Documentary News Letter (1940)

18 DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER JULY 1940 FILM UBRARIES Borrowers of films are asked to apply as much in advance as possible, to give alternative booking dates, and to return the films immediately after use. H. A hire charge is made. F. Free distribution. Sd. Sound. St. Silent. Association of Scientific Workers, 30 Bedford Row, W.C.I. Scientific Film Committee. Graded List of Films. A list of scientific films from many sources, classified and graded for various types of audience. On request, Committee will give advice on programme make-up and choice of films. Austin Film Library, Longbridge, Birmingham. 24 films of motoring interest, industrial, technical and travel. 35 mm. & 16 mm. Sd. & St. F. British Commercial Gas Association, Gas Industry House, 1 Grosvenor Place, S.W.I. Films on social subjects, domestic science, manufacture of gas. 35 mm. & 16 mm. Sd. & a few St. F. British Council Film Department, 25 Savile Row, W.l. Films of Britain, 1940. Catalogue for overseas use only but provides useful synopses of 100 sound and silent documentary films. British Film Institute, 4 Great Russell Street, W.C. 1 . (a) National Film Library. An important collection of documentary and other films. Available only to full members of B.F.I. 35 mm. & 16 mm. Sd. & St. H. (b) Some British and Foreign Documentary and other Short Films. A general list of films and sources, (c) Early Films. Films 1896-1934 still available in Britain. Coal Utilisation Joint Council, General Buildings, Aldwych, London, W.C. 2. Films on production of British coal and miners' welfare. 35 mm. & 16 mm. Sd. F. Crookes' Laboratories, Gorst Road, Park Royal, N.W.IO. Colloids in Medicine. 35 mm. & 16 mm. Sd. F. Dartington Hall Film Unit, Totnes, South Devon. Classroom films on regional and economic geography. 16 mm. St. H. Electrical Development Association, 2 Savoy Hill, Strand, W.C.2. Four films of electrical interest. Further films of direct advertising appeal are available only through members of the Association, 16 mm. Sd. & St. F. Educational General Services, 37 Golden Square, W.l. A wide selection of films, particularly of overseas interest. Some prints for sale. 16 mm. & St. H. Empire Film Library, Imperial Institute, S.W.7. Films primarily of Empire interest. With a useful subject index. 16 mm. & a few 35 mm. Sd. &St. F. Ensign Film Library, 88-89 High Holborn, London, W.C.I. Wide selection of all types of films including fiction, comedies, documentaries, films of geography, animal life, industry. Some prints for outright sale. 16 mm. St. & a few Sd. H. Film Centre, 34 Soho Square, W.l. Mouvements Vibratoires. A film on simple harmonic motion. French captions. 35 mm. & 16 mm. St. H. The Ford Film Library, Dagenham, Essex. Some 50 films of travel, engineering, scientific and comedy interest. 35 mm. & 16 mm. Sd. & St. F. Gaumont-British Equipments, Film House, Wardour Street, W.l. Many films on scientific subjects, geography, hygiene, history, language, natural history, sport. Also feature films. 35 mm. & 16 mm. Sd. & St. H. G.P.O. Film Library, Imperial Institute, S.W.7. Over 100 films, mostly centred round communications. 35 mm. & 16 mm. Sd. & St. F. Kodak, Ltd., Kingsway, W.C.2. (a) Kodascope Library. Instructional, documentary, feature, western, comedy. Strong on early American comedies. 16 mm. & 8 mm. St. H. (A separate List of Educational Films, extracted from the above, is also published. A number of films have teaching notes.) {b) Medical Film Library. Circulation restricted to members of medical profession. Some colour films. Some prints for outright sale. 16 mm. St. H. CATALOGUE OF THE MONTH Pathescope Film Catalogue, North Circular Road, Cricklewood, London, N.W.2. Pathcscope's catalogue is confined to sound and silent films on 9.5 mm. and is designed to attract the home movie fan. In consequence its lay-out and style is a change indeed from the dry entries in most catalogues. Who would not be tempted to hire Revelry, in which "When coming home 'with the milk' a party of revellers descend upon the local sweep and have a fine time with his brushes and his barrow". But it is difficult to know what teachers would make oi Ape-Y-Days, listed under Natural History. "Mary-Mary, pet chimpanzee of Mr Cherry Kearton . . . entertains you with a few excerpts from her repertoire and invites your company in seeking adventure. Afterwards there is tea and a quiet cigarette. A lovable creature and story all will enjoy". Teachers should not be put off by these sort of entries, for many of the films are good for school use. It is a pity that the cata ogue entries often do not list the stars of the various films, which makes them of less use to the film historian. The catalogue lists a number of good German, French and English films of the twenties. All Walter Forde's early comedies appear to be listed with such remarkable Continental films as Kean, The Chess Player, Vaudeville, Siegfried, Money, Kriemhild's Revenge, The Spy, and La Maiernelte (silent version). The catalogue is strong on American comedies and cartoons, and lists a great number of films by Snub Pollard, the early slap-stick comedian. A unique feature is a large number of 9.5 mm. sound films. Pathescope also issues a monthly supplement giving lists of new films acquired. The current number contains Master of the World starring Harry Piel, the famous German acrobatic comedian of silent days, and a number of topical films including the Bombing of Namsos. March of Time, Dean House, 4 Dean Street, W.l. Selected March of Time items, including Inside Nazi Germany, New Schools for Old, America Thinks it Over. 16 mm. Sd. H. Mathematical Films. Available from B. G. D. Salt, 5 Carlingford Road, Hampstead, N.W.3. Five mathematical films suitable for senioi classes. 16 mm. & 9.5 mm. St. H. Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co., Ltd., Traf ford Park, Manchester 17. Planned Electrification, a film on the electrification of the winding and surface gear in a coal mine. Available foi showing to technical and educational groups, 16 mm. Sd. F. Pathescope, North Circular Road, Cricklewood. N.W.2. Wide selection of silent films, including cartoons, comedies, drama, documentary, travel, sport. Also good selection of early Americar and German films. 9.5 mm. Sd. & St. H. Petroleum Films Bureau, 15 Hay Hill, Berkele> Square, W. 1 . Twenty technical and documentarj films. 35 mm. & 16 mm. Sd. & St. F. Religious Film Library, 104 High Holborn. W.C.I. Films of religious and temperance appeal also list of supporting films from other sources 35 mm. & 16 mm. Sd. & St. H. Scottish Central Film Library, 2 Newton Place Charing Cross, Glasgow, C.3. A wide selectioi of teaching films from many sources. Contaia' some silent Scots films not listed elsewhere Library available to groups in Scotland only 16 mm. Sd. & St. H. Sound-Film Services, 10 Park Place, Cardiff Library of selected films including Massingham'; And So to Work and Pollard's Dragon of Hales Rome and Sahara have French commentaries 16 mm. Sd. H. Southern Railway, General Manager's Office Waterloo Station, S.E.I. Seven films (one ii colour) including Building an Electric Coach South African Fruit (Southampton Docks t( Covent Garden), and films on seaside towns 16 mm. St. F. Strand Film Company, 5a Upper St. Martin' Lane, W.C.2. Eleven films available for non theatrical distribution including Aerial Mile stones. Chapter and Verse, Give the Kids a Break and a number of others of Empire and genera interest, including 3 silent Airways films. Most! 35 mm'. Sd. A few 16 mm. St. F. Wallace Heaton, Ltd., 127 New Bond Streei W.l. Three catalogues. Sound 16 mm., silen 16 mm., silent 9.5 mm. Sound catalogue contain number of American feature films, includin Thunder Over Mexico, and some shorts. Silent 1 mm. catalogue contains first-class list of earl American, German and Russian features an shorts, 9.5 catalogue has number of early Gei man films and wide selection of early America and English slapstick comedies. 16 mm. & 9. mm. Sd. & St. H. Workers' Film Association, 145 Wardour Stree W.l. Films of democratic and co-operative ir terest. Notes and suggestions for complete pre grammes. Some prints for sale. 35 mm. & 16 mn Sd. & St. H. r