Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 26, 1949)

eee as 2 Se Ss oe Page 12 HE Canadian writer on motion picture subjects learns ; early that reference libraries carry a minor amount of informative matter about what is today the world’s greatest medium of education and entertainment. And whatever material is filed usually emphasizes the part played by the USA in the development of the moving picture. This is not surprising, although there would be a better balance to such files if they had more about the French and English contributions. The British, who have since the war fought to recapture their place in the film world, now have a book which tells the story of the first decade of the moving picture in the Old Country. Called ‘‘The History of the British Film,” it covers the period from 1896. Written by Rachael Low and Roger Manville, it is based upon the research of the History Committee of the British Film Institute, of which the chairman is Cecil Hepworth. Further volumes covering the periods of 1906-1914 and 1914-1928 are in preparation. The book was published in London by George Allen & Unwin Ltd. and is being distributed in Canada by "Thomas Nelson & Sons. Although it is frankly a reference volume, its more-than100 photographs covering the activities of the British industry’s initial ten years and its style of presentation make it fascinating for anyone with any degree of interest in the film. The. Americans used Edison's Kinetoscope as the beginning point when they celebrated 50 years of the industry in 1944. This peepshow device is credited with inspiring the race for screen projection, in which it appears the Americans were third. In France the Lumiere Brothers of Lyons, who had photographed moving pictures in August, 1894, displayed them publicly in Paris in December, 1895. A week later Robert. Paul showed Britain her first screen movies. In April, 1896, the Edison movies were shown in New York. Britain had pioneer producers in 1896, among them a Brighton portrait photographer named Esme Collings, who made 30 short films. In that same year the newsreel came to Britain when the derby was shown on the screen of the Alhambra. Robert Paul’s “The Deserter,” shot in 1898, is claimed by Brit- ish to have been the first feature film. These things, among others, are to be learned from this invaluable book, which is divided into two parts. The first is ‘Production, Distribution and Exhipition,” the second “The Films Themselves.” One learns also that the distribution of films in Britain originated when show Canadian FILM WEEKLY A Book Review and an Appeal for a CANADIAN FILM ARCHIVE men, who had accumulated reels which they had purchased outright, hit on the. happy idea of renting them to others. | ootst nts this is a good time to return to our opening theme about the limited amount of film material in our public libraries, archives and museums. On one of the walls of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association office in Toronto there hangs a framed letter with shows that the Edison Kinetoscope was operated in Ottawa about a week after it made its appearance in the USA. Written by Thomas Edison, it informs the Holland Bros. that he is “pleased to hear that the first public exhibition of my Kinetoscope has been a success under your management, and hope your firm will continue to be associated with its further exploitation.” That letter marks the beginning of the motion picture in Canada. Apparently the Holland Bros. were Andrew and George C., who, according to the Ottawa directory of 1892-93, were Senate Reporters, Stenographers, Agents for the Smith Premier Typewriter, Edison Phonograph, and Sorley Storage Battery. They carried on their business at 34 Elgin Street and their telephone number was 12. For that information we owe thanks to the Public Archives of Canada, which also provided a story from the Ottawa Free Press of May 2nd, 1894. In it the paper describes the Kinetoscope as “The latest development of Edison’s genius in the line of photography.” It reveals its main principles, then tells how the picture which was apparently shown in Ottawa, that of Edison and Sandow together, came to be taken. j This publication sent the Public Archives a photostat of the Edison letter and it was acknowledged by G. Lanctot, deputy minister, as ‘worth exhibiting in our museum.” Aor need is a library of the first films made in this country, for in the greater Canada of tomorrow they will be invaluable as records of life in the pre-atomic age. The Museum of Modern Art in New York maintains such a library, while the Library of Congress has undertaken the gigantic task of extending its work in the film field to encompass almost all subjects, from the paper prints which, according to the Librarian of Congress, are “the incunabula of the motion picture industry,” to the latest made. The paper prints were always in possession of the Library of Congress and during the summer of 1943 the late President Roosevelt approved of plans for the preservation of motion pictures, giving his blessings to a bill which would authorize a film servicing building and vaults to be built. Also in the United States motion pictures used in the transaction of government business may be designated as records and as such are eligible for preservation in the National Archives. Luther H. Evans, the Librarian of Congress, in making his address about the USA government’s interest in that country’s films to the National Board of Review, said: “This brings us, therefore, to the consideration of the ultimate uses such collections may serve. Certainly the historian should be served; no medium records our comings-and goings quite so graphically and I hope faithfully as does the motion picture. Even the producer may turn historian on cccasion with profit to himself “and craft. But the historian is not the only one interested; there are many Others with interests which must be heard. In our poli— cy statement on selection appear these words: ‘‘These others would include students of the manifold arts as reflected in motion pic tures, such as music, the dance, make-up, costuming, speech, and drama in general; scientists and technicians having an interest in optics, electronics and: photochemistry; sociologists and psychiatrists interested in human behavior; business men contemplating investments; public leaders and public officials who may want to mobilize our national resources through the use of this medium in some great crisis; producers looking for research material as well as actual footage on non-restricted films; and taxpayers in general who may be motivated solely by a curiosity in life as mirrored on the screen.’ ”’ Canada, even though it has the largest and most successful documentary organization in the world as a government agency, has no film archives. Yet there are many Canadian films dating back to the early 1900s. Some were made by government departments, others January 26, 1949 were shot for the CPR by Guy Bradford, a cameraman imported from England. They show pictures of life in another day, Then there are film records of sporting events involving Canadian champions; feature films made before and after World Ward I in various parts of the Dominion. There are the early newsreels made by Ernest Ouimet of Montreal. If some effort is not made to gather these soon they may be lost forever, If searched out now they could provide the basis for a library which could be enlarged by the films of Canadian life which have been made by the National Film Board and others, A.Canadian Film Archive in Ottawa is one of the aims of the Toronto Film Study Group (prospectively the Toronto branch of the National Film Society) which is headed by Gerald Pratley, CBC writer. The purpose of the Canadian Film Archive will be “to trace, catalogue, assemble, exhibit and circulate a library of film programmes so that the motion picture may be studied and enjoyed as any other of the arts is studied and enjoyed.” This worthy desire to create a Canadian film library equivalent to those of the New York Museum of Modern Art and the British Film Institute should be supported but the first need is & government depositary of early pictures of our country. (ACTH example of the lack of interest in the Canadian motion picture industry background is that virtually no-his. tory or biography of a local or national nature is to be found in the Toronto Reference Library, probably the largest English° language reference library in Canada. Recently this publication offered the library copies of hisstorical and biographical articles which appeared in it during the past eight years. These were welcomed by the Chief Librarian, C. R. Sanderson, and will be placed in scrapbooks. Canadian industry folk, like their British colleagues, could provide the same type of material from which the History Committee of their Institute worked in preparing material for its book. The Canadian Picture Pioneers, a national organization, already has much material in its archives. Perhaps it is that organization which should see that some of it, in acceptable form, finds its way into reference libraries or print. Even now, when Canada has just begun the march toward its great destiny, it is strange tha such a powerful industry and art as the moving picture should be without historic records places designed to house them. How ridiculous will it seem 5 veral yenerations from now?