Documentary News Letter (1940)

DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER NOVEMBER 1940 13 OVERSEAS NOTES UNITED STATES One-Tenth of Our Nation, a film on Negro education in the United States, received its premiere on August 21 at the Chicago Negro Exposition. A Film Associates, Inc. production, it was made under a grant of the General Education Board and presented by the American Film Center. The film was shot last spring on locations in the South, and is said by Channing Tobias, chairman of the committee, to be the "first great documentary film on Negro Education". A Roy Harris score built by Negro themes provides the musical background for the Negro commentator, Maurice Ellis. The idea of the film came from the authorities of the Chicago Exposition. "We wanted to tell the people of the United States something about Negro schools and colleges", Claude Barnett said. "We wanted to show everything from the hungry boys and girls in overcrowded one-room schools to the proud graduates of our great universities. One-Tenth of Our Nation tells the story in its economic and social setting and is a success story of Negro and white co-operation even though there still remains plenty to do." The film was made possible by a gift of the General Education Board to the American Film Center. By agreement all net earnings from distribution will be paid into a revolving fimd which will be used to produce more films about Negroes and education. One-Tenth of Our Nation will be available in 16 mm. for educational distribution through the American Film Center at the conclusion of its theatrical run. State Conservation The Missouri State Conservation Commission places films first among educational media. This opinion was voiced by Commissioner Stevens when, accompanied by Townsend Godsey, Chief of the Division of Education, he visited New York City early in September to view the rough-cut version of Back to Missouri, the Commission's first regular wildlife production. Youth group work is a feature of the picture. The film was produced by Mack Gorham, in association with the American Film Center. Handicrafts A series of six new 1-reel instructional films dealing with handicraft arts was announced for release effective September 15 by Garrison Film Distributors, Inc. The films were produced in cooperation with the Universal School of Handicrafts under the supervision of Edward T. Hall, Director of the School. The series is intended for adult and elementary school use. Titles are: (1) Elementary Manual Training. (2) Marionettes, Construction and Manipulation. (3) Elementary Bookbinding. (4) Loom IVeaving. (5) Decorative Metal Work. (6) Leather Work. Manuals published by the school are available for use with the films. Sculpture Sculpture for Today, a 2-reel motion picture, produced by the Motion Picture Unit of the Photographic Division of the New York W.P.A. Art Project, was announced for release on August 19. The film is described as "a record of the processes by which stone and metal grow under men's hands into works of art, and a commentary on sculpture in its functional aspect." Civil Service A film on Civil Service is reported nearing completion for the New York City W.P.A. The picture which will be based on material supplied by Civil Service President Paul Kern. To be released soon to Civil Service groups. Department of Agriculture The following films are reported as having been released by the Department of Agriculture during the fiscal year ending June 30, last. Thev are being distributed by the Agricultural Adjustment Committees in the states concerned. Four Thousand Gifts of the Forest. Displays, in the guise of a pageant, the wide variety of forest products that contribute to the present-day standard of living. The Living Land. The land, living or dead, is the heritage of successive generations. This film illustrates the importance of keeping the good land good. Pork on tlie Farm. How to grow hogs for home use ; how to slaughter, cut, and cure. Bears in Alaska. A plea for the preservation of Alaska bears. Striking shots of wild Grizzly, Kadiak, and Black bears. Orchard Mouse Control. Discusses methods of preventing damage caused by meadow and pine mice in orchards. Shows how to control them. Foui Little Mice. Illustrates habits and control of meadow, pine, deer, and house mice. During the same period the following films were produced in co-operation with State Agricultural Adjustment Committees : Savings Under Seal (South Dakota). A. A. A. Wheat Loan enables the farmer to store his wheat under seal until market is good. Wheat on Call (South Dakota). Crop insurance protects the wheat crop in South Dakota. Maine (A. A. A. Newsreel). The State of Maine participates in the A. A. A. programme. Woodlot improvement, orchard mulching, soil conservation, liming, the use of proper fertilizers. A.A.A. and Wheat (Hddvaska). Through A. A. A. Wheat Loans, Nebraska farmers are enabled to sell as much wheat as the market requires, and store the surplus in country elevators and in bins on farms until it can be sold at a fair price. Agricultural Wisconsin. Brings out the contribution agriculture has made to the State of Wisconsin and how the future economic life of Wisconsin will depend upon, and be affected by, a national policy for agriculture. This Land of Ours (Ohio). Shows some of the serious losses that have resulted from unplanned farming operations of the past, and what farmers are doing under a co-operative programme to rebuild and protect the soil resources of Michigan. JAMAICA There has recently been a good deal of interest in 16 mm. educational films. The Jamaica Welfare Limited, 24 Duke Street, Kingston, is promoting this type of education. It maintains a selection of films which have been approved by the local Department of Education for the use of schools and institutions. The Jamaica Welfare Limited has three trucks at the present time which it uses for this purpose. The trucks are fully equipped with projector, film, and operators who travel throughout the Island showing educational films, but none of the schools or colleges has its own equipment. There are no 16 mm. sound projectors reported to be in Jamaica. NIGERIA Special performances for school children have been screened once a week at the Rex Cinema in Lagos and these have been well attended, the average attendance reaching 400 to 500 per performance. The charge for admission is \\d. The proprietors of the cinema have written for a selection of educational films for use at these performances. It is hoped that this experiment will develop into a useful service, and will be followed up by similar performances in other towns where cinemas have been installed. Private persons have given a number of exhibitions of their own films in schools and colleges. Such films are usually of local scenes. The Propaganda Unit of the Medical Department with its touring cinema contines to attract large and enthusiastic audiences on its visits to up-country districts. BRITISH HONDURAS THERE ARE sevcn 16 mm. projectors in British Honduras, all silent and privately owned. Schools do not show educational motion pictures. Both secondary and elementary education are wholly denominational, the elementary schools receiving grants-in-aid from the Government.