The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

February 1955 CINE TECHNICIAN 19 Round the Film World Bernard Miles writes : "I have just been in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, working on the location of Moby Dick. Whilst trying to read the inscription on a plaque outside the Spanish Army Barracks there, a private soldier guarding the place came up and jostled me, trying to get me to move on, although I was only reading for my information and profit. He could speak no English and i could speak no Spanish, but I had an inspiration: after some pushing of each other, and as he was about to raise the butt of his rifle to give me a ' fourpenny one ' on the head, I took out my ' Cine Technician ' card from my pocket and showed it to him. I did not dare to believe it would have any effect, but it did. He immediately smiled, put down his gun, shook hands, and from that moment we were the best of friends." • Best wishes to colleague George Ashton, leaving British Journal of Photography to edit British edition of Popular Photography. • Arthur Lubin, American director currently with Universal-International, is reported to have said on return to States that Eady Fund benefits, need to use frozen funds, and lower production costs are reason why more and more American companies are producing films in Britain. Lubin expected recently completed film Rebound to make of profit for producer in Britain, as well as getting around $600,000 from Eady. • Not all is well in Britain, however. Lubin told his colleagues that in Britain " film producers are hampered by labour union members who tend to stretch out the job as long as possible and take morning and afternoon tea breaks." " English workers," he went on, " are very slow moving and like to take their time. In Hollywood it takes only one day to get Technicolor rushes, but in England it takes three days." • Mr. Lubin, it is clear, has not read the A.C.T.-B.F.P.A. agreement covering feature film working conditions. Nor has he troubled to make sure of his facts about Technicolor in Britain. An American-controlled and managed company, its time-table for rushes is a matter for management, not workers. " Cine " invites Mr. Lubin to state his case in detail in its columns. Unless, of course, he prefers to criticise British films only from a safe distance. From leading article in our esteemed contemporary " Daily Film Renter " : " To the average patron of the cinema nothing could possibly matter less than the character and personality of Napoleon. To him the cardboard figure of the Emperor has no significance whatever compared with the living reality of Marlon Brando . . ." Radio Corporation of America reports progress on several new electronic devices. One is electronic sound-synthesising device that duplicates exactly any sound including any musical or voice sound. Another is magnetic tape recorder that can record colour and black and white television programmes so that they can be stored and replayed like gramophone records. Other devices included an electronic cooling system; and a light amplifier with possible use for picture-on-thewall television. " Cine " hopes to report these devices in detail soon. Despite twelve-day shut down due to dispute, Technicolor output for year ended November 30th was up, 205 million feet being sold compared with 197 million the year before. Profit before tax fell from £905,696 to £730,756, but reduced tax provision made net profit rise by £28,000 to total of £362,756. A 27 per cent dividend was paid against a 25 per cent last year. British Film Producers' Association recommend that composition of picture in the camera for all films other than those made in CinemaScope should be standardised at a ratio of 1:1.75; they would then be tolerable for showing at ratios of from 1:1.66 to 1:1.85 according to various proportions of cinema screens. It also recommended that unavoidable " cropping " of film when shown on screen of wider proportions than that for which it had been composed should be done from the bottom, not top of picture. BFPA have also issued a statement on problems and possibilities of magnetic sound editing, which will be more fully reported in our next issue. Our Pinewood correspondent reports : Starting its new policy, under which all new films are to be in VistaVision, Pinewood kicks off with A Woman For Joe, formerly The Life of George Wilson, and Doctor at Sea. A Woman For Joe is directed by George More O'Farrell. As name suggests Doctor at Sea is follow on from highly successful Doctor in the House, with the same team headed by producer Betty Box and director Ralph Thomas. This unit enjoyed a two and a half week location on a luxury Greek liner in the Mediterranean, calling at Venice, Bari, Athens and Alexandria. Third picture on the floor at the moment is Value For Money, a north country comedy, directed by Ken Annakin. There are more amateur than professional cameramen on the set all "snapping" Diana Dors, who stars in the film ! Belated congratulations to Wally Gentleman of Special Effects, who was married early in January. Also our best wishes to Antony Darnborough in his new venture and Ronnie Neame who is off to Twentieth Century Fox. In the cutting rooms at the moment are Passage Home, As Long As They're Happy, and Above Us The Waves. Visiting Pinewood's cutting rooms is Thorold Dickinson, who is supervising his picture Hagiv'ah ("The Hill"), which was made in Israel. When asked the theme of the picture Thorold replied, ". . . if only Griffiths hadn't made a picture called The Birth of a Nation," and shrugged his shoulders. With the exception of the Director, Cameraman, Sound and Continuity, the unit was all Israeli, and the picture took eighteen months to shoot. Scheduled opening is in Israel in March, and soon after in the States. It is problematical whether it will be shown in Britain, but we hope so. • Granada Theatres announce appointment of Film Director Harry Watt as supervisor of Granada's [Turn to Page 30) CINE TECHNICIAN Editor: REG GROVES Editorial Office: 2 Soho Square, W.l Telephone: GERrard 8506 Advertisement Office: 5 and 6 Red Lion Sq., W.C.I Telephone: HOLborn 4972