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May 1954
THE CINE-TECHNICIAN
91
the specialised work and peculiar economic problems of short film production in this country.
It would be invidious to select the names of particular companies who contributed most to the growing national and international prestige of British documentary film making — invidious but to some extent unavoidable. I have already mentioned the Strand Film Company, Film Centre, G.B.I, and the Realist Film Unit. Others which developed from this original grouping and maintained the high standard and integrity of documentary were (to give only a few examples) D.A.T.A. (formed on co-operative principles), Basic Films, World Wide Pictures, and the Shell Film Unit.
One of the largest groupings of all the short and documentary makers was the Film Producers' Guild, with its associated studios at Merton Park. Very few documentary technicians have not at some time or another worked for at least one of the companies associated with this group. As the movement grew and sponsorship developed, more and more ambitious types of film were made requiring fully equipped studio facilities and it was here that Merton Park and G.B.I, were in a strong position. With these more ambitious films higher technical standards were expected and attained, and it has often seemed to me that our colleagues in the feature studios do not always appreciate the first class technical achievements created by the shorts technicians working to very small budgets.
I think the truth of this is shown by two things — the influence of documentary theories and practices on the feature world in terms of subjects, approach and treatment; and the considerable number of technicians trained in documentary who have since achieved distinction in features.
It all adds up to show that this business is indivisible. Each section has, of course, its special problems and peculiarities, but basically what makes the business tick over is the creative and technical qualities of the people who work in it. That is the one common factor that should never be lost sight of.
It would, however, be impossible to conclude these few notes without coming back to where I started — the G.P.O. Film Unit. When the second world war broke out the G.P.O. became the Crown Film Unit and moved to Pinewood, and later to its own studios at Beaconsfield.
The personnel of the unit bore little resemblance to its early days, but the films produced during the war years made history and I think it is a lasting shame that in 1952 the Government, for alleged reasons of economy, closed it down and deprived the country of its then only publicly-owned film production unit.
That, one might say, is the end of the chapter.
Grantham Trawler — Grierson (1933)
Face of Britain — Rotha (1934)
Night Mail — Wright and Watt (19351