Home Movies (1944)

HOME MOVIES FOR APRIL PACE 143 for getting out among the natives to picture their way of life instead of following the routes laid down by travel handbooks. When his plane landed in Africa, it was in Accra, on the gold coast — a town, according to Erdman, unparalleled for filth. "Approaching it," said Erdman, "We could smell it seven miles away!" It was here that Erdman experienced his first and most interesting difficulty in obtaining movie film. Having made the usual inquiries around the town, he was told there was no film to be had. Now, it is the custom for Americans and other travelers visiting Accra to engage a guide and interpreter, and the one chosen by Erdman was to prove a life saver in more ways than one. For one thing, this guide was up to date on the local film situation and assured Erdman that a certain native in Accra had 8mm. film to sell — at a price, of course. Erdman, accompanied by the guide, called upon the native who pretended not to understand the word "film" much less to possess any of it. Reassured by his guide that the crafty native had film, Erdman dickered with him off and on over a period of seven hours before the film was produced. Finally, six rolls of 8mm. film of assorted types and dubious vintage were brought out with which the native reluctantly parted for the unheard of price of $25.00 a roll! Some of the film was Kodachrome, some panchromatic, and two rolls were outdated more than a year. One roll was of German origin, 2 British, and 3 were from Rochester. The African had acquired most of the film in "trades" with service men and other visitors for native goods and souvenirs. After this experience, Erdman had a healthy respect for film, shooting it judiciously but not miserly, and guarding his supply with the same care given the trinkets and souvenirs purchased along the way. The movies he made in Accra picture an interesting cross-section of native life in this distant African outpost. Here was to occur Erdman's first hairraising experience. One day, one of those rare picture making opportunities presented itself — a native funeral procession. Erdman, together with his guide, had rented bicycles in Accra, and had journeyed out to a neighboring village in search of picture material. As they entered the village, natives, bearing an ornate coffin that probably bore an American trademark, were just emerging from a church. They carried the coffin on their shoulders and as they marched toward the cemetery, a procession of mourners followed, chanting the funeral dirge. Here was an incident for the movie camera, and Erd • Continued on Page 156 • On this page are frame enlargements from Douglas Erdman's first movie making adventure. Above, he is pictured with a native policeman of Accra, Africa, whose friendship enabled Erdman to secure some unusual movies. • This is the African (center) who, upon discovering Erdman filming a native funeral procession, attacked him with a knife. Erdman's alert guide tossed his bicycle at the native, beat and disarmed him. • Natives of Accra, even those fully dressed, are reluctant to have their pictures taken; and shots like this were made from a distance with aid of a telephoto lens. The girl is a helper in a native market place. • In India, Erdman encountered sights, smells and sounds beggering description. Here he watches intently while a magician performs one of his incredible tricks. A friend of Erdman's filmed the shot. • Monkeys are as common in India as birds in America. Here Erdman romps with an especially playful specimen while his native guide makes the shot from a distance with aid of a telephoto lens. • This striking likeness of radio comedian Jerry Colona, is a statue warding off evil spirits at entrance of one of the Maharaja's palaces in Mysore, India. The figure is exquisitely decorated and jeweled. • Snake charmers are a familiar sight in India. Here Erdman studies the native's technique, then bargains for the quaint musical instrument whose shrill notes hypnotize the snakes, usually cobras. • The grotesque masks, colorful headdress and bizzare costumes of the Tiger Dancers of southern India are exquisitely revealed in Erdman's Kodachrome movies. Good use of a tele-lens secured this fine detail shot.