The Cine Technician (1935-1937)

66 The Journal of the Association of Cine-Technicians Auj^.-Oct., 1936 Recent Publications The Art of Film Prudiictuni by Andrew Buchanan, with an Appreciation by John Grierson. Pitman, 5 net. Few people are better qualified to discuss the art and craft of Movies than Andrew Buchanan, who year in and year out produces 52,000 feet of film, covering practically every subject under the sun. Mr. Buchanan has his likes and dislikes — and in the main we agree with him. He dishkes adapted stage plays and excessive dialogue, financial interference with creative artists, and the commercial system which does not permit directors to write their own scenarios and cut their own films. He is a firm believer in the documentary film, whose object should be "to make the public conscious of the world it lives in— to project the nation to the nations." He believes that films fall into two main categories — the Dialogue picture which is "static, national, related to the stage," and the Sound film, "dynamic, international, treating of subjects impossible to convey by any other medium." Mr. Buchanan plumps for the Sound film and greater naturalism. The book contains much practical advice to the amateur and the would-be documentalist and one of the best chapters deals with the filming of industry. The only criticism we have to make is of its form, and not its contents. It is rather like one of Mr. Buchanan's own Cine Magazines, it jumps from one thing to another in a most inconsequential way. Ralph Bond. Film Music, by Kurt London. Faber & Faber. 12/6 net. Mr. Constant Lambert's foreword unsays in two sentences the philosophical purpose of Mr. London's book. " The sound film offers the serious composer a reasonable commercial outlet for his activities." " Moreover it opens up a new life for the composer whose talents are more executive than creative." This scathing encomium of film-music is justified by the author's curious catalogue of composers in which Franz Lehar is placed "at a very considerable distance behind " Fredrich Hollander and Mischa Spoliansky. In the earlier part of his book Dr. London gives an interesting history of the use of music to " illustrate " the silent film. He recalls how millions made their first acquaintance with the classicb at the old "silent" cinemas, much indeed as more millions peel the potatoes and do the mangling nowadays to an ever-flowing musical anodyne from the B.B.C. Whether it was good for the music or the listeners to hear Schubert's Unfinished Symphony translated into a "Light flowing agitato" or opera "selections" on a cinema band is (juestionable, and the truth of the statement thaut " the cultivation of the music in the cinema theatres of 1913-1928 reached an astonishingly high level " depends uj5on one's capacity for musical astonishment. The old cinema conductors have gone, witli tlicir fade in, fade out, and " faked " modulations, and in tiicir place we have — what ? Dr. London gives extracts from modern film scores by luiglish and Continental composers, among which I find one by M. Sarnette wliich bears a suspicious likness to the attenuated wind-octet scoring we used thirty-odd years ago to make gramophone cylinder-records. The argument seems to be that since it is easier to record a wind-octet than a symphony orchestra, it is therefore correct and progressive to do so. Here I venture to think the modernists are going astray. Their hard unsympathetic bald-headed dissonances, unrelieved and unsoftened by stringed instruments — the soul of the orchestra — are splendid for describing a railway junction, a foundry or a Parliamentary debate, but it will be found that the real strength of music in films is in its emotional appeal, especially when applied to the millions who only receive music subconsciously. There are two curious examples from Becce, one of the pioneers of " descriptive " film music. They show how music, which was ideal in " translating " the silent film, fails utterly to reach the level of a really imaginative soundfilm like " Ecstasy." It is pleasant to see Honegger's applied genius recognised, and there are interesting comparisons and valuations of the work of Milhaud, Auric, Weill, Ibert, Malapiero, Shostakovitch, and others known in the mu. ical, as distinct from the film-musical world. Our British composers are kindly, if a little patronisingly remembered, though it is noted with regret that Bliss and Walton have not yet abandoned the pernicious habit of writing for strings. The book contains a great deal of interesting technical information, and will I imagine be read by many musicians, amateur and professional, who know nothing of the adventures of their art in the film studio, where it must bend the knee and bow the head and generally order itself lowly and reverently before its betters. Ernest Irving. Photography To-Day, by D. A. Spencer, PL.D., D.I.C., " F.R.P.S. Oxford University Press. 3/6 net. Dr. Spencer has given us a most valuable book on photography and at a price within the reach of all. After very many years of practical experience in a number of branches of photography, I ha\-e found this book of absorbing interest ; in my opinion it is of undoubted help to the most advanced worker as well as to the beginner. Dr. Spencer takes us from the early efforts of Fox Talbot in 1835 up to the present day, and in so doing impresses fipon his readers the enormous strides photography has made in one himdred years. The book is profusely and beautifully illustrated with \-ery fine examples of every branch of photography, and to the earnest worker these illustrations should act as a spur as well as a guide. In tliis short review or, I should really say, appreciation, it is impossible to single out any particular branch — they are all so concisely and well co\ered. A quotation from the foreword to Chapter M. bears repeating: "Visitor to j. W. Turner's studio: 'What is it that you mix with your paints to get such glorious results ? ' Turner : ' Brains ! ' " I can thoroughly recommend " Photography To-Day " to all who have this absorbing subject at heart — to get results one must ha\e tliat. Lewis Protheroe, A.R.P.S.