The Cine Technician (1943 - 1945)

76 THE C I N E T E C H N I C I A X July -August , 1943 I wouldn't have missed the trip for all the tea in China, and I did manage to buy just one bottle of whisky (John Haigj for eight shillings and sixpence — just one. I arrived back at Algiers, which seemed as good a jumping-off place for England as anywhere, only to be told that I would either have to wait at least five or six weeks for air transportation, or go home by sea. Being in a hurry to get somewhere, as usual, this didn't suit me. Once again, however, my luck was in, and without disclosing any military secrets as to how it was done, Colonel Elliot Roosevelt, the President's youngest son, arranged for me to travel in a special plane bound for England. The journey was fixed up so quickly that I did not. have time to bring home a bunch of bananas or a crate of oranges, and we were home in 10J hours' flying time. Of the original bunch of War Correspondents, Bob Post, of the New York Times, was lost on his first raid over Wilhelmshaven, Sgt. Tannenbaum, one-time Hollywood Paramount man, went down over France, and Ernest Lewis, Paramount cameraman, is posted as missing after a recent raid on Kiel, but as a lot can happen in 30,000 feet, it is hoped that he was able to get clear in time and pull his rip cord. From those high altitudes it is not possible to follow an aircraft going down all the way, and many times the boys get out in time. I shall always be grateful to my chief, G. T. Cummins, for allowing me in the end to undertake tb is work, although it. took me some time to persuade him to let me have a crack at it. For two years I had been trying to get the Air Ministry to let me do this very thing, without success ; they said, amongst other things, that I was too old, which didn't make sense to me. I would like to pay a sincere tribute to a very fine bunch of American gentlemen, ordinarily known as P.E.O.s, both here and in North Africa. Colonel Morrow Krum, to whom I owe my North African trip, was recently killed in an air accident, and his loss is very keenly felt by all War Correspondents who have had contact with him; I was extremely shocked to hear the news one night at m\ Tunisian airfield. Major Jack Reddin, Major Newman and Captain "Tex" McCreary, at the London Office of U.S. Public Relations, deserve a special mention, and in Algiers there are Colonel Phillips and Major Max Boyd doing a tremendous job and doing il well. Further afield are Captain Bernal Clarke, Captain Phil Porter and Lieut. Max Marple, ever ready to help a member of that nomadic tribe— the War Correspondents — along mi his weary but interesting and often exciting way. I mention these men especially because of the many kindnesses and good services which they gave me, in spite of the fact that I was a greenhorn out there and somewhat inclined to be a little intolerant of situations which cropped up from time to time. I know, however, that if any other Correspondent passes their way, there is a very ready welcome waiting for him. No words of mine are adequate enough to thank them for their many kindnesses to me. Finally, some people have said to me that there's no future in this kind of job, but I feel that from a propaganda and a morale point of view a good bombing picture has more cumulative effect than a 1,000 lb. " block buster." If these raid films give some measure of satisfaction to people who have had to take it in the past, then I am more than repaid for the effort taken in getting them. FILM "CLASSICS" Dubbing Sessions : — ' What, hath this thing appeared again tonight? " — Shakespeare, Hamlet Continuity Girls : — The lady doth protest too much, me thinks." — Shakespeare, Hamlet * * * Play-backs : — Low, sweet, faint sounds, like the farewell of ghosts." — Shelley, Prometheus, Unbound Assistant Directors : — "Ah me," quoth Venus, " young and so unkind !" — Shakespeare, Venus and Adonis Boom Swingers: — ' Nature hath framed strange fellows in her time." — Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice Documentary Directors : — ' Forgive them, for they know not what they do." — New Testament Editors : — " Still o'er these scenes my memon wakes And fondly broods with miser care! — Burns, To Mary in Heaven