The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

July-August, 1952 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN 91 " CINE TECHNICIAN " was the subject of considerable criticism. Alf Cooper wanted action aimed at " improving the present presentation of the Journal with a view to enlarging the sales and reducing the cost of each copy, and asking for more information in it about trade union activity. The Unemployed Section wanted a weekly leaflet with up-to-date trade union and studio news. Harry Waxman suggested including a charge for the Journal in subs. Arthur Allighan wanted a salesman appointed to go out and get advertising revenue. Norman Coggs declared the present Journal to be " nearly unsellable," wanted the contents " drastically altered " and suggested more about " local scandal and who is working where." He suggested it be printed on cheaper paper, except for two pages in the middle, with the latest bathing belles in full technicolor." " People try to avoid you when you offer them a Journal," declared Gordon McCallum, who wanted a " regular bulletin with some real information, particularly on trade union activity," and one that " would get to every member." Only the Editor was silent, being unable to catch the Chairman's eye. A resolution instructing the General Council to take a vote of the membership for or against continued affiliation to the Labour Party was defeated by 94 votes to 65. WOMEN'S T.U.C.: This year's Women's T.U.C. was held in Brighton and a very pleasant welcome was accorded the delegates from the Mayor, reports A.C.T. delegate, Bessie Bond. The resolutions tabled on Equal Pay, Organisation of Women, Education, and an emergency motion on Prices, Employment and the Budget, were among the highlights of the conference. The level of discussion on these important issues was very high indeed. Six Unions sent in resolutions on Education. These were composited into one motion which drew attention to the cuts in educational expenditure, scholarship grants and the restriction of the building of new schools, etc. A delegate from the textile areas, speaking to the emergency resolution, gave a grim and moving picture of the growing unemployment among textile workers and told us that the workers in those areas were fighting back to regain full employment. I moved A.C.T.'s resolution, which read: This Annual Conference asks educational and other authorities to pay special attention to children's needs for films and to encourage the production of films specially made for child audiences. It was ably supported by Mrs. Jean Currier, of N.A.T.K.E. A healthy aspect of the conference was the larger number of young women represented than usual and many of them contributed verv ably to the discussion. More educational facilities have been made available and several delegates praised the schools that have recently been held. The report for the year showed an increase in membership, but it is regrettable that barely 1J million are organised in affiliated Unions out of a working population of 7^ million women. The progress is slight and there is still a lot to be done to interest women in trade unionism. BESSIE BOND, in moving A.C.T.'s resolution on films for children at the Women's T.U.C, said: "We make no apologies for submitting this resolution to a conference of this character, because we are of the opinion that the women in the Labour movement can play a great part in drawing atten tion to children's cinema needs. In a recent enquiry undertaken by the L.C.C. on the effect of the attendance at cinema performances on the minds of children, it was revealed that 64 per cent of London children between the ages of 5 and 14 go to cinemas at least once a week and 27 per cent in the same age group go more than once. It is interesting to compare a similar enquiry for 1931, when 39 per cent of London children were in the habit of going once a week, which shows a great leap forward in the cinema-going habits of children. I think it would be safe to say that 64 per cent could apply to the whole country. " The Saturday morning and afternoon show or film club is the place where children collect in the mass and it is here where too little attention is paid to their needs. The admission charge is cheap, cinema exhibitors aren't so discriminating in their choice of films. It isn't enough to go to the cinema to see any old films that may appear on the screen; it's our social duty to develop the children's sense of appreciation. Parents and teachers should take a greater interest in developing this sense of appreciation. The cinema is a great modern art form and children are enriched by seeing good films, just as they are enriched by reading good books or seeing good plays, and a Unesco pamphlet published recently stressed that giving children the best in the way of films was one of the best means of equipping them for the future. " With the use of Government money obtained from Entertainments Tax receipts from cinemas, a special organisation known as the Children's Film Foundation has been set up to make children's films. It is under the supervision of Miss Mary Field, a former member of our Union. Up to £100,000 can be drawn from this source. They are non-profitmaking films, and they have no eye to public showings in the cinemas. The money is extracted from the entertainment tax the public pay to go to the cinema, in other words, it's our money that's going to the making of these films. No one, I'm sure, grudges this money, but it's not nearly enough for a sufficient flow of films to meet the children's needs, and it would be a great help if more money was made available to get the foundation under way so that it can keep up a constant flow of production. "We may ask why do they go to the cinema? Surely it's because the cinema offers more satisfying enjoyment than any other activity open to them in their leisure hours. This and the tremendous influence it has on their young lives, make it the responsibility of parents and teachers to see they have the best. So what we would like to see is the development of local councils where parents, teachers, educational bodies and the Labour movement are drawn in, together with children, to discuss and give their opinions on the type of films they consider are suitable. " They could discuss the films that are being shown in boroughs and districts on a given week: what are suitable family films and what are suitable for children only. Entertainment films should be stressed, their value in making children happy is vitally important. " I can't stress too much the importance of developing the children's sense of film appreciation and this can only be done by parents and teachers seeing that films are produced to suit their needs. If we believe the children of the country are our heritage, then it's up to all of us to see that they are given the best in every field of art and knowledge to raise their standards of appreciation and to help equip them for the future."