The Cine Technician (1939)

213 T II ]■; (I N E-T ECHNICIA N March-April, 1' AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE Doai' Mr. Stanley, \\*i don't shout our admiration ol our fellow becliui I think it was Miss ('. A. Lejeune, at the opening of cians — perhaps we are at fault in that — but we feel and the new Shepherds Bush studios, such a few years ago, know that Powell is right when he says "'No one man who remarked that some of the greatest drama of the films ever made a film. He can inspire it. He can stamp his was right on our own doorstep neglected b\ our own personality on it. But in the long run it is good team inability to sec the potentialities oi stories that lay under work that makes a good film" . . . And if I may add a our noses — the work that is done by the technicians glimpse of the obvious, it is good team work that makes themselves. a good Him industry. You. Mr. Stanley, are on Now, when that group of workers who were there that team. Right at the moment you are leading it. when those studios opened are disbanded, and when you Where? To you our industry is but one item in your yourself are engaged in putting a new tyre on a wheel daily round — to us it is our very existence . When you whose hub is broken, perhaps it is apposite to draw your read these pages you will recall that famous October gale attention to a book that has recently been published, b when the unit were marooned on Foula — the splash pn ss is called "200,000 Feet on Foula"* and is written by headlines — the broadcasts — the world anxiety — and you .Michael Powell, It is a record oi the making of a film will learn the inner story of the lives of the unit troni it. which lie directed— ' 'THE EDGE OF THE WOULD." There the details come' to lite— the good humour— the There before you lie the answers to nearly all of the hardships — the frayed tempers — the open defiance questions that have been receiving your attention during orders — and through every line of every page the "leit the last few months. It tells vou of the making of a motif" — the determination of a British director to make British picture by a British unit, their struggles, their a GOOD BRITISH PICTURE failures, their successes. It gives you an insight into the Those boys are all friends of ours — Ernie Palmer, great driving power that conceived an idea eight years Skeets Kelly. John Seabourne, George Black, and all the ago and saw the realisation of a dream amidst the raging rest. And we have hundreds more like them who can ot Atlantic gales. do good work too — when they get it! Head that pass Michael Powell wanted to make a film ol the evacua about Skeets: "... and Skeets, never shall 1 forget him. lion ot SI. Kilda and the depopulation of the Highlands, Half the time he had no tripod — his tall body screwed up but owing to circumstances over which he had no con in the boat whilst 1 directed over bis shoulder. He held trol he made it in foula, ami as things turned out perhaps as steady as the "Kaine" and performed miracles. Thirty it is all the better for that. The hook' is a beautifully shots in four hours — in boats — in a dashing sea — on slip wrilten and masterly description ot the trials and triumphs pery rocks — with four actors and dramatic scenes. It w of a film unit, such trials and triumphs as, unrecorded. worth eighteen weeks together to see it could be done!' beset so many film units which have not the advantage The workers of the industry thank Mr. Powell for of bis unique situation to bring them into the spotlight of those words. There is not a man 1 know who wouldn't popular knowledge, ft tells of the efforts they made to work his "guts" out for that . . . even though it didn't get the film financed to start with — the lone process of appear in print. preparation — the landing on the island — the establishment And alterwards, when you have read the book, go and of the camp — the settling down to five months of hard see the him. You will love it even more. And when you work and the ungrudging co-operation of a grand team of have seen the film . . . well, need 1 point a moral'.1 technicians. You will laugh t at many of their experiences \\ e can make films in Britain as well as anyone can. — you will enjoy the sometimes ruthless analysis of charac We have the British technicians capable of the job. We ters and the frank description of the ways of "production have the studios. \\ itb all due deference to ('. A. Lejeune. chiefs." You will be thrilled by the narration of danger we don't really ignore opportunities that lie at our d and bravery — you will sympathise with the efforts to hide Many of the boys who helped to make "EDGE OF THE the suffering, the real suffering which befell some of fchem, W ORLD" are now, like most of our industry, unemploy both me'Ttidlv and physically— and vou will appreciate <->\ Will you give them a chance to get back to work? To the force of the camp's tag line, taken from the remark build up the British film industrv we all so much di of Walter Huston m "The Criminal Code": "That's the to see ? Remember, Yob Abb. BEADING THE TEAM way things break sometimes— and vou've got to take Yours sincerely, them the way they fall." THE ASSOCIATION OF CINE-TECHNICIANS To ns in the film industry it is a vivid revelation of our own unexpressed feelings and I applaud Powell on ( lolll IK'HSill ioil Ol)tail)C(l Ins sincerity when he speaks of the worth oi Ins British 1 unit : "I have a weakness— only I think' it is a strong point The Legal Department of the Association ol Cine ... I believe in giving young men a chance . . and alter Technicians has recently handled < ases lor two oi seven years of good production there is some splendid new members, and reports that each case lias been settled material, men like Arthur Crabtree, Roy Kellino, Bernard satisfactorily, in the first ease settlement of £50 com Knowles, Cyril Bristow, Ronnie N'eame, all of whom 1 pensation had been obtained in respect of injuries received have seen come up from assistants." (Thanks, Mr. by a camera operator during the course of his work. In Powell). the second case a settlement of £25 was reached with the __ company in ivspeci ol breach oi eontracl with a camera '■■ Labor and Lab t. 1*2 () nd man.