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World Film News (1938) - Cine Technicians' Protest

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Cine Technicians' Protest

In your March issue. Mr. Hitchcock, in an interview, saw fit to criticise British technicians. Whilst wishing to say nothing to detract from Mr. Hitchcock's own very great directorial powers, we do feel that one of the large contributory factors to his success as a British film director has been the first-class crew of British technicians which has co-operated with him. We assume Mr. Hitchcock's comments are based largely upon his own experiences. Almost all Mr. Hitchcock's films have been made by entirely British crews and he has had such leading cameramen as Jack Cox and Bernard Knowles. The photography of Mr. Hitchcock's films has invariably been of the highest possible standard and the absence of good British technicians, particularly cameramen, seems hard to substantiate in the light of such results.

Mr. Hitchcock further states that young men do not take their work seriously enough, and there is too much of this knocking off at 6 o'clock attitude. It happens again that Mr. Hitchcock's own experience has been particularly fortunate in working with one of the few firms with Trade Union labour agreements in every department, including technicians. Mr. Hitchcock's remarks can only be taken as an attack on the policy of trade unions and employers, such as Gaumont-British Picture Corporation, to regulate by agreement the hours and conditions of employees. His own company has expressed appreciation of such agreements as a large contributory factor to regularisation of working conditions, an important asset in the smooth running of production.

We assume that Mr. Hitchcock would want his crew to continue working until the early hours. Subsequently, he would probably grumble at their slowness and tiredness, after a few weeks of working at this pace. If Mr. Hitchcock has any knowledge of the French film industry during the past few years he will know that under a 40-hour working week—much less than we actually work in this country—the industry has made considerable progress. A leading French director, for example, told us only a short while ago that whilst he had originally been opposed to the proposals he now welcomes them whole-heartedly as the fitness and mental keenness of his crews resultant upon the shorter working week actually results in quicker work and moreover greatly enhanced quality of production. The fact that there are four French films showing in the West End to-day supports this argument.

Perhaps Mr. Hitchcock will think again. In his own interests, if not in those of his crew.

Yours faithfully,
GEORGE H. ELVIN,
General Secretary, A.C.T.

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