Evening star., 1937-06-13

guns and rifery IN the picture that
was shown me al the War College.
The of-stage voices are those Of
regular officers. There is no lndi-
vidual. however, whose voice is in
majority Of pictures. Mai. Gillette
has been unable, in fact, 10 find
voice among his personnel that Is
entirely suitable.
The actors IN Signal Corps training
films are officers and men who would
normally do the type of work being
Photographed. A technical director
from the branch Of the service whose
activities are being filmed superv.se5
the action to see that it IS correct from
military standpoint Each movie
is pre-planned and usually there are
several retakes. After a movie has
been completed, it is inspected care
fully to guard against error.
We have 10 visualize it before We
shoot it." Maj. Gillette explained.
Training film scenarios" are pre-
pared by an officer in Washington
experienced in that particular work.
Signal Corps men are sent to Holly.
wood to learn production methods.
| They take a course of six to nine
| months with the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences, going to
the various studios and laboratories
to learn the latest wrinkles in movie
making. Three officers have COM
pleted this work and a fourth Is
graduating" this month. When
they have returned they are given
additional training here.
Raw materials for an Army movie
cost from $500 to $500 a reel, depend-
ing on the number Of retakes, Accord
ing to Maj. Gillette's estimate. He
says that less than half Of a s45,0O0
allotment for Photographic activities
is spent on movies.
WHEN movie has been flmed-at
Fort Riley, Kans say-it comes
to Washington for final preparation in
the modern laboratories at the War
College. Developed, cut, edited and
assembled, it Will then be shown in a
projection room with walls and ceilings
insulated with Soundproof substance.
while Army officers seated in red
| leather chairs look on with critical
eyes. Copies Of each movie are sent
to the various corps area head
! quarters. from which they may be
! borrowed by military groups-the
Regular Army, the National Guard,
/ 1,o =
and c. M T. c.
| Maj. Gillette emphasizes that his
| division is not in any way interested
in propaganda films or public interest
| films"
! Commerce Department also has been
| in the movie field. though in a very
| limited way. The Bureau of Air
Commerce made Safety on the Sky
ways during the first part of 1885.
1t was "amateurish," officials say, but
| II copies of it are in constant circu-
lation and booked ahead for six
months. The bureau thinks it would
like to try again. Commerce will pay
for forwarding the movie, but the
borrower must pay return transporta-
| ton This first and only movls
| enterprise Of the bureau is a silent film
describing the construction, operation
and maintenance of the Nations air.
ways system.
T>HR Bureau Of Fisheries has tust
cer1pleted Cceckled Beauties"
or THE Natural History of Trout"
four-reel, silent film. taken in
Vermont, North Carolina. the Vir-
| ginias and Yellowstone National Park
by Arthur H. Fisher, bureau field
agent who is an expert cameraman.
| "Speckled Beauties" illustrates what
| the Government is doing to preserve
and improve trout streams.
National Archives is said to be
thinking of entering the movie field
| in the belief that its files should
| contain pictorial and vocal records OF
great public men-President Roosevelt
making an inaugural address, a
| cabinet member officiating at corner
stone laying ceremonies -.
Meanwhile, the Departments Of
Agriculture and Interior and the Army
Signal Corps continue busily with
movie production, putting the finish
| ing touches to new productions,
planning others. Because virtually all
their filming is done out of doors,
this is the season Of peak production.
Uncle Sam is "on location" Cow
ernment cameras manned by GoVern-
ment cameramen are whirring =.
| "Cut!"