The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-18
FLASHES and
CLOSE-UPS
By LENS
lConcIusion.l


Number 5 OF Experimental Cinema
continues to becloud the political is
sues in the Thunder Over Mexico!"
scandal by reprinting the scenario
which they admit Eisenstein himself
labelled apple Sauey" and which
was u5ed by him for no other purpose
than 10 set the spies Of the ROdri-
guez government on a false track!
If this is not playing directly into
the hands of Sinclair and Lesser,
what is? And the editors have the
temerity to announce editorialIy that
they have built up a nationwide
press campaign against the mangIed
version Of Que Viva Mexicoi'" What
they have succeeded in building up
is straw target for Sinclair to shoot
at conveniently, and nothing more.
Eight long pages devoted to a see
mario which EiSenstein never meant
to shoot! And here is the only ''rea-
son" Experimental Cinema can think
OF for printing it: 'Jt is hoped that
this self derogated work of the au-
thor viii furnish a clue to the real
magnitude Of the rich and glorious
vision Of EiSenstein and AIexandroff
Follows the "apple-saucy" scenario
which furnishes" absolutely nothingI
For damnng proof that the E. G,
crew is tnSincere and unprincipled in
its work on behalf of the Eisenstein
film, we need but to point to the fact
That one OF its close associates who
originally carried on a world shak-
sng" campaign Of letter writing and
wire sending to European and Amer
lean magazines calling on all cart
lovers" to save "Que Viva Mexicol" is
now showing Thunder Over Mexico"
In the little movie theatre under his
management in Baltimore, the
Europa!
The clique controlling Experiment
tai Cinema is capitalizing on the
eYer-growing following that the So
vet cinema is building UP in capt.
talist America. In order to do this
with the proper effect they have de-
veloped unique brand of cabala in
which the words ''NdarXist" and rev
dictionary" and working class are
interspersed with sufficient frequency
TO awe the right and convince the
left. A good example of this PhiIis-
tlnlsm Is found in the contributions
OF Lewis Jacobs in the current issue
OF the magazine. To further i'm
press with good front, articles BY
leading Soviet directors are reprinted
side by side with astounding artv
nonsense by one Kirk Bond and con-
FUSED opinions by Rene Clair. The
only real contribution in the issue is
an article by CLAY Harris" on Holly
wood newsreels. 1t is the only piece
Of solid political analysis of the role
and significance of the capitalist
newsreel in America. This article
was turned over to the editors Of
Experimental Cinema about year
and a half ago. Conlrade Harris"
has since learned the character of
this adventurist group and is helping
to expose them in California.
We regret to state that a truly
diSconcerting discovery in the maya
zine is the presence of a short note
on Harry Alan Potamkin, written by
Comrade Irving Lerner of the New
York Film and Photo League. I,eay-
ing aside for the moment the cues
ton OF whether it is correct for
member of the Film and Photo
League to contribute to q publica-
ton at time when we are fighting
it remember that that same issue
contains an editorial attack against
usD, there still remains the fact
that request for eulogy of Po-
tamkin by group that devoted a
good deal of its energy in reyiling
him when he lived, should have
prompted Comrade Lerner to hesi-
tate, to say the least. Any comment
on Potamkin Experimental Cinema
at this time should have analyzed
the divergent roads travelled by either
since the rift that occurred three
years ago: Potamkin LeftwardS, E. c.
to the Right. Conrade Lerner's note
has helped to create little confusion
on this score. We have learned only
the other day that the question of
whether Potamkins name ought to
appear in number five Of E. C. has
caused q split in the editorial staff
of the magazine. 1t was finally
printed only as a face-saving GEES
ture!
In the very same issue in which
Lerner's article appears there is ad-
vertised a Forthcoming article in No.
6 of E. c. by B. G. Braver-Mann
written when Potamkin was yet
aliye) entitled "The Cult of Glib
ness" bitter attack against Harry
Alan POtamkin!
The Film and Photo League as
sumeS an unequivocally sharp stand
against the nest of unprincipled dis
rupters and careerists comprising Elk
perimental Cinema. Our criticism and
struggle against it further clarifies
and emphasizes the burning need for
a popular publication devoted to the
activities and struggles Of the grow
ing revolutionary film movement in
America.
EDUCATIONAL COMMITTEES,
FILM-PHOTO LEAGUE.