FilmIndia (Jan-Nov 1942)

JULY 1942 VOL. 8 No. 7. SUBSCRIPTION: The annual subscription, for 12 issues of "filniindia", from August 1942 is: INLAND: Rs. 11/FOREIGN: Shillings 24/ Subscription is accepted only for a collective period of 12 months and not for a smaller period. Subscription money should be remitted only by Money Order or by Postal Order but not by cheques V.P.P.s will not be sent. Change of Address: Two months previous notice is required for change of address. Loss of Copies: The publishers do not hold themselves responsible for loss of copies in transit as the copies of the subscribers are sent under careful supervision. Selling Price: The price of a single copy from August 1942 is Re. 1/ inland and shillings 2/8 foreign. If any agent is found demanding in excess of this price, the publishers should be informed with ths requisite proof. Contributions: Only from qualified writers, contributions are accepted. Manuscripts sent by sundry contributors will be returned if only sufficient postage is sent to cover their return. Correspondence: No personal correspondence with the Editor is encouraged. Letters seeking information are replied to in the "Editor's Mail'" section according to the importance and the suitability of such letters. Advertising: are as follows: The advertisement rates Full Page inside Rs. 150/ per insertion Half Page inside Rs. 80/ „ 2nd & 3rd Cover Rs. 200/ 4th Cover Rs. 300/ lst Cover Rs.1000/ . „ Less than half page space will not be booked. The cost of the advertisement rhould be submitted in advance with the order. The advertisement will be subject to the terms and conditions of our usual contract. india Proprietors:-FILMINDIA PUBLICATIONS, LTD. SIR PHIROZSHAH MEHTA ROAD, FORT, BOMBAY Editor: BABURAO PATE L White Uan OJ lie West In October 1940, Alexander Shaw was brought to India as an "expert" to take charge of the production activities of the Film Advisory Board, an official institution intended for the production of short films for war propaganda. Before October 1940, no one in India knew Alex Shaw, not even the film journalists whose business it is to know every thing in the film world. The reason was simple. Alex Shaw was an unknown man, even in England. True, he had produced or helped at production of a few documentary films but that was not enough to make him known anywhere. This unknown man was dumped on us as an "expert" and during the year that he stayed in India, only three of his short films were released though we were told early in the year that as many as twenty-four would be produced. At the end of the year Alex Shaw was sent back because the entire nation protested against this man. He had proved himself utterly useless for the experl job he was called upon to handle. And in comparison with the quantity and quality of the work which he turned out during the year, his huge drawings, by way of salary, " looked like day light robbery. Making their peace with the inevitable folly of the Government in appointing this man as an expert, the members of the Film Advisory Board, with the idea of making the best of a bad job, welcomed Alex Shaw cordially amongst them. Producer Jamshed Wadia, the Chairman of. the Board welcoming Alex Shaw admitted having had "a glimpse into Mr. Shaw's broad outlook on life in general and films in particular" and hoped that at the end of the year, Mr. Shaw would find ample opportunities of revising his decision to return to England Little did the gentle Jamshed Wadia know that on return to England, Alex Shaw would go out of his way to condemn all our producers in the following words: "the film trade, with one or two exceptions is m the hands of racketeers" (Cine Technician FebMarch '42). 3