Documentary News Letter (1940)

DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER MAY 1940 11 ipKiaS EC. 3 (IB site inemas the very serious handicap imposed by he foreign language must not be underestimted. There are other and less obvious obstacles o be overcome, and the fact that there are ix or seven cinemas in the West End of .ondon and many throughout the country where oreign films are regularly shown indicates how kilfully these difficulties have been overcome ind what a steady demand there is for films of a ligh quality. ■i!kia.iBflepertory Cinemas astly there are the repertory cinemas, where he main film is a revival and is followed by a lewsreel and by documentary and general interest films. The need for these cinemas arises "" ^"^ rem the film industry policy aimed at obtaining '™ I quick return of production money expended. lemu 3(jce this has been accomplished a film, what rjk;a(? ;ver its merits, is normally thrown on the scrap leap to make room for the next. It may also hap)en that an outstanding film will be coupled in ;eneral distribution with an "A" or "H" film, isaulo ind will not reach the audiences it deserves. For hese reasons a demand exists for the revival of li'i'^s'^he outstanding film and this demand the Reperory Theatres are satisfying. An interesting characteristic of all the specilised theatres is the relationship between iudience and management. Criticism and suggesions are welcomed, and in one case a Cinema Club has been formed for discussion and to inable the cinemagoer to express his opinion on Kep theatre policy. This is an important link-up and extension of the useful work started by the Film Societies. The owners of specialised cinemas take a serious view of their social responsibilities. They try to present more than one point of view to audiences interested in current affairs and they do not hesitate to show controversial subjects. The educational value of the film is appreciated, although the extent to which specialised cinemas can co-operate with the schools has not yet been fully explored. Many of the repertory cinemas make a practice of informing teachers when they are showing a film suitable for schools and arrange with them for parties of children to attend the cinemas. Others have regular weekly children's matinees, when the programme is suitably and carefully composed. The consideration given to the selection of films and the 'building of programmes in direct relation to audience taste is the chief reason for the success of these cinemas, and producers might well look to those actively engaged in this work for much valuable information. U.S. FILM SERVICE IN THE American field, the U.S. Film Service has now issued the first combined catalogue to all Government films. It shows that 17 Federal Agencies now distribute between them 373 films. Most of the films are available for any kind of educational show, in 35 mm. and 16 mm., free of charge. While most of the films are designed to instruct in the narrower sense or to teach special skills, many of them set out to inform people about the work of Government Departments. The largest library is held by the Department of Agriculture which has 156 films dealing with crops, dairying, livestock, farm engineering, farm management, lumbering and re-afforestation, insects and parasites among crops and livestock, meteorology and marketing. Among the 130 films from the Department of the Interior are 89 dealing with the beauties of the national parks, conservation, power projects, and national resources and 41 films from the Bureau of Mines. Other Federal Agencies with films are listed as follows: Department of Justice (Bureau of Prisons), 1 film; Department of Labour (Children's Bureau, Division of Labour Standards, Women's Bureau), 1 1 films ; Department of the Navy, 27 recruiting films : Department of the Treasury, 5 films about coastguard activities; Federal Loan Agency, 2 films about the Federal Housing Administration ; Federal Security Agency, 18 films about the National Youth Administration, the Social Security Board and the U.S. Public Health Services; Federal Works Agency, 8 films about the U.S. Housing Authority and the Works Progress Administration ; Pan American Union, 6 films; Post Office Department, 1 film; Tennessee Valley Authority, 6 films; U.S. Marine Corps, 1 film; U.S. War Department, 3 films; U.S. Maritime Commission, I film; Department of Commerce, 1 film; Veterans Administration, 1 film. uccs(i idlSCO" Mi of ippita to' SlTl!' lb M SIGHT and SOUND SPRING 1940 SIXPENCE PRESENTS LEN LYE chatting about "Colour Continuity" RUSSELL FERGUSON as a Poet WINIFRED HOLMES on "Screen Propaganda" Not to mention news about the film in France, ,*\merica and other countries, and, of course, the usual book reviews and features. 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