Documentary News Letter (1942-1943)

DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER JUNE 1942 FILM SOCIETY NEWS From the Sheffield Trades Technical Societies comes an interesting catalogue of regular shows of technical films, held twice a week at the Central Library. This enterprising move covers all types of subject, as the following two specimen programmes show : Tool Steel: manufacture of tool steel; high frequency and crucible melting, forging, etc., at the works of Messrs. Edgar Allen & Co. Ltd. The Milling Machine: construction, operation and uses; milling cutters; right and wrong methods ; fixing and setting the job. The Manufacture of Edge Tools: processes in the making of edge tools at the works of Messrs. Wm. Marples and Sons Ltd. The Weigh of the World: historical survey of weighing devices from early primitive types to modern testing machines for metallurgical purposes. Strong Silent Axles: making motor car rear axles for the Austin car; drop forging, casting, welding and machine cutting the spiral bevel wheels, pinions, etc. Aircraft Design: use of wind tunnel ; forging and heat treatment of light alloys for construction ; scenes of planes taking off, flying and aerobatics; Metallurgical Department at National Physical Laboratories. Air Operations: a raid on Germany by the Bomber Command (M.O.I.). Top of the World: wonderful scenery in the Rocky Mountains of Canada. The Use of Power: man's development of power from wood cog wheels, windmills and water wheels, to the modern steam :urbine and motor car. Faraday: the discovery by Faraday of electro-magnetic induction is reconstructed, together with other inventions. fight Mail: the journey of the "Postal Special", the Post Office deals with the night mail jy up-to-date methods. As Time Goes By: a hisorical survey of transport, the horse coach, early steamship, railway and modern steamship ransport. Moscow: scenes in the city — the Kremin, underground railway, the shops, the main itreets. Strong Point 42: Soviet guerillas and roops reduce a Nazi strong point. The number of films shown in this way between March 12th and May 21st was no less than 111. Kn M.O.I, film is usually included in each >rogramme. The Belfast Film Institute Society had its last ihow of the season in May with Musical Story ind a supporting programme of Russian newsli-eels and documentary shorts. The last of the Monthly Film Bulletins for the season was sent >ut at the beginning of June and the annual ;eneral meeting was held on June 10th to hear he Treasurer's and Secretaries' reports, and to :lect officers and committee for the next season. n retrospect the past season has been very iatisfactory as eight shows have been given as igainst the six usual in peace-time, and some of hem have been of exceptional quality both as regards feature films and supporting snorts. So far t has not been necessary to revive any films preiously shown, though the choice, particularly of French films, is growing limited. French comedies such as La Femnie du Boulanger remain still nuch the most popular films, despite the interest taken in Russian productions. The most promising event of the season was the Society's good luck in finding a home in a cinema again after an exile of three years in a public hall. To have comfortable seating is a great boon, and the better technical reproduction of sight and sound were highly appreciated. Financially the Society broke even on the season, ending with a tiny balance almost exactly the same as the one with which the winter began. In the next few weeks much work is to be done to plan a new series of shows and in September the publication of the monthly Film Review will be resumed and a prospectus of the coming season will be circulated to members. The Merseyside Film Institute Society lost all its possessions and records when its offices in Bluecoat Chambers were gutted by fire. May 3rd, 1941. Its sectional activities would in any case have been cramped by the war, but the equipment of the new Philharmonic Hall (completed 1939, and generally pronounced to be the finest and most comfortable concert hall in the country) with first-rate projection and sound-track, has at least enabled the Society to attract an intelligent public for special occasions. Lenin in October was shown on a Sunday afternoon in January, in cooperation with British Council House, and Film and Reality on a week-day evening in May. An U.S.S.R. film will be shown in July. Over 4.000 secondary school pupils in one day were entertained to a H hours programme of carefully selected "shorts" at a small charge per head, at the end of last July and last December ; and a similar programme is planned for still larger numbers this term. The arrangement being made by the Liverpool Philharmonic Society to part with the actual ownership of its hall to the Corporation, in return for a large subsidy, and to devote its energies entirely to the promotion of music on an abundant scale, provides a challenge to the M.F.I.S. to step in and develop the cinematographic possibilities of the hall on a similar scale, when peace returns, in co-operation with the Educauon Department, various educational and social movements, scientific societies, etc. Calder, George Pearson, Joseph Reeves. Pat Mannock and Oliver Bell. For the purpose of catering for a growing public interested in the film as a medium of education, a Week-End School is being held on Saturday and Sunday, September 26th and 27th. at the Royal Hotel, Woburn Place, W.C.I, at which Mr. Herbert Marshall has been invited to lecture on "What we have to learn from Soviet Films" and Basil Wright on Film and Reality. Anthony W. Bingham has been asked to open a discussion on "Modern Documentary Films". On September 5th and 6th, at the same hotel, a continuous programme of films will be exhibited for the benefit of those who wish to hire films next season. The show will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday and continue till Sunday evening. It is intended to display all new releases of Soviet films during the week-end. The Association has now come to an agreement with the Film Unit of the London Co-operative Society Ltd. (Pioneer Films) whereby all films produced by that Unit are to be distributed through the library of the Association. The W.F.A. has agreed to place the production of 16 mm. films (direct recording) with this unit when the approval of sponsors has been obtained, and in return the unit will agree that the bodies associated with the Workers' Movement should only be approached through the W.F.A. Ltd. Plans are in hand for a big increase of Soviet propaganda films to be available for distribution through the machinery of the Workers' Film Association. Additional screening units are being installed so that with the appointment of agents in various parts of the country, at least twenty film shows can be projected simultaneously. The Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd., having become agents for Scotland, the extension of the field of coverage has been considerably increased. The prospective activities of the Association include a Film School at Oxford from July 18th to 24th inclusive, when the lecturers will be Anthony Asquith, Ivor Montagu, Ritchie S.O.S. for copies of WORLD FILM NEWS We should like to buy for 2s. 6d. each, copies of the following numbers of WORLD FILM NEWS No. I. Vol. I No. 4. Vol. I No. 5. Vol. II Please send copies to D.N.L., 34 SOHO SQUARE LONDON, W.I