The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-03-29

tary campaign, II lives up 10 the de.
ssription,
Photographers who made II were
In many instances up In front OF the
advancing army, 80 they could shoot
into the faces OF their own troops
and that accounts for the casualt les
OF one man out Of every six IN the
Photographic crew. One cameraman
was killed during the opening bar.
rage. The other three, out ahead Of
their own sappers and mine detec'
tors. stepped on mines planted by
retreating Germans and were blown
10 bits,
Desert Victory" after Its WASH
ington prcview, will be given nation.
nj distribution through goth Century
Fox. The film runs an hour, having
been cut 10 some 5000 feet from an
original 10000 exposed. In q con.
centrated dose, II will give any civil.
ian who has never been under fire,
the feel OF war
THE MAN WHO MADE 1T
The man who supervised the max.
Ing OF the film, Lieut., Col. David
Macdonald, Is head OF tho British
Army Film Unit, and the man who
brought tho film 10 Washington. He
Is an unassumlng little Scotsman,
somewhat nervous and inclined 10
walk about with his arms claspcd IN
front OF him. He learned movie.
making In Hollywood during an
cight-year stopoVer on his wander
ings all over tho world. He was
everything from nm extra 10 an as.
sIstant director, and he returned TO
London In 1887 with m American
wife TO become one OF the top d.
roctors In the British Isles.
Perhaps the most spectacular Of
the shots made by Colonel MacDon.
aids men In the advance OF General
Montgomery's Eighth army across
Africa are Of the night barrage
which opened the attack on Rom
mel's positions In western Egypt.
There were no trick lights, no studio
props. Only flashes OF guns In de.
sert night.
Half OF Colonel MacDonalds pho.
tographi9 unit In the chase OF Rom.
mel was made up OF still carneramen
working beside movie photographers,
and prints OF their negatives give as
vivid q documentary record OF the
campaign as tho movie version.
IT'S ALL THERE
British positions at the start Of
the campaign In November, Rom"
mel's initial thrust and retreat, Brit
ish training for attack, desert sand
storms, flies, sores, endless waiting
IN the few short moments before
the command to fire. Endless explo-
sionS, dive bomber attacks, crashing
planes, burning tanks, injured, dead.
Prisoners by the thousand. Church.
Ills surprise visit TO the front, Gen.
eral Montgomery's message 10 the
prime minister when he had com.
pleted his directive from Churchill
10 drive Rommel across North Afri.
ca, with It's lacoric last sentence,
II await your further orders" It's
all there-eight weeks OF desert vic.
tory In an hours capsule.
Not oil Of Colonel MacDonald's OK.
periences were the filming Of bat.
ties, He recalls as his most vivid
remembrance the difficulties OF one
Of hts drivers, q man afflicted with
desert sores, who tried TO I'll his por-
table gasoline burning stove with
fuel. The gas soaked into his band
ages, and When the man III the wick,
his hands and arms became torches
In the desert night. Frantic, the
man ran across the sand, shouting,
what shall I do? What shall I
do?" From a sentry's post came the
answer In sharp command, Put
out that bloody light"