Documentary News Letter (1947-1949)

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12 DOCUMENTARY FILM NEWS CORRESPONDENCE (cont.) Manchester Conference sir : I do not wish to cause affront to the organizers of the very valuable recent conference concerned with Visual Aids in Education. Such people put an immense amount of skill and hard work into the voluntary promotion of an admirable cause and they deserve all the help and encouragement we can give. I hope, therefore, that they will understand that I am trying to be constructive when I point out that most of their strenuous efforts will be wasted if they do not give their attention to the matter of adequate presentation of the material discussed. This applies to the planning of such conferences as a whole and its psychological effect upon the audience, but much more so to the projection of films and stills. The present difficulties of equipment, staff and organization are well known — but there is no excuse for thoroughly bad projection even if some of it is provided by the COI. It has been said that such methods are typical of the modern classroom conditions. If so, that is merely an indication that teachers need a little training in the technique — but in any case it cannot constitute an excuse for dragging down an organized display to such a level especially when it is intended as an example and a lead. Even if adequate projectors and screens are unobtainable (and are they?) there is no excuse for projecting the film back to front, end first, off the screen or right out of focus. Surely the projectionist should be allowed and should take time beforehand to have the whole 1 6 mm. outfit ready for instant projection in an adequate manner. If he were given such time to prepare and adequate instructions, he could also splice the short reels together to avoid those infuriating pauses for rethreading. The climax was reached at the SFA Manchester Conference when a complete film show was cancelled (after about 20 false starts) because 'the films were green'. If one cannot project a green film how does any film ever get shown? No, any projector which causes such havoc should be serviced or scrapped — and sometimes those responsible for its use might be treated similarly. Meanwhile could somebody read and act upon the admirable SFA leaflet on How to Run a Film Show? Yours, etc., GEORGE A. JONES Film Societies sir: I was indeed pleased to see your article on Page 1 of this month's DNL. An experience of mine two years ago with MGM indicates to me the source of the suggestion made by KRS that Film Societies are 'breeding grounds for leaders of anti-film attacks'. I had occasion to write regarding 16 mm films they might have. Their reply was that I call and see Mr Russell-Roberts. I called and was astonished to learn that it was the first they had heard of Film Societies; even the great Sam Eckman appeared ignorant of our existence. He said they had no such thing in America.. I recounted how we in our Society handled films. We discussed the sociological content and honesty of films whether they be documentaries or feature films. I was then shown a list of MGM films which they contemplated reducing to 16 mm and asked if I considered any would be suitable for Film Societies. I picked out two which I thought might be used. They were The Citadel and Mr Deeds I chose them because of the possibility of rousing lively discussion on their sociological honesty of content. Asked why I had chosen none of the others, I openly said I considered them rubbish, unworthy of honest straightforward discussion. In other words they were pure escapism. I emphasized at great length that we were not an alternative to cinemas. Our job was to make our members more discriminating. I asked them to give us documentaries of America equal to British documentaries. If they were worthy my members would express their appreciation in no uncertain manner. This closed the interview, every word of which was taken down in shorthand ! Since then I have received some very charming letters from Mr Russell-Roberts inviting my custom. I strongly suspect that the KRS have been unconsciously led up the garden by MGM arising out of my interview. I am therefore most anxious to learn the answers to your two questions. I hope you will publish them — if they do reply! Yours, etc., H. E. NORRIS West London Co-operative Film Society dear sir: I cannot understand the lapse of editorial good taste which permitted your columns to be used recently by Mr Eric Leslie for a particularly vicious and quite uncalled for attack on the defeated German people. If it really is necessary to rail against 'the Bosch', two years after the war and in the midst of a desperate world-wide bid for peace, documentary news letter, a specialist journal, is surely not the proper medium. I doubt whether any part of the film industry is in fact really appropriate as the spearhead of such an attack, for no thinking person will deny the contribution of the Germans to the screen whatever else they may have done to earn humanity's displeasure. In any case, judged by our own British standards Mr Leslie's behaviour is quite inexcusable. He pounces foaming on your German contributor for the crime, mark you, of having expressed an honest opinion publicly. What would Mr Leslie say if the German scientists now working (and, incidentally, getting killed) over here in the interests of this country were to decide, in consequence of reading his remarks, that they too had better keep their finds to themselves? No, stick to your subject, Mr Editor . . . and leave Mr Leslie to do his mischief, if he must, elsewhere. Yours faithfully, GEOFFREY DANDO 17 Iverna Gardens, Kensington, London, W8 November 21th, 1947 c I N E M A CREDIT for the actual invention of the cinematograph is difficult to apportion. It is certain that Englishmen played an important part. As long ago as 1860 Sir John Herschel published a theory of cinematography, and about 1889 a patent for a cinema camera and projector was applied for by W. Friese Greene and M. Evans. Today the cinema is our great relaxation. But how many of us who go to " the movies ", who watch the latest performance of our particular " star ", realise what the cinematograph industry owes to the workers in many branches of science and technology, and not least to the chemist? No other form of entertainment owes him so heavy a debt. Celluloid itself, the basis of the industry, is a chemical achievement. This must be transparent to give clear images after great magnification, resilient and tough to stand great strain. It must be so treated that the danger from fire is reduced to a minimum. The hand of the chemist is indeed traceable from the make-up of the actors to the lamps in the projectors. In the apparatus used for the soundrecording rare metals are needed : in the lenses of cameras and projectors, optical glass of the highest quality : in the colour-photography, pigments of the truest and most vivid colour. The sets for the ballrooms and palaces of the cinema's Cloudcuckoodom involve the use of large quantities of paints, quick-drying stucco and plasters : the costumes and draperies must be dyed. The tale is continued into the cinema theatre itself, in its decoration, its disinfection, its air-conditioning. When next you sit in your favourite cinema, think for a moment of the patient work in laboratory and factory that has enabled you to see the wonders of the world or the finest product of the cinematograph studio so clearly and still at so modest a price.