The Cine Technician (1938-1939)

Jan.— Feb., 1939 T H E CIXE-TECH NIC 1 A X 175 £20 REWARD Lost 24th November, 1938, from Car Park at Angel Hotel, Brentford, a Newman Sinclair Camera No. 370 with reflex finder and three lenses U ins. FL.9, 2 ins. FL.9 and 3 ins. FL.9 in Leather Case. Apply: HART & Co., 23 LAWRENCE LANE, LONDON, E.C.2 History of the Film, by Maurice Bardecke and Eobert Brasillach (translated and edited by Iris Barry). Allen and Unwin. 18/ This book is by two Frenchmen with a strong sense of the cinematic importance of France. They have consequently an outlook at times instructive to us. Melies, whose stature increases as time tracks away from him, they treat as fully as he merits, and their account of Bene ( lair is the best I have read. They recall the importance of Max hinder, too little known to the contemporary technician. Their discussion of the Scandinavian film is good. They sum up de Mille bitingly — "(his films were) based on ]). W. Griffith, blending a strong dose of puritanism with the morality of the French theatre." They remind us of a little-known aspect of Edison — "passionately intent on protecting his own interests. He actually bore little resemblance to the idyllic savant whom we were taught to admire in our childhood. Litigious, rapacious, he became a positive menace to film businessmen, who never knew when the Sheriff would serve a subpoena of Edison's on them next." And I like their anecdote of the French director Zecca who said one day, "I am rewriting Shakespeare. The wretched fellow has left out the most marvellous things.'" He had the right approach. But their sense of historical proportion is bad — elephantiasis in places, stunted growth in others. While they find space for Finland and China, the}' make only two brief references to the industry in this country (one of them, inevitably, to "Henry VIII"). They appreciate Jean Epstein's "Finis Terrae" as an emergence of documentary but don't take their own opportunity of going on to discuss the English work in this field. Iris Barry, in her editorial comments, makes similar complaints in regard to America. The use of increasingly rapid cutting, for example, is attributed to Abel Gance. The name, of course, is Griffith. But Miss Barry herself is also guilty. In a footnote on Film Libraries, she mentions all of them except that of the British Film Institute. Chaplin, by the way. is described as being born in a London suburb. Kenningtoa must be looking up. Pictures like "Minion Dollar Legs," Paul Fejos's "Lonesome," and Jacques Feeder's "Crairtquebille" arc gratefully remembered, but the estimates of "Tabu" and Victor Trivas's "No Man's /auk/" are too grudging. On the whole the authors are too sentimental about the silent film and too readx to bemoan that all ait disappeared from the cinema witli its death. They have some extraordinary approaches and opinions. They insist on treating all Bussian-born directors, wherever they work, as examples of a peculiar thing they call the Russian genius, which they think operates "independently of social and political forms." They mix up Kisenstem and Kirsanov, Pudovkin and Tourjansky in a most irritating and illogical way. It was not until the Fascist reconstruction in Italy was really under way. they declare, that any interesting films appeared. Has anybody seen these interesting Italian films'' And n is meaningless to say the Nazi "Triumph des Willens" that it "is a film of massed crowds and processions (some of which are magnificently handled). Its ideology is opposed to that of Marx but produces a similar effect." There is a bad error on pa^e 335, where reference is made to microphones instead of loudspeakers. CAMERA REQUIRED Preferably fully equipped, tripod, motor, batteries, etc. Send full details and price required to : " R," c/o A.C.T. 145 Wardour Street, W.I. NEWMAN SINCLAIR WANTED Send full details of price, equipment, etc,, to: "S," c/o A.C.T. 145 Wardour Street, W.I. FOR SALE owing to illness STILL EXPERTS FAVOURITE OUTFIT Nearly New. 10 x 8 Camera by Kodak 9 Double Slides Back Adapter to take \ Plates. Light strong stand with all movements and case. Dark cloth, etc. 14m. f8 lens. Kodak developing 3 gal. tanks Washing tanks, 10x8 1 / 1 pt. and 1 /2pt. tanks WHAT OFFERS? Cine-Technician, Cer. 2366 S.H.C.