Home Movies and Home Talkies (Jun 1932-May 1933)

HOME MOVIES & HOME TALKIES 6) occasion served, he managed to secui'e some good pictures of the review of the native troops and the march past, as well as of the dances antl other ceremonies, getting one or two fine shots of the native hunters going after big game. An Unique Ceremony Owing to the official part he played in the actual coronation, it was natvirally impossible for him to take a film of the ceremony. In the cucumstances he handed liis cmecamera to one of his staff who managed to take some very unusual pictures of the coronation itself. These scenes, taken in that far-distant temple, must be quite unique, and although they were interiors they come out remarkably well. The Duke of Gloucester possesses an all-round interest in photography and does not confine himself solely to the movie-camera ; he is always willing to try any tj-pe of camera, particularly the small ones which are becoming increasingly popular. He is extremely critical of his fihns and is quick to detect where a slightlj^ different angle of Ughting might add a sUght improvement to a film that is already good. Like everyone else, he sends his films to be developed professionally, but when the positive is returned to Buckingham Palace he manages the rest himself. He ponders over the titles to find those that are just right, exercises a sound judgment in Icnowing where to cut a scene that threatens to be a Httle too long, and he does all the arranging of the various scenes and the splicingand editing himself. A Royal Cine Entertainment At intervals when the King and Queen are in residence at Sandringham and the Royal Family gathers there, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Gloucester both take down their portable projectors so that they may show their films in the ballroom, which is generally used for these priv-ate cinema entertainments. For these film displajrs the Prince has had quite a large pearl bead screen made that will give an image about eight feet wide and six feet deep. On these occasions the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Gloucester mount their projectors side -by side, in quite the professional manner, and as soon as the film in one macliine is finished, the other macliine is switched on to take up the running without a break, while the film is being rewound on theTfirst machine and another film refitted and threaded. The Dulie of York sometimes runs through a niunber of hbrary films, from which he makes a very careful selection for showing to his own family. Aware of the great infiuence that the film can exercise on the childish mind. His Royal Higluiess no doubt wishes to assure himself that anjrthing likely to be seen by Princess Elizabeth is clean and wholesome entertainment . Once during the showing of a full size professional film at a house party given by the Prince of Wales, there was an unfortunate hitch and the film came to a sudden stop. "I'm sorry," apologised Mr. jSTewcombe, who was operating the projector, " but the machine has let me down. I will only keep you a minute or two wliile I put matters right." "Wait a moment," called out the Prince of Wales. "I want to see what's gone wrong." He vaulted over the backs of the chairs in order to get to the projector as quickly as possible. " It is the sort of thing that may happen at any time when you're not here," he explained. "And I would like to see how to put matters right mj-self." ^^^lere lesser men would have been annoyed at the interruption, the Prince not only took it in good part, but at once saw an opportunity of Phol&press] Princess Elizabeth enjoys watcliing the camera men, especially if they are cinematographers Central Press] Sir Harry Lauder is a firm friend of Princess Elizabeth learning something that might proveuseful on some futiu-e occasion, so he literally jumped to take it. In the inve.stigation that followed he found that the film in running through themachine had leaped a sprocket, with the result that it tied itseK up into countless knots inside. Informal Parties At liis informal parties the Prince often arranges for a film to be shown, the one essential being that it is thet very latest or that it is very topical. Dining the last Grand National he was attending a house party in Leicestershire at which many members ' of the local hrmt were present, and the film of the Grand National was sent down specially to be shown to theguests. It was so much appreciated that it had to be shown aU over again, the slow-motion shots of the horses taking some of the fences and coming over Becher's Brook being particularly Uked. Both the Prince of AVales and the Duke of Gloucester have had copies made of their favourite films, especially their African films, so that the duplicates may be used and the originals stored safely away. Ever since his tour in South America the Prince has been trying to edit the (Continued on page 75)