Documentary News Letter (1942-1943)

DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER FEBRUARY 1942 DOCUMENTARY IN CANADA By ROGER BARLOW Mr. Barlow is a member of the Association of Documentary Film Producers (U.S. A), and recently worked under John Grierson for the National Film Board. In the following article he is not speaking for the Fi m Board, but has set down opinions and observations gathered from his work on Fi'm Board productions. The article is reprinted (slightly abridged) by courtesy of Documentary Film News (New York). documentary films are being made in Canada — and in a far more organised manner than we have ever seen in the United States. One of the false ideas about Mr. Grierson's organisation is that it now is, and was originally set up as a propaganda unit for the Empire War Effort. Actually there has existed for the past twenty years a production unit under one of the Government departments — the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau. The word "bureau" is properly descriptive because while it did occasionally turn out a picture, its unimaginative leadership was incapable of producing anything that was a credit to the nation as an example of its art. The mushroom growth of the English documentary movement had no effect upon this unit. Just how Mr. Grierson happened to come to Canada 1 am not quite sure, but I am sure that he was deeply interested in both the United States and Canada, having previously spent some time in the United States and knowing the filmic potentialities of the North American continent. In any case, through Grierson's prestige and by his efforts the Canadian Government created the National Film Board with Mr. Grierson as Film Commissioner, some short time before the outbreak of World War II. His task was to organise and supervise all production. Stuart Legg, who had long been associated with Grierson in England, came to Canada as the first new director. At the old Bureau he produced The Case of Charlie Gordon, a film about the problems of unemployment facing the youth of Canada. Then after the outbreak of war Legg produced the first of what was to he the most popular and most successful of all ( 'anadian productions — the Canada Carries On series, a monthly release presenting in each issue some phase of the Canadian war effort. At present this release is reaching virtually all theatres in Canada through distribution by Columbia Pictures. To meet this schedule of monthly releases, plus trailers and a growing programme of nontheatrical production, it was necessary to get additional personnel and to utilise all available existing commercial production facilities Stanley Hawes, J. Davidson and Raymond Spottisvvoodc came from the English documentary field. Irving Jacob} came up from New York to produce a film, and I came up to work on half a dozen other ones. Some films were let out to the commercial producers in Montreal and Toronto, but under the close supervision o\' the film Board. In the meantime, soung Canadians with an itch to work m films were taken on at the old Motion Picture Bureau as apprentices and groomed for active production duties, one of the primarj aims of the film Board being to make, insofar as practical, production truly Canadian. About a year ago something of a crisis arose out of the friction between the enterprising, ambitious new film people and the members of the original Motion Picture Bureau who wanted to retain the status quo, and who resented the new ways of getting films produced. Eventually, after threatening to resign, Grierson was given authority to go ahead with the film programme that had been in development. The National Film Board was transferred to another department, the Motion Picture Bureau dissolved and its physical properties and staff became the production department of the National Film Board and directly under its control. The producing staff was greatly increased, and by this time some of the first apprentices were ready to go out into the field in production capacities. Of these, Don Fraser is now cameraman for one unit and Jim Beveridge is a director and cutter on non-theatrical productions. Non-theatrical production has grown tremendously and must now total nearly fifty films a year — mostly Kodachrome and of course 16 mm. — doing a first rate job of showing Canada to the Canadians, and to the rest of the world as well — films about Ukrainian, Icelandic and French minorities, the far-removed districts such as the Peace River farming country. Canadian artists. Canadian crafts, agricultural problems, Indian tribes and cultures, transportation, and many more are either completed or in production. One young amateur. Budge Crawley, and his wife, have now become professional 16 mm. producers and colour specialists having produced some of the best Kodachrome work I have seen. They have complete 16 mm. recording facilities. Present theatrical production is limited to the Canada Carries On release of one two-reeler a month, and an occasional war loan or fire prevention trailer. Stuart Legg is producer and supervising editor of the Canada Carries On films, while shooting may be in the hands of three or more units in the field. This scries has been quite similar to The March of Time in editorial treatment and narration, bearing no similarity whatever to the current British war films that have made such an impression here in the United Slates. Personally, I should like to see warmth and a greater feeling about people in this theatrical release, hut there is no denying that it has been effective in its present form. Currently two abstract musical shorts in colour are in production in Ottawa. One is ,i "mail-early" trailer, the othei a war loan trailer with BoogieWoogie music. Willard Van Dyke and I saw the fust of these the other day, and 1 must Say that I was quite impressed hv the work of the young Scotsman. Norman McLaren, who made them single-handed. He does the animation directly on the film not I en I ye style, but actual figures ami designs lie also draws sound tracks that are amazing, but too difficult to do for a long film. \part from actual production in Canada, Mr. (iiicrson has devoted much effort to peisuading Hollywood to make use of Canadian locales or subject matter, and has succeeded, as will be noted from a check-up of next year's releases. This extensive programme has come about in two years in a nation less than one-tenth the size of the United States, with no background of film production and with little money to spend unless full value is received. Films in Canada are produced economically and about as efficiently as films can ever be made. It is possible that by its efficient, workmanlike productions the National Film Board will be in a position to go on with its peace-time programme when the war is over. It is to be hoped that the public will realise that the Board can continue to benefit its country. WAR First reactions of U.S.A. Documentary to the entrance of the United States into the War. By Donald Slesinger. Reprinted from Film News roM hviki) of the British Film Centre sat with me in a garden restaurant in the spring of 1939, and we speculated on how the film could be used to raise the human standards, and to make the peoples of the earth understand each other. A few months later, when there was no more peace and Tom was at his post in London, John Grierson stopped off in Santa Monica on his way to Australia. We made the rounds of the Hollywood studios and Grierson begged producer after producer to use his control of the most persuasive of all means of communication to inform, to warn the American public; to tell the world that the democratic way of life was in danger. By the time the full fur) of war burst over London the motion picture in England, in Canada and in Australia was doing its bit. The peoples of the British Empire began to understand each other. And under the roar of antiaircraft fire something was being done about human standards. The life of the Empire had a richer goal— to beat Hitler in order to be able to promote the public welfareWar has now come to our country and for a moment we respond with the unity due to danger. But if we are to win the war and later the peace, the present emotional unitv must become one of understanding. All the regions, all the peoples of America must get to know one another. Common ideals grow out of friendship. The motion picture, in aiding friendship and understanding, has its greatest opportunity. It has long amused and diverted us all. It now has a clear responsibility— to use its technical and dramatic skill to help keep alive a love of freedoms of mankind, that will make every farmer, worker, manager, soldier, sailor, a defender to the death o\ our ideals. To do that requires a new attitude on the part of an entire industry. There must be no production or distribution bottlenecks. The theatres must be open to essential films, no matter who makes them. There must be a comprehensive and continuous flow of motion pictures to the theatrical and non-theatrical audiences o\' America. As loin Band remarked, human standards must be raised. As John Grierson said, we' musl inform, and warn the public. I lie American 61m makers join the British, Canadian and Australian film groups in dedicating themselves to that task.