The Cine Technician (1943 - 1945)

November— December, 1944 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN LIS the most brightly ingenious person with a clear head and resourceful energy, but having to deal with almost insoluble problems whilst feeling almost eager to die rather than vomit once more, was a little trying — to use a British under-statemeiit. For instance, when shooting a close-up in rough seas, the seaman would roll and stagger about so much that the focus must be smartly changed to each lurch. Easy enough in a studio, but with our Selson focus motor shorting from salt water and giving hefty electric shocks to the seaIsick focus-puller, small wonder that he almost loses interest ! I also was a punctual sufferer, passing every day at sea with my soul in limbo and my stomach in the shades below, while, looking through my amera to see that nothing except sea and sky were ever in the picture, for we were supposed to be 'Hi the Atlantic three thousand miles from anywhere. This was always difficult in the Irish Channel in wartime, with ceaseless convoys silhouetted against the horizon, and the Irish ma1'] boat passing us four times daily heralded for miles Ewith voluminous black smoke and thousands of sea-gulls ; also aeroplanes humming around all day machine-gunning flying targets or mock-battling. There were many buoys to watch out for. and (lighthouses, wrecks, mine-sweepers, and. most ridiculous of all on one occasion, thousands of oranges floating by from a nearby wreck ! The most hated object that most often appeared in my camera view-finder was the stern of the drifter when we did reverse shots. We couldn't make the bow look like the stern, because the passing sea would show, of course, that we were going backwards ! Apart from the thick rope used to tow us, there was also a heavy electric cable, and other cables for the microphone, etc., which, as they ploughed through the seas, gave us endless induction troubles— one of the million headaches that Kay As1' the chief sound man, had to deal with. The only way of getting the drifter out of the picture was to let the drifter steam ahead fast for a few minutes, then slow right down and, if the wind was strong enough, our lifeboat would sail up level with it. the cables stretched awkwardly at right angles and threatening to capsize our boat at any moment. We did this on one occasion in a malevolent storm and our lifeboat was swept savagely the wrong way round, crashing into the side of the rearing drifter and nearly getting underneath it. I can say that by this time I was yearning to do the rest of the film in the studio ! For six weary months we struggled through the lifebo.it sequence, and when at last our location same to an end, we thought that the worst was iver and the rest of the film would be easy ; but I should have known better. Our next location was the real Atlantic, this time on a cargo ship to New York. As there are only four Technicolor cameras in this country, 1 was not allowed to take my camera over 3, 000 miles of sea with many U-boats lurking around, so Monopack was used on a black and white camera. Although it was midsummer, bad luck still pursued us, for the weather was very bad going out and coming back from America, and fog nearly all the time made us scramble many weeks' work into a few days. One evening, about 9.30, the ship in front of us was torpedoed. It was carrying high octane petrol and was soon a blazing hulk — a terrible sight which I shall never forget. Many men were killed that night, and I realised then, more than at any other time, why Pat Jackson was so sincere about making this film. When we reached England again, after some exciting incidents dodging U-boats. 1 heaved a sigh of relief and realised that I was definitely not a hero; but I also realised that every man in the merchant navy is a hero, for where I was relieved to be still alive after only one return trip, the merchant navy have made hundreds of dangerous crossings during the war. I hope that this film will impress the fact on the public as it did upon me. After the voyage to America we made several trips out to sea in destroyers, corvettes, and other escort vessels, getting authentic shots of convoy escort patrols. By this time, having been over a year on the film, I had given up the idea of seas and skies matching, and fervently hoped that the laboratories would match the scenes up as near as possible. One of the last remaining thrills was on a submarine which has to be sunk in the film. My camera was tied on the stern end. and the commander was asked, on a pre-arranged signal, to -For Studio and laboratory equipment, CamerasJripodsflintina,r)x)casing plant... anahrthe solution of any technical problem concerning them the name that matters is W.VINTEN LTD. NORTH CIRCULAR RD..CRICKIEW00D. N W 2 k. Gladstone 6373