World Film News and Television Progress (Apr 1936-Mar 1937)

FILM SOCIETIES PROGRESS ON ALL FRONTS Note: News of the film societies, and'copies of programmes for notice should be addressed to Cinema Contact's Edinburgh Office, 24 N.W. Thistle Street Lane, Edinburgh 2.) THE CRITICAL section of the film public must be organised if it is to have any influence on the future development of cinema. Independently and intensively the many film societies throughout the country are working towards this aim. Among the orthodox, the British Film Institute is attempting a similar object. Valuable as are the private exhibitions of advanced, experimental and foreign films organised by the film societies, any tendency towards the merely highbrow is a danger. The ultimate value of the film societies movement, which has shown a remarkable growth in recent years, is its power to persuade the uninformed of the artistic and social implications of cinema as a medium of expression. Unceasing propaganda towards this end should be the policy of every organisation. Programmes of the past season indicate that the majority of the English and Scottish societies are becoming increasingly conscious of their responsibility ia this connection. THE FILM SOCIETY of London, now in its tenth season, continues to act as a necessary shop window for outstanding Continental films and experimental productions from every quarter. The new secretary is Miss Mary Brown, 56 Manchester Street, London, W.l. GLASGOW FILM SOCIETY, second oldest and perhaps largest British society, is now in its seventh season. Owing to the increase in membership, afternoon as well as evening performances are now given on Sundays. Lectures and demonstrations are arranged and a lively monthly bulletin is issued. The Hon. Sec. is D. Paterson Walker, 127 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, C.2. A new film society has been started in PLYMOUTH. The secretary is Martin Atkinson, Virginia House, Palace Street, Plymouth. Authoritative lectures are always a feature of the LEICESTER FILM SOCIETY, whose performances are given on Saturday evenings in the Vaughan College. Names on the current syllabus include Ivor Montagu and Richard Southern. The EDINBURGH FILM GUILD now has a clubroom and library, open daily, at the Monseigneur Cafe, Princes Street. Performances continue to be held in the Caley on Sundays and are followed by discussions over tea. These have been contributed to by, among others, John Grierson, Paul Rotha, Jenny Brown, Edwin Muir, Ian Whyte and Professor Talbot Rice. An INVERNESS FILM SOCIETY has now been formed, with Evan Barron, Editor of the Inverness Courier, as chairman. The Hon. Secretary is John Mitchell, Royal Bank Buildings, Inverness. The Society will hold shows during the week and, generally, aims to stimulate an interest in intelligent cinema throughout the North of Scotland. The ETON COLLEGE FILM SOCIETY has been revived, following completion of alterations in the school hall. Performances consist of features with an educational value, comedies and news-reels. MERSEYSIDE FILM INSTITUTE SOCIETY is one of the most alive bodies in the provinces. With a subscription of only half-a-crown it 20 organises lectures, exhibitions and demonstrations, and issues a monthly bulletin of film recommendations. An interesting series of talks on famous directors has been arranged, and other lectures have been given by Mary Field, W. H. George, and AUstair Cooke. The Society has its own clubroom and library at Bluecoat Chambers, School Lane, Liverpool. The SCOTTISH FILM COUNCIL (of the B.F.I.) now issues a monthly Bulletin containing general news of Scottish interest and notes of films generally released. It is edited by C. A. Oakley, 188 Hyndland Road, Glasgow, W.2. MAIDENHEAD has now a Film Society with S. J. Chippingdale Watsham, 27 High Street, Maidenhead, as organiser. Monthly performances are given on Sunday afternoons. THE FILM SOCIETY OF AYRSHIRE is a new organisation serving the towns of Kilmarnock, Ayr, Prestwick, Troon and Girvan and the surrounding coimtryside. Sunday performances are given at Prestwick. The Hon. Secretary is J. A. Paton Walker, 5 St. Mamock Street, Kilmarnock. Another new venture is the WOLVERHAMPTON FILM SOCIETY, of which P. W. Pryde, 78 Belmont Road, Wolverhampton, is secretary. The council includes Leslie B. Duckworth, film critic of the Express and Star, the Director of Education, Principal of the Art School, and the Civic Development officer. Few societies are in the enviable position of the BILLINGHAM FILM SOCIETY, which showed a cash balance of £104 in its annual report. The Society has no formal membership, tickets being sold at the box-office in the usual way. Per TYNESIDE F.S. formances]are^given twice-nightly on Wednesdays once a month, and audiences of a thousand are common. The secretary is H. S. Coles, 3 Cambridge Terrace, Norton-on-Tees. The ABERDEEN FILM SOCIETY, formed last year, has now a membership of almost 750 — bearing out the contention that Aberdeen is one of the most cinema-conscious cities in the country. Sunday shows are given and lectures arranged. The Hon. Secretary is A. L. Stephen Mitchell, 15 Golden Square, Aberdeen. A similar arrangement is in operation in COLNE, Lanes., where the local Literary Society holds a monthly Club Night in the Savoy cinema. Programmes for the current season include Maskerade, M, and Der Traumende Mimd. The Society has succeeded in arousing a genuine interest in such films in the district. Lectures are also arranged. The secretary is Chas. Hargreaves, Greystones, Colne, Lanes. NORTH LONDON FILM SOCIETY now holds its performances at the Monseigneur, Piccadilly. Lectures have been given by Andrew Buchanan, president of the society, Ivor Montagu, Robert Herring, Lee Garmes, Marie Seton, and Oswell Blakeston. The secretary is H. A. Green, 6 Carysfort Road, N.I 6. DUNDEE AND ST. ANDREWS FILM SOCIETY, recently formed, is probably the only society which holds two shows on one day in two separate towns. Films are taken by road and ferry after the afternoon performance in Dundee to St. Andrews for another show in the evening. The Hon. Secretary is G. E. Geddes, Scotswood, Wormit. The Tyneside Film Society started at a public meeting held in Newcastle in December, 1932, and began active work in January, 1934. Within twelve months the membership had risen to 800, and hopes are entertained of reaching the 1,000 mark during the present session. Performances are given on Sunday evenings in Newcastle's most comfortable cinema, the Haymarket. The initiative in founding the Society was taken by Ernest Dyer, a local schoolmaster who has served as its Chairman ever since. Dyer has been associated with many progressive social youth movements on Tyneside. For the past two years he has been acting, under the name of "Frank Evans," as film critic to the Newcastle Evening Chronicle the North-East's most influential paper, and his criticisms — which at first aroused bitter hostility in trade circles — have undoubtedly helped to raise the standard of film taste in the district. He has recently returned from a study of Russian film production. The Society took a great step forward when M. C. Pottinger became its Secretary. Pottinger. who is a Scot, is in private life a librarian and Hon. Secretary of the Northern Regional Library System. Before the formation of the Tyneside Film Society he was experimenting at the Newcastle "Lit. and Phil." with free exhi The men who run it bitions of documentaries to unemployed men and to school children, in co-operation with the City Education Department. At present 300-400 school children are attending the Lit. and Phil, theatre each Monday when exhibitions of nonfiction 1 6mm. sound films, linked up with the school curriculum, take place. Another prominent member of the Committee is Arthur Greaves, Chairman of Montagu Amateur Pictures, whose colour film Seven Spirits of the Rainbow has just been awarded the special plaque of the Royal Photographic Society for the most meritorious film submitted in its open competition. AMATEURS FILM FISH Despite wild weather, the Caithness Film Society, leading amateur group in the far North of Scotland, is busy shooting scenes for an ambitious documentary of the seine net fishing industry. Scenes are also being taken in the fishermen's homes, and sets of the interiors of a cabin and an engine-room are being specially constructed by members. Impressive cliff and shore scenery will provide spectacular backgrounds. Films of Caithness made by the Society circulate widely in Canada and the United States.