Documentary News Letter (1942-1943)

DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER FEBRUARY 1942 FILM SOCIETY NEWS l he Devon and Exeter Film Society began its new season in January with a programme which will include shows of Guitry's Les Neuf Celibataires, The Rich Bride, Dood Water, and Edge of the World. The first programme, on January 25th, had as feature a revival of Camet de Bal. Members of the Society have also asked for sub-standard showings of film classics and arrangements are in hand for this. It is reported that the most successful film of the autumn season was Flaherty's Nanook of the North ; to this show incidentally, the Society invited some 60 children from the Deaf Schoolman enterprise which other Film Society secretaries might take note of and copy, particularly when silent films are being projected. The Edinburgh Film Guild continues its policy of progressive and carefully planned shows. The Guild believes that a Film Society does not justify its existence merely by providing entertainments on Saturday or Sunday afternoons, and therefore its Committee is anxious to continue such programmes as that given on December 19th, which was entitled "Planning", At this showing six documentaries were shown — all of them analysing various social problems and pleading for a planned approach to their solution. The films included Children at School. Housing Problems, Roads Across Britain and the U.S.A. film The City, and the show, it is reported, was attended by a large number of Government officials representing departments which will be, administratively at least, responsible for postwar planning in Scotland. On January 11th the programme included Five Faces (Shaw's film on Malaya), the March of Time on The Philippines and Pabst's Drame de Shanghai. Manchester and Salford and the Manchester Film Institute Societies, still acting together, announce a series of shows which will include a number of Soviet films, both short and feature. Amongst these will be We from Kmnstmli. Daghestan. Incident in a Telegraph Office, and a revival of The New Babylon. On January 11th Dundee and St. Andrews presented Renoir's La Marseillaise, together with three shorts. The London Co-operative Film Society has now published its programme for January, February and March. This includes Pudovkin's Deserter, Shaw's Future in the Air, two Technicolor shorts ( The Green Girdle and Queen Cotton) and a number of other documentary and entertainment films. After a very successful opening the Belfast Film Institute Society began its four shows of the second part of its season on January 17th. The programme was chosen in tribute to Czechoslovakia, which was represented by Janosik, and, in the supporting programme, two Czech shorts. Prague and Children Dancing. The Pal Birth of a Robot and Rotha's admirable Cover to Cover were also shown. Cover to Cover has been shown in Belfast before but a revival of it was considered overdue. The February show is to be mainly French, and Le Roi S' Amuse has been booked. Two further shows are being actively planned to complete the season of seven shows originally promised. But it is possible that additional shows may be arranged if circumstances permit. Two religious films were shown at the January meeting of the Glasgow Branch of the Scottish Churches Film Guild. Lift up Your Hearts was a short one reel picture with beautiful country scenery. The commentary was good and the picture was thought to be very useful. Kindled Flame — a three-reeler — is a splendid picture, suitable for any kind of audience and it will be found an asset in religious teaching. The story deals with the persecution of Christians in the third century and their martyrdom to uphold their Faith. The acting is good and the photography even better. It is with regret that the committee of the Tyneside Film Society has had to abandon plans for a second session of the 1 941-42 season, owing to insufficient support. During the first half of the season Ernte. Le Roi S'Amuse and Lenin in October were shown. The choice of shorts was more difficult, and a policy of revivals was adopted, among the films chosen being The River. And So To Work and The Plow that Broke the Plains: the last, so satisfying in its entiren. unfortunately proved to be a "cut" copy. ECONOMY A large number of films are ruined by scratches caused by dirt — or sprocket teeth. To-day a greatly increased national use of films makes the avoidance of waste more important than ever. Please help by: • Keeping the gate free from dirt and accumulations of emulsion, and cleaning it before projecting each reel. • Keeping clean all pulleys over which the film passes. • Keeping unspooled film off the floor. • Keeping the film correctly seated on the sprocket wheels of the projector. PETROLEUM FILMS BUREAU, 15, Hay Hill, Berkeley Square, W.l SCIENTIFIC FILM SOCIETIES The London Scientific Film Society is holding its second show of the season at 2.30 p.m.. on March 7th, at the Imperial Institute Theatre. South Kensington. The theme of the programme is — Oil ! and included in it are Grierson's S //(/?<'<,m of Oil. the Anglo-Iranian oil film, and a German newsreel. Full details of reduced membership for the rest of the season may be obtained from the Secretary. Hanover House. 73 High Holborn. W.C.I. Glasgow Scientific Film Society reports: — "The season so far has been most successful. and although there has been a considerable number of resignations due to members joining one or other of H.M. forces, or taking up v>ork of national importance outside this area, this loss has been almost offset h> the number of new members enrolled. At the present time there are a feu vacancies, and members will be enrolled for the remainder of the season at a reduced subscription. "During the first season of the Society one non-scientific documentary film was included m each programme I his proved so acceptable that during this season this policy has been continued and augmented, as it is felt that in a programme consisting of from 7 to 10 films. up to three non-scientific documentary films can ( Continued on page 26)