Evening star. [volume], May 19, 1940, Page C-5, Image 37

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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Work of U. S. Film Service Reaches Peak in New Educational Drama
—--■■■ A ____
Play Teaches
Vital Lesson
To Nation
Proves Value of
Motion Pictures
As Government Aid
By G. Gould Lincoln.
The United States Film Service
tt few weeks ago produced a marvel
ous motion picture—“The Fight for
Life.” Paradoxically, at the moment
of its greatest achievement, the film
service is today engaged in a fight
for its own life.
Why? Because of an inept conflict
that has arisen between the legisla
tive and executive branches of the
Government. Congress has taken
the position that the film service,
like Topsy, has “just growed”—with
out the authority of law. So when
the President, in his annual budget
this year, asked for a direct ap
propriation of $106,400 to continue
the work of the film service—in the
Office of Education, under the
Federal Security Agency—the House
of Representatives said in effect:
“There is no authority of law for the
existence of the United States Film
Service.” The Senate adopted the
same attitude during the considera
tion of the appropriation for the
Federal Security Agency.
The United States Government’s
agencies, many of them, have been
making motion-picture films since
1912. They have been shown to
millions of Americans. They were
made with no more “authority of
law” than exists in the case of the
United States Film Service. Yet they
have done a vast amount of good in
the cause of education. The agencies
were empowered to "disseminate in
formation,” and they chose the way
of the motion picture. There is no
better. The Office of Education is
authorized by law to “promote the
cause of education throughout the
country” in every way. That would
seem enough to cover the operation
of the film service. For if ever there
was an agency which has promoted
the cause of education and has
difussed information widely it is
the film service.
Why Halt Work?
Why should Congress now. today,
put an end to a going concern that
has done a splendid work? Par
ticularly when it is easy enough to
give the legislative authority of law?
It does not make sense, in the light
of the work that has been done in
the last five years by the film service
—and the work which may be ex
pected.
The film service has produced
three great “decumentary” films—
“The Plow That Broke the Plains,”
“The River” and “The Fight for
Life.” All three deal with epic
themes. “The Plow that Broke the
Plains” placed before the American
A typical scene in Chicago
slums, where “The Fight for
Life” was filmed.
►-—
United States Film Service was de
nied a short time ago. The Federal
Government has a library of nearly
400 subjects which are available to
schools, colleges, adult education
groups and other organizations.
The largest and oldest producers
of Government films are the De
partment of the Interior and the
Department of Agriculture, which
have been in the business of mak
ing educational films since 1911 and
1913, respectively. But others have
gone in for the movies in a big way,
among them the Navy Department,
the Department of Commerce, the
Department of Labor, the Depart
ment of Justice and the Post Of
fice Department. The Federal
Housing Adminstrat.ion, the Ten
nessee Valley Administration, the
Works Progress Administration, the
National Youth Administration, the
United States Maritime Commis
sion and the Social Security Board
are among the agencies which also
have produced or had produced for
Myron McCormick as the interne in “The Fight for Life.”
people In dramatic fashion the con
sequences of dust and drought—the
problem of the use of lands in the
great plains area of the Nation. It
was followed by “The River,” which
dramatized the consequences of un
controlled water erosion, floods, over
cultivation of the soil, and reckless
deforestation.
These films showed Americans
what was happening to some of their
natural resources and what was
being done by the Federal Govern
ment to arrest forces which were in
disastrous action against the land.
“The Fight for Life,” which has
run at a motion picture theater in
New York—the Belmont—for nearly
a dozen weeks, “packing them in,”
deals with the Nation's greatest re
source—its people. How may the
many babies that are born only to
die quickly be preserved? How may
the many mothers who die in giving
birth to their babies be saved?
The picture had as its basis a book
by Dr. Paul de Kruif, dealing with
the staggering mortality rate in
child birth. It has been hailed by
the dramatic critics of New York as
a great picture. For example, Archer
Winsten, writing in the New York
Post, said of “The Fight for Life”:
“There will be no better motion pic
ture made in 1940.” Frank S.
Nugent, in the New York Times,
said: “It is as dramatic as life it
self.” and Howard Barnes, in the
New York Tribune, declared: “Here
is a i.-wmorable tribute to the med
ical profession, accented by challeng
ing sotifcl overtones.”
Aroused Much Interest.
Without any attempted dramatic
criticism of th»S new Govemment
produced^fllm, it may be said that
it has provoked a tremendous
amount of interest in the motion
picture industry itself. Not because
the industry considers itself chal
lenged by Government competition—
for the attitude of Hollywood has
been one of friendly interest. The
interest of the industry is in securing
^ p
rights to distribute the film to the
motion-picture houses throughout
the country. The film has been
shown so far in only one theater—
the Belmont in New York. Some
of the large companies have sought
the distributing rights—and are
willing to pay the Government a
good round sum for such rights. It
appears, therefore, that this activity
of the Gpvernment may bring into I
the Treasury of the United States I
I,. . ■■ ■ -
One of the native plainsmen
used in filming “The Plow
That Broke the Plains
Resettlement Administration
documentary film.
•--- J
a far greater sum of money than
was necessary to produce the film.
The Government has been for
tunate in its choice of a director for
the United States Film Service. Pare
Lorentz has directed the production
of all three of the major docu
mentary films for the Government.
He is a young man—not more than
35 years old—with a genius for dra
matic facts and their reproduction.
And to him is given the credit for
these real achievements in the realm
of Government motion pictures, de
signed not only to educate the
American people, but also to stimu
late them to greater effort.
Lorentz is not only a producer of
motion pictures, but is recognized
as one of America’s most dis
tinguished motion-picture critics.
He has served as motion-picture
critic for the New York Evening
Journal and as motion-picture editor
of Vanity Fair Magazine, Town and
Country, Judge and McCall’s Maga
zine. He is known as a “directors’ ”
critic, and his study of motion pic
ture technique has established him
internationally as one of the most
important students of the movie
form in the country.
Associated with Mr. Lorentz in the
active work or the United States
Film Service is an energetic and
able young man. Arch Mercy, who
has charge of the office in Wash
ington. now located in the new
Interior Department Building. Mr.
Lorentz’ own headquarters are in
New York.
Affiliation Changed.
The United States Film Service
during the last five years has been
shunted from one Government
agency to another. For example, in
1935 Pare Lorentz and his organ
Upper left: These men, who had much to do with the pro
duction of the United States Film Service’s latest great docu
mentary motion picture, "The Fight for Life," are, from left to
right: Pare Lorentz, author and director; Louis Gruenberg, com
poser of the musical score, and Alexander Smallens, conductor
of the orchestra.
Above: A cameraman of the United States Film Service
shooting a scene under difficulties while making "The Fight
for Life."
ization produced "The Plow that
Broke the Plains” for the Resettle
ment Administration. This, the first
of the major Government films, was
distributed in 1936 through the field
offices of the Resettlement Admin
istration and 3,000 motion picture
theaters.
The distribution of these docu
mentary films produced by the Gov
ernment through the regular motion
picture theaters is now regarded as
absolutely necessary to reach the
people. Educational pictures pro
duced by various Government
agencies and shown exclusively to
specialized groups—such as farm
organizations—fail to get across to
the people as a whole. And it is
the people as a whole that these
films are expected to educate.
The Resettlement Administration
became eventually part of the Farm
Security Administration, and it
was for that latter agency “The
River” was produced and distributed
through 5,000 motion-picture houses.
The next move of Pare Lorentz
and his agency for producing pic
tures was to the National Emergency
Council—in 1938. "The Fight for
Life” was begun under the aegis of
that Government agency. Reor
ganization of the Government by
executive order, however, did away
with the N. E. C. and changed the
film service—now known as the
United States Film Service—to the
Federal Security Agency, headed by
Paul McNutt. It was fitted into the
office of education, under Commis
sioner of Education John W. Stude
baker.
The film service has produced
also a “short” on the use of elec
tricity on the farms, for the Rural
Electrification Administration. In
deed, the film service is becoming
A laboratory test is made
which may mean life or death
to an expectant mother . . .
a scene from "The Fight for
Life.”
>-<
more and more recognized as a cen
tral motion-picture agency, ready
to make pictures for any agency of
the Government. At present the
film service is engaged in the pro
duction of a fourth major Govern
ment picture—“Ecce Homo”—"Be
hold the “Man.” It is the story
of the fight Americans are waging
for jobs today—a fight which takes
into full account the effect of new
inventions and machines on the
workaday world, bringing with
them technological unemployment
so called.
Need More Research.
This film has been two-thirds
completed. Work has been halted
temporarily on the actual picture
making while more research is un
der way. The film may well become
intensely interesting to the millions
now unemployed and to the em
ployers of labor—and what is more
important, it may carry a valuable
lesson to workers and employers in
the matter of shifting labor from
one channel to another. Today this
is a vital matter—as vital as the
preservation of babies and mothers,
which “The Fight for Life” is so well
designed to accomplish.
Government film making is 38
years old. The first film made for
the Federal Government was "Won
Through Merit,” produced under the
sponsorship of the Civil Service
Commission by Thomas A. Edison,
Inc., in 1912. Even this film was
antedated by several “fact films,”
for in 1911 a cameraman went out
into the West and made pictures
of Pima Indian Reservation and at
the Roosevelt and Shoshone Dams.
Now three major departments of
the Government have their own
Children of the poor in the slums who will be the men and
women of tomorrow ... a scene from “The Fight for Life.”
laboratories and technicians for
film production, and no less than 22
agencies release films for informa
tion, education, training or demon
strational purposes. All of this
makes more extraordinary the state
ments made on the floor of the Sen
ate that the legislators did not know
the Government was engaged in the
business of making motion pictures,
when the appropriation for the
I Millions of Anglers Find Sport With Federal Aid in Streams Throughout the Country I
By William Austin.
Wars and rumors of wars may
afflict most of the so-called civilized
world, but America has gone fishing.
And that's almost literally true,
for everywhere throughout this fa
vored land millions of anglers are
dropping lines and enjoying the
thrills and quiet joys of that grand
pastime.
Here in the United States we still
have more than half a billion dollars
to spend for fishing every year;
$500,000,000 that elsewhere would go
for barbed wire and bayonets in
stead of for tackle and fish hooks.
From earliest spring until latest
fall the long fishing season is on,
and every angler from the tradi
tional barefoot boy with safety-pin
hook to the completely equipped
sportsman (not forgetting the ladies,
of whom there are many among the
followers of Izaak Walton) has
plenty of opportunity to indulge his
favorite recreation. Indeed, in this
country there is no limit to the fish
ing season, for when winter closes
down up North, Southern waters
beckon invitingly.
But this is the season when it
does seem as though all America has
gone fishing.
Trout Variations.
Among the aristocrats of the finny
tribe, and beloved by so many aj^
glers for their beauty and fighting
qualities, are the trouts. Numerous
kinds of trout are to be found in all
parts of the country, the most com
mon being the brook trout, speckled
or brown in color and having small
scales. The trout is not only one
of the gamest and most graceful
inhabitants of the waters but is one
of the most varied in marking and
coloring. Regarded by many as the
most beautiful member of this fam
ily is the rainbow variety, which de
rives its name from the silvery and
black marking and reddish striping
on its sides.
Largest of this species is the
salmon trout, also known as the
Great Lakes trout or namycush.
Sometimes weighing as much as 30
pounds, this variety is one of the
hardest fighters that swim.
Trout provide one of the most
artistic forms of fishing—casting for
the brook variety in cool forest or
mountain stream. But the veteran
will tell you that one must choose
the right kind of fly, the most likely
pool, the suitable time of day with
regard to light and wind, and the
best angle of cast.
While brook trout fishing is a
pastime requiring a practiced hand
and a degree of technical knowledge
that bespeaks the master fisherman,
it is not limited to such individuals.
The trout, after all, is a fish and
will rise to the wriggling worm or
other live bait dangling from a hook.
The more lively varieties of trout
are to be found all over the moun
tain areas of the East, from New
England to Maryland. The Ozarks
and Black Hills also are rich in this
species. From the Rocky Mountains
to the Pacific Coast various species
of trout flourish. Varieties common
to certain sections only at one time
now are to be found almost univer
sally as a result of transplanting.
California trout, for instance, now
can be caught in all parts of the
East.
Since nearly all the trouts and sal
mons spawn in the fall, open fishing
seasons are established in the spring
and summer. There has been a
tendency, according to the Federal
Bureau of Fisheries, toward later
dates. This is occasioned by the
large increase in the number of
anglers, and because of the fact
that many States have adopted a
policy of restocking streams with
trout larger than the prescribed legal
sizes. Certainly, says the Bureau,
the fish rise better to artificial baits,
and fight harder when the waters
have warmed up. Thus more sport
is provided and at no greater cost.
The Bureau comes forward with
some thoughts and advice on fly
fishing. This scientific method of
angling, it says, while found
most effective and exhilarating in
Ashing for members of the trout and
salmon family, is becoming more
and more popular in fishing for
other species. In fact, the list of
species that can be enticed to strike
a combination of hook, feather and
tinsel is long and growing.
Line la Important.
In fly fishing the rod is longer,
lighter and more limber than in
bait casting. The reel is said to be
of no consequence save as a line
holder and is not used to any great
extent in hooking or playing or
landing the fish. With the possible
exception of the rod, the line is the
most important part of the fly fish
erman’s equipment. Generally the
tapered line (the caliber being
smaller at the ends than in the
middle) .is the most popular and
likewise the most expensive. How
ever, a level enameled line can be
obtained at more moderate cost, and
will serve the angler well.
The flies used, wet or dry, can be
obtained in about 300 patterns.
Quaint nomenclature characterizes
the flies, such as Royal Coachman,
Professor, Silver Doctor, Parmache
nee Bell, Black Gnat, White Miller
and Grizzly King, all effective in
most waters.
However, there is generally one fly
that is, or is supposed to be, a
"killer* on nearly e^ry fishing
water at some time or other, and the
best way to find out such things is
to consult those who are fishing
those waters.
Uncle Sam sketches the rudiments
of fly fishing technique but with the
reservation that experience, in the
final analysis, is the real teacher.
Sport of All Classes.
Fishing is the sport of all classes
and may be pursued in any climate.
Its differences are primarily in
character of equipment and the na
ture of the catch. Every body of
water has particular species, de
termined to a large extent by the
temperature and altitude of the
region.
It is this fact which accounts
in large measure for the universality
of the sport. Its widespread, popu
larity, however, is influenced by
other factors. Living in the remoter
places, away from the beaten path
of man, this particular form , of
life invites those who go after fish
into the most glorious of natural
surroundings.
Angling has attained an im
portance in the national life that
commands the fostering attention
of the Federal Government and the
Individual States, not to speak of
numerous sportsmen and other or
ganizations.
Uncle Sam takes a hand through
his Bureau of Fisheries, a unit of
the Department of the Interior.
The bureau’s chief duty is protection
and conservation of fish in the
Nation’s lakes, ponds, rivers and
brooks and ocean water which
touches its shores.
The bureau functions in close co
operation with State fish and game
departments, with the result that
today there is ready for the hook
an unprecedented supply and va
riety of fish. Some idea of Wash
ington’s helpfulness to anglers may
be gained from the fact that an
nually the Bureau of Fisheries prop
agates and distributes more than
8,000,000 eggs, fry and fingerlings to
the States.
Almost universal ownership of au
tomobiles has become a tremendous
factor in promoting sport fishing,
for it enables almost all who would
fish to reach remote sections where
fishing is really something. IJius
multitudes now are able to enjoy a
recreation which formerly was con
fined mainly to barefoot boys and
wealthy sportsmen.
New legions of anglers discover,
also, that fishing means much more
than the mere catching of fish. It
provides an opportunity to get into
the woods, to come into closer con
tact with Mother Nature and to
learn and thrill ^ver her secrets.
them motion picture films of educa
tional value.
Centralization Tried.
In the last few years efforts have
been made to centralize Government
film making and distribution. This
seems a most sensible idea. The
United States Film Service already
has been designated as co-ordinat
ing agency, with the duty of pre
paring lists of all Government films,
showing the subjects and how they
may be obtained for use in public
gatherings. It has already done a
good deal of work along this line.
Furthermore, if the film service is
maintained—as it should be—the
service will be in a position to do
more and more work for the various
agencies of the Government.
A word about the "documentary”
film—of which “The Fight for Life”
is an outstanding example. The
documentary takes the facts. It
dramatizes them into an intergrated
production of compelling force. In
other words, a documentary film
not only gives graphic pictures of
actual scenes, but it also arranges
the pictures so as to tell a story—a
story of educational interest. There
is no "boy-meets-girl” motif, so
necessary to the usual dramatic
film. That, however, does not mean
there is no drama in a documentary.
The United States Film Service,
in its documentary films, has for the
most part made use of the people
themselves to play the parts. In
“The Fight for Life,” however, it
departed from this practice and
seven professional actors were used,
with Myron McCormick talking the
leading role as the young interne in
this feature-length motion picture.
Also, Mr. Lorentz obtained for this
picture a brilliantly dramatic ac
companying score by Louis Gruen
berg—who wrote the musical score
for "Emperor Jones.” The com
pleted product will soon be seen by
the people in all parts of the coun
try.
h '