The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

September, 1953 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN The Round the Film World CINE TECHNICIAN The A.C.T. Journal SEPTEMBER 1953 VOL. 19 NO. 105 PRICE SIXPENCE CONTENTS page Cover Still: Locust, from World Wide's " Teeth of the Wind," produced James Carr, directed Mike Hankinson, photographed Peter Hennessey and George Shears Round the Film World . Ill, 120 Title Bout in 3-D, by John W. Boyle, A.S.C. . Russian Stereo Cinema, by S. Ivanov . Guide to British Makers Film . 115, A Film Technician's Notebook, compiled by A. E. Jeakins Lost and Found, Charles Wheeler by A.C.T., The Americans and T.V., by the General Secretary A.C.T. Notes and News compiled by ' Middy ' 112, 113 114 116, 117 118, 119 120 121 The General Decides . Council 122 123 Editor: REG GROVES Editorial Office: 2 Soho Square, W.l Telephone: GERrard 8506 Advertisement Office: 5 and 6 Red Lion Square, W.C.I Telephone: HOLbom 4972 Press reports that 20th Century Fox intend suspending film production in Britain for twelve months are inaccurate. Period of suspended activities will probably not exceed six months. Fox have two stories lined up for possible filming' in Britain, and Company hope to go into production early next year. Company has expressed hope that the unit will be the same as that working on Fox pictures in Britain in the past. ', Not everyone will approve story and i* brooding, measured emphatic violence ^of Paramount's Shane. . . . British "Technicians, however, will want to give ungrudging praise to their American colleagues for making one of the year's best films. Colour, photography and direction are outstanding. Film Industry Sport's Association held its Seventh Annual Swimming Gala at Marshall Street Baths on Saturday, 5th September. The Second Annual Tennis Tournament is to be held on Saturday, 12th September, at Brondesbury Cricket and Tennis Club, Harman Drive. Farm Avenue, Cricklewood, N.W.2, at 2.30 p.m. Tickets from F.I.S.A., Guild House, Upper St. Martins Lane, W.C.2. Thirty enthusiastic anglers will drop the cinematic cares from their shoulders for a whole day in late September when they attend the F.I.S.A. angling meet at Hyde Crete Lake. Poaching — with permission — on these Rickmansworth preserves of the Kodak Angling Committee, the F.I.S.A. meeting will include representatives from most affiliated clubs. F. S. Poole of 20th Century Fox, who is the organising angler for F.I.S.A., says that the number is restricted to thirty to ensure reasonable conditions of sport and to conform with the fish preservation •policy. The date of the meeting is Sunday, 27th September. Final for Kine Cricket Cup between Ilford (Brentwood) and Ealing Studios is yet to be arranged. Mr. K. S. Sagoo, genial chief of Kenya Films Ltd., visiting London, paid a personal visit to George Elvin to express thanks for A.C.T. co-opera j lion and help on the experimental •j production Men Against the Sun. Mr. ] Sagoo tangibly extended a hearty in > vitation to A.C.T. members, happening to be in Kenya, to call at Kenya Films Ltd. Office, Coryndon Street. Nairobi, where a welcome awaits them. Friends and admirers of Craftsman Director John Ford will be glad to know that he has recovered from an eye operation and is in good spirits. Now resting at home in Hollywood he expects to be back in harness late this month. Apart from being a triple Oscar winner, an ex-Rear Admiral, director of The Quiet Man, Stage Coach and many other films, John Ford has also unique claim of having been only Director (as such) to have been elected Unit Shop Steward carrying A.C.T. Credentials, a position he occupied with characteristic efficiency. News that Mr. J. Arthur Rank was negotiating sale of New Gallery Cinema, London to Seventh Day Adventists, prompted Harold Conway to nostalgic lament in " Evening Standard." Describing the New Gallery as " the repository of much British Cinema history," Mr. Conway recalled days when Chaplin films received first showing there and when " most of the top Hollywood stars of the 1920's, from Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford to Gloria Swanson and Harold Lloyd had their new pictures introduced into Britain on the same screen. ... It was outside the New Gallery that I first saw what counted as a show-world phenomenon in the years between the two wars: long queues for films with new British stars. . . ." Wrongly calling it Britain's " first talking picture." Mr. Conway recalled Bernard Shaw's one-act How He Lied to Her Husband being screened there " with dialogue added by synchronising gramophone records. . . . Inevitably, Shaw himself spoke a preface — and the effect was prodigious. At least, it seemed so at the time — for we did not take our cinema marvels so much for granted in those days." Allied Artists subsidiary, Monogram International, according to President Norton Richey, is " fence sitting on 3-D and Wide Screen film making, a position which can be maintained indefinitely, comfortably, and profitably, and becomes untenable only when the fence no longer exists, and frankly that is a long way off, so far as overseas markets are concerned." A. A. will produce in 3-D and Cinemascope, but does not intend to lower output of standard product. In Britain, details of additional income secured to exhibitors by side-line sale are not available. U.S. Department of Commerce published details of U.S. takings. Here are most recent figures: 1946 — "Sideline Concessions" brought in $50,000,000. 1949 — "Sideline Concessions" brought in $100,000,000. 1952 — "Sideline Concessions" brought in $200,000,000. Hollywood locals of IATSE, cinema and stage workers' unions, have filed demands on film producers for an employer-supported pension scheme. IATSE proposes that employers should contribute 25 cents per hour worked by their members to the fund. Other demands are: that employers should contribute three per cent of their payroll to a health and welfare scheme already in operation, instead of the five cents an hour as at present ; wage increases ranging up to 15 per cent: and payment to employees of five per cent of revenue received from theatrical re-issues and sale of theatrical films to television. Special sessions on use of films in industry are to be held by the International Scientific Film Association at its Seventh Annual Congress to be held at Royal Festival Hall in London. Tinsessions will be held on 22nd, 23rd. 24th and 25th September. Those interested should write to J. Stewart Cook, Scientific Film Association, 164 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W.C.2. At Radio Show this year General Electric Co's. exhibits, on show in Company's demonstration room D9, include high quality single-channel sound reproduction from disc and tape recordings. A new publication on this subject "Art and Science in Sound Reproduction," by F. H. Brittain, D.F.H., has been issued by G.E.C., price 2s. 6d. Valves and electronic equipment can also be seen in room D9. ONE MAN IN HIS TIME PLAYS MANY PARTS. In our last issue Alex McCrindle was described as a " journalist." He is, in fact, well known as an actor on stage and screen. Apologies to Alex, not for calling him a journalist, but for admitting him to a new profession, without first asking to see his N.U.J, card! (Continued on page 120)