Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1947)

21 PRACTICAL FILMS The non theatrical movie as used for various purposes WILLIAM HOWE, ACL LOOKING FORWARD At a recent press conference in New York City, Jean Benoit-Levy, the French cinema pioneer, appointed Director of the Film and Visual Information Division of the United Nations, outlined his plans for promoting international unity with one of the most impressive motion picture schedules ever undertaken. In addition to distributing 16mm. film records of the U. N. activities through the established channels of civic organizations. M. Benoit-Levy plans to produce films of topical subjects of world interest and to establish a film footage library of expository sequences which will be available for international exchange. The film footage library will strive to avoid duplication of production in cases where there is already a comprehensive treatment of a subject, such as soil erosion; and, by combining forces with the film producers of other nations, a greater catalog of instructional film will be assembled from which all the United Nations can draw. In the theatrical field, G. L. Carnes, representative of UNESCO, will encourage the production of more films fostering international understanding — pictures like The Good Earth and The Story of Louis Pasteur. But the better part of the Division's energies and budget will go for 16mm. productions which will be available to the world at a minimum rental, since M. Benoit-Levy considers this the ideal medium for circulating the aims and accomplishments of the United Nations. OUT OF AFRICA The progress in pregnancy diagnoses through the centuries has been traced with commendable clarity by Lewis Lewis, ACL, of Cape Town, South Africa, in his 800 foot 16mm. Kodachrome film, The Story of Pregnancy Diagnosis. For several years Mr. Lewis has contributed his cinematic skill to the production of similar medical records, notably a 2000 foot exposition of orthopedia: but he has managed during this time to secure some excellent footage of hjs two strapping youngsters as well. Mr. Lewis's latest scientific endeavor shows explicitly how pregnancy diagnosis has progressed from the superstitions of the early Egyptians to the overnight diagnosis put into practice by Dr. H. A. Shapiro. The time interval for arriving at a valid diagnosis has been cut down from four days to overnight by substituting the South African "platanna" frog for the earlier mice and rabbits. The lighting problems conjunctive with laboratory filming have been handled by Mr. Lewis with great finesse, while none of the detail which is so important to a scientific film has been lost by faulty exposure. The result is a top notch documentation of an interesting laboratory procedure. THE VICIOUS CIRCLE The hazards of the Arctic Circle, as seen in the Canadian National Film Board's White Safari, are still considerable: but the innovation of modern juggernauts has done a great deal to make the frozen fields of the North more accessible and navigable. In a ten minute monochrome film, available in 16mm. prints, the course of a scientific expedition into the Canadian Arctic is followed over the icy barriers to an Eskimo outpost. But even this mechanized caravan was temporarily thwarted by a lashing blizzard that stopped the expedition in its tracks. A competent account of an exciting venture, White Safari includes some expert filter work and a bright editorial treatment which should make it a popular film to show how world frontiers are pushing farther toward the poles. The narrative on track is blended effectively with the action, to recount the accomplishments of this expedition, which was known to the participants as "Exercise Musk Ox." The National Film Board of Canada. 620 Fifth Avenue, New York 20, N. Y., is distributor for this picture. DISNEY DELIGHT Animation has been put to clever use in an industrial film produced by Walt Disney for the Dow Chemical Company. The ten minute Technicolor film. Treasure from the Sea, stresses the advantages [Continued on page 39] 16mm. scenes by Lewis Lewis, ACL * The above scenes, from The Story of Pregnancy Diagnosis, clearly illustrate the attention to detail and the fine camera viewpoints used by the filmer.