WAR FILMS PUSH

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 117, 20 May 1942, Page 6

WAR FILMS PUSH

START IN BRITAIN

ALL SERVICES PARTICIPATE

LONDON. Following an interview given to me by Mr. Brendan Bracken, Minister of Information, on the work of the Films Division, whose productions he controls, I learn that there is to be a greatly intensified drive in the production of all M.0.1, films including full-length features, says a writer in the Sunday Express. This includes a scheme to cover the whole field of war with newsreel cameras and a "pepping-up" policy on films dealing with the Dominions and on all subjects dealing with national service. British tanks are now being fitted with camera equipment and "camera battles." I understand, are already taking place. Six months ago, I was told, the navy had few cameras and the army was similarly ill-equipped. Now the navy has more than 100 cameras at its disposal and the army is "shooting" the war with its own well-organ-ised film unit. In Battle Line Nearly 100 cameramen are in the battle line, including men in the Far East. From Cairo newsreel men are being sent to photograph General Auchinleck's campaign. More pictures on the scale of "Forty-ninth Parallel" and "Target for To-night" are to be made. One of these, dealing with the Battle of the Atlantic, is called "The

Western Approaches." The other describes the tough work of the pilots and crews of the Coastal Command.

The Dominions are to be more widely represented in the M.0.1, shorts programme. Australia, Canada, South Africa and India will be woven more closely into the picture; and there will be a film about the Free French.

"Pepping Up"

There is to be a general "pepping up" on war interest topics—films, for example, about factory girls, balloon crews, arms production and other services.

Every encouragement is to be given for the reopening of British film studios. The Ministrv of Information does not itself make films.

British and American companies making war films must have facilities and materials supplied by the Ministry, which thus has some control over the type of film made.

It does not amount to a censorship, however.

Though a great expansion has taken place in M.0.1, film production, this country spends far less on celluloid flveapons of war" than Dr. Goebbels does.