The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

90 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN May 1954 about the work of a Labour Exchange, for the Ministry of Labour. Edgar Anstey and John Taylor made Housing Problems for the Gas Company and this really caused a commotion. The film adopted the style of direct sound reporting of people living in the slums, and what they had to say was guaranteed to stir the heart of any citizen with a conscience. Then Edgar Anstey made Enough to Eat, a great social documentary on nutritional standards, with a commentary by Julian Huxley. These social documentaries made people sit up and take notice. It was film making with the gloves off and no punches pulled. The equivalent of such films are not being made today in England and more's the pity. If the pen is mightier than the sword, then the camera can be mightier than the pen. Our documentary films today are not probing and analysing and attacking the social evils of our time. The spill-over from Blackheath to the cruel world of commercial as against public sponsorship continued. Donald Taylor had already formed his Strand Film Company, Paul Rotha did a series for G.B.I, and John Taylor and Basil Wright formed the Realist Film Unit. The Realist Film Unit was notable for many things, including the high quality of its films particularly in the educational and instructional fields, the extraordinary number of very attractive females it employed, and Frank Sainsbury. Sainsbury was and still is a very amiable and cantankerous individual who expounded his theories of philosophical anarchism in every possible place and at every opportunity, but preferably in the " Highlander." No session in that Dean Street hostelry was ever complete without Sainsbury's presence, and no session with Sainsbury's presence ever ended without most of the assembled company losing their tempers. By this time John Grierson had left the G.P.O. and with Elton and Wright had formed Film Centre. When Grierson left Blackheath he left behind him a flotilla of rear-admirals vying with each other for supreme command on the bridge. Realist Film Unit has one other considerable claim to fame, for it was the first documentary unit to sign a proper agreement with A.C.T. All honour to John Taylor for giving us our first break through, because other units fell into line and eventually the rapidly growing number of documentary and short film companies formed themselves into the Association of Short Film Producers (subsequently renamed the Association of Specialised Film Producers). Our first agreement with the A.S.F.P. was completed in 1943 after a long period of strenuous negotiations. In later times negotiations for improvements were equally strenuous and occasionally the membership had to apply a little direct pressure, but on the whole relations between A.C.T. and A.S.F.P. have been reasonably cordial, and free from any violent conflict. It is to be hoped that this happy state of affairs will continue in the future, because A.C.T. officially has always been very sympathetic to In the right-hand picturt readers will see Basil Wright and Adrian Jeakins on location in Thailand. Like Basil Wright, Adrian Jeakins is om of the earliest of documentary film technicians. Left-hand jiiclure shows Paul Rotha directing Mexican siijiitncis fur the same film, "World Without End." recently screened on TV and gaining many film awards all over th< world. Rotha, who made many outstanding documentaries, is now head of B.B.C. TV Documentary.