The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

96 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN May 1951 In 1933 the year A.C.T. was founded . . . A NTHONY ASQUITH directed The Lucky Number £*■ (Clifford Mollison, Gordon Harker, Joan Wyndham) for Michael Balcon. Photography : Gunther Krampf. Art Director : Alex Vetchinsky. Editor : Dan Birt. After the production of nearly 100 films, John Grierson's Empire Marketing Board was dissolved in July, and the G.P.O. Film Unit set up by Sir Stephen Tallents. In Germany Hitler attended the first night at the Ufa Palace of Morgenrot, a glorification of German U-boats of World War 1, on the evening after taking office. In the U.S.S.R. Pudovkin made Deserter. In France George Robey played Sancho Panza to Chaliapin's title role in Pabst's Don Quixote. In Czechoslovakia Haidee Tiesler (Hedy Lamar) made the film Ekstase famous by appearing nude in a bathing scene in it. In California Upton Sinclair published his biography of William Fox. England, in Australia, won 4 of the 5 tests and the Ashes. Yorkshire won the County Championship. British Film Institute founded — London Passenger Transport Board formed. Shell Film Unit Founded. Adrian Brunei shot I'm An Explosive, featuring William Hartnell, for Fox in 8 days — a quota quickie that got a West End premiere with State Fair. Alexander Korda directed The Private Life of Henry VIII (Charles Laughton, Merle Oberon, Robert Donat). Other films made or released in 1933 include : Cavalcade . . . I Was a Spy (Conrad Veidt, Madeleine Carroll, Herbert Marshall) ... A Cuckoo in the Nest (Tom Walls, Ralph Lynn) . . . 90° South. the sound version of Herbert Ponting's film of Capt. Scott's last voyage . . . Scarlet Pimpernel . . . Duck Soup (Marx brothers) . . . Rome Express . . . Friday 13th (Sonnie Hale, Jessie Matthews, Gordon Harker) . . . The Invisible Man (Claude Rains) . . . Queen Christina (Greta Garbo) . . . Disney's 3 Little Piys . . . King Kong . . . The Tragedy of Everest . . . Roosevelt started the New Deal. Germany and Japan quit League of Nations. Unemployment in Britain reached nearly 3 million. A gala performance of Gainsborough's The Prince of Wales — " a talking film record of the life of His Royal Highness " — was given on June 22nd at the New Victoria in the presence of the Prince. Hyperion (by Gainsborough out of Selene) won both the Derby and the St. Leger. Everton won the F.A. Cup; Arsenal were Division One Champions. Cecil B. de Mille's Sign of the Cross (Frederic March, Elissa Landi, Claudette Colbert, Charles Laughton) was presented at the Carlton, Haymarket, of which Earl St. John was theatre director. Reichstag fire — and trial. Bunny Austin and Fred Perry won Lawn Tennis singles for Britain in Paris — Davis Cup came to Britain after 21 years. Robert Flaherty started Man of Aran for Gaumont-British. Tshekedi restored as acting chief of the Bamangwato after suspension by Admiral Evans of the Broke. A " boom " was beginning in British films. Few of the benefits of rapidly-rising production came to British film and laboratory technicians. In the laboratories hours were long, overtime excessive — and not always paid for — and pay was low. In the studios periods of wild rush alternated with slackness and unemployment. Hours were seldom less than ten, and there were many occasions — lasting weeks at a time — when the staff did not go home at all. That, aggravated by excessive extravagance and waste and by the influx of foreign technicians, led to the formation of A.C.T. . . . WANTED (1) 35mm. automatic single-frame camera. (2) Arriflex, turret Eyemo, Newman Sinclair or Camiflex. Please state specifications and very low price: D. A. Hanley, 80 Barrhill Road, Cumnock, Ayrshire. WANTED.— Baby legs for Light Duty Head. Mitchell or Newall type. Apply Box 147, " CineTechnician," 5-6, Red Lion Square. London, W.C.I.