NO MORE FREE POSING

Evening Star, Issue 19781, 3 February 1928, Page 14

NO MORE FREE POSING

NATIVES AND THE FILM. “African natives have been refusing to allow themselves to be ‘ lilmed ’ by the movie camera meu until they have received a good fee,” according to a statement made by Mr T. H. Laxter, secretary of tlie missionary film committee on his arrival in Loudon from Africa. Mr Baxter and a skilled operator have travelled from Cape to Kenya taking film. “In Swaziland,” Mr Baxter said, “ a chief wanted £l6O if he called out his people for a war dance, saying that he nad received this sum Irom some American cinema photographers recently. We went to a smaller cniel and got an equally good picture for a payment oi £iU. , “in a Central Aliican market i wanted to take some pictures, .especially of some girls who were there, i thought they were a little frightened at the camera as something unusual, and suggested through an interpreter that a little gilt of 3d or lid might help to overcome their nervousness. The startling reply was that they refused, not through fear, but because Americans alio had been there never gave them less than five shillings apiece, and they were not going to lie taken for less! This sum would keep them in comfort for a month at least.” The African film was taken by Mr Baxter on behalf of seven of the leading English and Scottish missionary societies, and it was to bo specially shown at the Polytechnic Theatre, London, for a mouth before going on tour. His last previous film was '-India Today,’ taken a year or two ago. Mr Baxter said that the best roads lie found in Africa were in Uganda, where the Africans arc ardent motorists and cyclists. The African girls, clad either in native or in European dress, delight to ride on the pillions of the cycles, and are not deterred by the frequent spills. The Uganda pageant, which took place in and around Kampala in celebration of the jubilee of the arrival of the first Protestant missionaries, gave the movie men some excellent pictures. Many scenes of ancient African life were then depicted which otherwise would have been unobtainable. “The Africans are born actors,” said Mr. Baxter, “and performed their parts magnificently with hardly any rehearsals.”