seldom suitable for considered propaganda. The Army has a Film Unit of two men at home and two abroad. None of them is á pro- ducer or director and they have no commission to do other than act as a sort of extra newsreel unit.
as
Some of their film is put into vaults for "Mr. Posterity," official records are jocularly call- éd, and some offered to the news- reels by whom it is consistently rejected, not because it is poor but because the newsreels have al- ready covered the items.
So we may well ask, with the Americans and the Argentinians, where are the films of the Men of the Tank Corps. the Big Guns, the Service Corps and the Infan- try? Where is the day-to-day drama of bomber squadrons taking off into the dusk?
When asked to explain this as- British tonishing failure to use films to tell the world, the con- venient reply is "The Treasury We have no doubt sent won't give money for films." But abroad foreign language ver-
I wonder if this is the only rea- sions of a few decumentarics son? Do those in whose power it ← Squadron 992 and Behind rests to order such films really the Guns but these were have the will to make them? Are made primarily for home they anxious to reflect what the use. We have produced no Press calls the Will of the People? equivalent of the Nazi Baptism of Are they eager to tell neutrals Fire, their film of the Polish In-that Britain is changing from the vasion designed to scare neutrals, status quo that led to Munich? nor should we in content.
Can this avoidance of facts be But we could have produced why the British Council makes films of Democracy in the works films of Oxford, the City of ing and of the kind of world we Learning, and British bloodstock hope to build when this war is and pot of bomber pilots and des- over. In 12 months we could troyer ratings?. And, most im- have put on the screens across the portant of all, of the British peo-. world 50 films of British outlook.ple at war on their own hearths? that British strength and British hero-Or. is it the simpler reason ism. But does this rest with the these official bodies still have no M. of I., or with the Foreign Office, real contact with the spirit of the the Department of Overseas people whose war it is? Trade, or perhaps the Armed Ser vices themselves?
*
✡
Just before the war a brilliant satire was written on the British film industry called "Nobody Or- dered Wolves. Better than any Neither the RA.F. nor the Navy balance-sheets or bankruptcy has an official Film Unit, News courts it showed why the British How many films in 12 months reels are sometimes given facili-film trade fell into disrepute. on "political" subjects, then, has ties. But it cannot be stressed Someone had better get busy to- the M. of I. made specifically for too often that newsreel camera-day on a book about the official foreign showing? The answe: men "shoot" for the special job of film activity of the war. They, can must be on the secret list; we must Stop Press news and their stuff is call it "Nobody Ordered Films."
How The Raiders Come
HEINKEL (11
MESSERSCHMITT 100
DORNIER ZIS
CUUNKARI DA |.
1,000 DT.
1.
2
3
the new pact can mean nowhat a side-laugh this must give less than that Japan has Dr. Goebbels! entered into a clear-cut
The British Council's Film De- military alliance with our partment, which is now extending THESE diagrams attempt to Diagram (1) is a side-shot over bird's eye views. In diagram (2) answer a most difficult ques- a town like Dover. Some 20 Hein- a formation of Dornier 215 bomb- enemies, she can scarcely its premises, has £71,800 to spend
come ers, is being escorted to Britain. on cultural films for overseas, so tion. Many people want to know, kel He 111, bombers have continue to count on the its secretary tells me. This figure what tactics the German, air force over in the sandwich formation. The bombers fly in arrow head supply of potential war includes cost of copies of films and employs when its squadrons at- They are the ham in a Messer- formation. In front and above fly schmidt sandwich, Above, and guardian Heinkel 113 single-seat transit charges, but not establish-tack Britain. materials
below them fly layers or slices of fighters, twice as many fighters as from those ment costs.
They want to know whether the Me.109. Aghters50 Bighters to the bombers. On the flanks groups of cnemy aircraft arrive over the against whom she has de-
With this sum it is busy making coast approaches in formation, slice. Not shown in the elevation Messerschm'dt 110's fly about on clared herself. The ex-such films as Britain's Reply to and what are those formations: picture are the other fighters with the merry-go-round plan, looking These are for the trouble they will inevit- the Nazi Challenge, tremists in Japan are not forward the folk songs
which puts Also, they want to know how the a roving commission.
of the
Messerschmidt 110 twin-engined ably ind. enemy uses fighters to protect his,
fighters. Several single machines Diagram (3) follows the same likely to be deterred from Scottish shepherd and the Welsh bombers...
are. flying. on, the flanks of the general idea; but the Junkers Ju. their course by economic youth worship of the military is not at all bound by convention, rend it against attack.
The enemy is full of tricks, and sandwich formation ready to de- 88 bombers are flying in line astern. In front and above hy danger so long as they im- marching tune.
ór habit. He'll try anything once. This formation will be held un- the Me. 109's. For the protection agine their available mili-
So the German bombers with it the coast is reached, when the of the flanks and the rear of the their attendant fighters cross the bombers will break up into several bomber formation Messerschmidt tary supplies to be suf-
Channel in varying numbers, in small groups and go their several 110's also fly in line astern, above ficient for the next imme-
all sorts of formations,
ways, cach with a share of the the bombers but below the arrow- diate step, but they have
One thing is clear. The Ger- fighter escort. The twin-engined head of fighters, mans have discovered at great fighters either hang about looking With all their varying forma- every reason to fear the British Army. It has also a film on cost just how vulnerable their for British fighters or return lions, the Germans like, to send power of an Anglo-Ameri-ister's war effort, naturally with bombers are to our fighters. Their home,
out reference, to Elro, American bombers are now protected by It does not always happen just act as decoys, intend to divert Can trade embargo to audiences are not, of course, at enormous masses of fighters. Ilke, this because the R.A.F often the attention of our fighters from bring their war machine tuned to March of Time's contro- Often the bombers are protected interfere with the German plans the following formation and
versial voice, on such a subject of by five times hele number, of Now turn to diagrams (2) and draw the fire of our guns. to a standstill.
dynamite,
fighters.
RONALD WALKER. (3). These are either worms or
miner as a contrast to the Nazi
Americans, no doubt, will re- call that the Nazis entered Oslo to the music of "Roll Out the Bar- Tel," a tune not unknown in the
over Reparate groups of fighters to
to
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