicated pattern of lot.ll war. LATIN-AMERICA ^ Ihc Good-.Nci^lilior program has two sides to it and one fails when the other is neglected. This twofold responsibility has been duly , noted, however, in the film poll' cies of the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American .\ffairs. While our 16mrn projectors and films do an excellent missionary job in the South and ("eiitral .Americas, a good and sizeable library of educational subjects about these neighbors has been made available to U. S. audiences. These films today form the nucleus of the great film reference libraries of the future in which no phase of the cultural and commercial life of these lands need lie misunderstood. U. S. distribution of the t^oordinators films has been carefully decentralized for convenience and maximum usage. R. C. Maroney, an experienced showman soundly schooled in the business side of the theatre, is in charge of this phase of distribution. That millions of Americans have been able to see these subjects despite a very real scarcity of prints of each title is a tribute to this distribution setup and to all who participate in it, Disney's "Salidos .\migos'' In the production of the month, thf event on our goodwill program was \^alt Disney's recent release of Saludn.s -Imiiios. The characters and theme of this colorful cartoon were evolved by Disney and his artists during a length trek through South America. Showings of ihr film Rio and other South .■\mcrican capilols brought enthusiastic acclaim and a -atisfying reward to the Cordinators Office for having sponsored the idea. The animated cartoon thus again proves a wonderfully universally medium and the good taste and thoroughness of observation which enabled Disney to make this perfect gesture toward the customs and culture of our neighbors has once more proved him a masterof this international medium. Vifiual Eduvalinn l»r Yieiorg >