TURKS DELIGHTED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 September 1941, Page 7

TURKS DELIGHTED

GEORGE FORMBY AT IZMIR’S FAIR. GREAT BRITAIN’S WAR EFFORT. A British pavilion appeared in the heart of the Middle East when Izmir’s famous fair opened on August 20 at Smyrna, with battles by land, sea and air, threatening or in being, at each point of the compass. News films flown from Britain to the Pavilion gave Turkey the latest news of the war. Britain at war was the main theme, and the cinema its chief medium. In the cinema, audiences of 200 at a time were shown Britain’s fighting services, the war effort in industry and agriculture, the Empires’ vast resources in raw materials, travelogues of Empire scenes, and “The Lion Has Wings.” All, of course, were done into Turkish. George Formby was in Turkish, too. Among the lighter films was “Let George Do It,” for, in the Middle East as elsewhere, George has long since eclipsed Charlie Chaplin as the people’s star. Apart from the movies, Britain’s Pavilion gave the story in photographs and books of life in Britain and the Dominions, and of British achievements in industry, the social services, livestock breeding, education, and wartime organisation. A quiet and reasoned outline of the civilised alternative to Hitler was specially written by Sir Wyndham Deedes. As souvenirs for visitors to the pavilion. 150,000 picture postcards of Britain at war, her royal family, and her Prime Minister, were sent out to Turkey.