The Cine Technician (1943 - 1945)

March— April, 1943 THE CINE TECHNICIAN 35 that drove everybody to herd in pale, isolated crowds in the artificial atmosphere of the studios. But nowadays, with portable channels, soundtrucks and lightly-blimped cameras, there is only the weather to keep them in the studios, and that never tied them down in the old days. Anyway, whatever difficulties had to be overcome would be well worth it for the added liveliness and authenticity : incidentally, Hollywood is going in much more for extensive location jobs these days. Jack Cox has no great desire to 'go to Hollywood : he's got a good job here and all his working life has been spent in the British film industry. He's survived two wars, half-a-dozen slumps, dozens of technical changes, studios going up and coming down, quota acts, and -seen hundreds of crooks come and go, from the home-produced oneroom shysters of the early days to the eloquent cosmopolitan financials of to-day. It's made him tough, of course, and he has few illusions and little use for pretentiousness; but he's still as good humoured, lively and full of ideas as ever, and he still has faith in the British film industry. It takes quite a lot to retain any honesty in the film business, but Jack seems to have managed it somehow. CINEMA LOG — (Concluded from page 41) F/Lieut. Gordon Peace, Air Gunner Met Gordon Peace the other day on a spot of leave. I spent quite a time battling with him over A.C.T. Now he is one of our staunchest members. 'After forty operational flights as Air Gunner, in one of which (at Botterdam) he was wounded, he was transferred to the Film Unit. So he dreamed of a nice little house with Mrs. G.P. and baby, and a spot of garden. But that was just a dream — he is still flying operationally, but is using a camera instead of a gun. He tells me what a fine bunch of technicians the B.A.F. Film Unit are and what a grand leader S/ Leader Pat Moyna is to serve under. Message from Charlie Chaplin? How many of you heard the "Message to Lambeth" from Charlie Chaplin the other Sunday? Here are his final words: "Although you have suffered, the future will be brighter, for out of the ruins of Lambeth, out of the dust of all your bombed cities, will rise a new England, where poverty should be inexcusable and charity offensive to the dignity of a people who have won by blood and tears the right to be profitably employed and to live peaceably." Hello, are you Gerrard 6413 — Norman's? I want a shot of SHICKELGRUBER and will be calling in two hours time. So, although we have millions of feet of g ^ negative, it is found within a few minutes. And is delivered to the Cutting Room for the client to view and mark up ready for the Laboratories. Our client is very pleased with the shot and his messenger takes it back to the Studio — and that's that ! NORMANS FILM SERVICE 54/58 & 86, WARDOUR STREET, LONDON, W.1. Gerrard 6413. Gerrard 7481.