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What Movies Mean to the Marines
After that the scenario outlined, like an industrial film, the mill through which recruits are put — the "awkward squad/' learning the manual of arms, a company going through exercises, movements in close order, bayonet exercise, street-riot formations, wall scaling. From that to the camp and the bivouac, the artillery drill, the rifle range. The marine on the field and the marine on
board ship, a battle scene for a climax. Finally, the love story emerged again, when the hero with his medals goes home on leave, and the leading lady claims the privilege of her sex to change her mind and marry the military man rather than the civilian.
As recruiting happened to be a bit slack, the author of the scenario obtained permission to run down to the marine training station on Mare Island for some cinema target practice. He made no particularly high score of bull's-eyes at first. Sometimes, in fact, he quite missed the target. He tells the story on himself, so we may as well quote :
"In the innocence of inexperience, I rashly offered to undertake the task of producing such a picture. My troubles
began with the scenario, and multiplied rapidly through the various phases of filmography, until the final day came when the finished product, the result of many trying and discouraging incidents, was thrown on the screen. I took one despairing look at the dismal sight, and then went home and sent for the doctor. I remained two weeks on the sick list, until the excitement had subsided. It was a typical first effort, but not entirely disheartening:. It had sufficient merit to
A scene from a government film showing marines in aviation service.
stimulate the hope that some time some one would produce a marine corps film that would be worth while. It was a great encouragement when I later discovered that my camera man had acacquired about all his experience in turning a grindstone on a ranch near Fresno.
"In spite of the lack of merit in the maiden effort, persistent recruiters succeeded in getting the picture on the screens in various parts of the country, and some districts even went so far as to report it a success. In some places, where the picture was accompanied with a lecture, it was reported to have gone with a whoop. Only recently has the film been expended as 'worn out in service.' "
"Whatever else the film accomplished,