The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 26, 1925, Page 14

ARTICLE IV. The Presentation of Proletarian Films RODUCTION alone does not over- come all the obstacles to the use of proletarian film by the labor or- ganizations, A difficulty equally grave with that of production is the question of exhibition possibilities; the ques- tion: “How can we bring our pro- letarian films before the broad masses?” This problem is unfortunately no easier, {and in certain countries even harder), than the problem of creat- ing the films. The state, with its bourgeois administration, has sur- rounded also this field with a veri- table barbed wire entanglement, lest its monopoly be broken thru. and at- tacked on any side. The most im- portant and most significant means in the hands of the bourgeois govern- ment against the presentation of re- volutionary films is the censor. All éapitalist countries have an extremely _ Strict and sharp film censorship, that is* much stricter than existing press or dramatic censorshig. Censorship regulations are put forward on the ostensible ground of protecting “good taste,” for saving the youth from the evil influence of bad films, and other Jesuitical excuses. In truth,..as is proven by the actual practice of the censors, its function is first of all to establish political control of all mo- tion pictures. S examples we can cite the atti- tude of German film stations, of which there are several, in Berlin, Munich, etc. While the censors pass all films containing outspoken, base- faced monarchist propaganda, they re- ject categorically pictures of prole- tarian tendency. It is demanded that in a Russian film the scene showing soldiers taking their oath be eliminat- ed because one sentence pledges the recruit to defend socialism with his life. Censorship is today one of the greatest obstacle to the presentation of proletarian revolutionary films. ~ But even. after these troubles are fortunately overcome there bobs up another, namely, the economic difficul- ties of presentation. Most countries, to nuture their own film industry, now impose heavy import duties and other restrictions against foreign films. So, also, Germany in 1924 ruled that only German producing firms could import foreign productions. Since naturally, no working class or- ganization possessed its own studios they would be barred from the use of Russian films, were it not possible thru various by-ways to attain them. Similar restrictions prevail in almost all countries. But. even with the extraordinary good fortune to obtain the films with the aid of a commercial film company, andgn top of this to get it thru the censors, then comes the question, “What shall we do with this finally imported and released picture?” “In what manner can we now bring it be- fore the general public, before the broad masses of workers and peas: ants?” HE normal way chosen by commer- cial film concerns is that of the big film exchange. In every country on earth there are these big exchang- es which supply the market with its films. All principal exchanges are interlocked with the major production units and more or less dependent up- on them. Hence it is understandable that the entire question of film rental is viewed from the angle of profit, and that the choice and distribution of films is made solely upon this bas- is. In recent years the leading film companies of Germany, as the Ufa, etc., have embarked upon the policy of owning or controlling the theaters in all principal cities and villages. Ufa thus compels the optiences to view its own productions and those of its subsidiaries. In Berlin alone Ufa now has twenty theaters, as many as° Ashinger has saloons, It is unnecessary to show all the other difficulties connected with tho commercial exchanges. Sufficient: to state that only in extremely rare in- stances, in exceptional circumstances, is it possible to distribute pictures of proletarian or revolutionary tendency thru the commercial exchanges. © must therefore, discover an- other way in which to bring the Russian films-out of the storage vault and actually before the broad masses. Many are the means by which this can be done and we will briefly con- sider some of them. S It is possible for workers’ or- * ganizations possessing proletari- an films to make contact with small theaters in single cities, and to show them there. Not yet have all small theaters been gobbled up by the trust. Especially in the provinces are there numbers of small and relatively inde- pendent theater owners. It is possible to make contact with them and to book working class films occagionally, The German I, W. A. did this success- fully in the Rhein district and in cen- tral Germany. This method ig parti- cularly promising in industrial sec- tions, or also in cities and villages as in Czecho-Slovakia or France, where the Communist Party wields considerable influence or is perhaps actually in control of the local ad- ministration. In many cases this has been successful. But it ig not the basis for extravagant hopes, at most perhaps 8 per cent of the theaters can be approached in this way. Ali the remainder are served exclusively thru the big film bureaus tightly bound by long-term contracts. Other means must therefore, be * found to actually bring .the films before the broad masses, and despite all obstacles and administrative and organizational difficulties, the method of direct arrangements is as yet the most promising. This is the method used by the I. W. A. in the United States. “In New York, Chicago and other principal cities theaters were rented. for periods of a day to more than a week, and with typical large- scale American publicity methods, the proletarian Russian films were shown. The first films, among them “Russia Through the Shadows,” proved a sen- sation and achieved tremendous agi- tational success. Hundreds of thou- sands of _ workers have seen’ these films,’ and, the: “financial _ surplus “of $25,000 can be Cited as an added ‘ta- vorable result. But after the first two pictures the sensation waned, inter- est flagged, and financially and agi- tationally the success was less. Similarly, the British I. W. A¢s ex- perience; during the last year’s labor party congress they ran several Rus- sian films in a rented theater in Lon- don. Agitationally, they met with ex- cellent success, altho financially the result was less satisfying. Under this method of showing our pictures in rented theaters there re- main a large measure of possible con- flicts with theater owners who try to enforce personal censorships, high rents, dependence upon dates set sole- ly by the owner, etc. The method in- augurated by the I. W. A. in Germaty, France and Czecho-Slovakia seems to me to be the one applicable and best. 3 In Germany and in France, the * I. W. A. decided to organize its iilm activity independent of the bour- seois exchanges or theaters. In both countries the I, W. A. Central Com- mittee decided in the beginning to purchase several motion picture film grojectors. This is a measure strong- ly recommended to all working class organizations. Our own apparatus inakes us independent of the theater and of question of show places. In recent years apparatus has been per- fected to such an extent that one can show pictures in any available room irrespective of electrical facilities or sources of power. What makes this apparatus particularly valuable to the Communist Party is the possibility of projection in the open air, making feasible its use in times of election campaigns or other major activity in night meetings in the market square to complete and support the address- es ofthe speakers, According to all experiences, gath- ered thru years of activity in this very film propaganda, the provision of our own apparatus must be advised as a condition precedent to effective and successful film propaganda. It is important that a good-conditioned, technically adequate projector be run by a dependable projectionist whose work, rendered real enthusiasm, as a party member, is a special party pro- ance, T would be & mistake to sasemo that the mere ownership of appar atus guarantees the success of every proposed showing. For this a whole series of other conditions are requl- site. Showings in the big cities, the headquarters of the organization, are relatively easy and inexpensive to book, It becomes mere difficult to in- vade the provinces, where this form of work is most needed, and where it is much more effective than in the metropolis, where the workers are spoiled by the high-class trust thea- ters. These showings must be pain- stakingly prepared and organized far in advance. Experience indicates that film tours in given districts often fail, when, for instance, the Berlin head- quarters decides upon a two weeks’ tour in the Rhine, the final results are unsatisfactory, about. half of the dates fall thru because halls cannot. be obtained, because no propaganda is made, etc, Despite the overhead costs bound up in this method, the I, W. A. of Ger- many has decided to arrange all show- ings direct from Berlin, instead of leaving it to the various districts. It was always planned, of course, to properly arrange the tours to cut trav- eling and other costs to a minimum. But the present total inexperience of our comrades in the use of film pro- paganda makes it necessary to ar- range at least the first showings di- rect from headquarters, FURTHER difficulty is that the comrades, particularly of the smaller villages, do not have the nerve to put an effective, really at- tractive advertising campaign. They cannot bring themselves, in their pub- licity, to call, even to-shout, which is indispensible in the winning of masses to our shows, In the district paper there would be a screaming half-page advertisemet for Harry Piel or Henry Porten, and down below, made up like an obituary or a vege- table peddler notice, the invitation of a labor organization calling workers ‘to’ proletarian film show. It is, there- fore, necessary to provide colorful posters for every single showing, that the entire publicity scheme and ma- terial be worked out in advance with definite instructions to the commiit- tee: Notice on the llth, Advance ad on the 13th, posters, handbills, etc., on the 14th. Only in this way is it possible to avoid that of eight pro- jected showings only 3 actually take place. If, om the other hand, these necessary provisions are made one can reckon that 90 out of every 100 showings will be a success, as our experience in Germany has actually proven, Fponpamne of showings have. been arranged by the I. W. A., drawing thousands of patrons and for the most part, overfilled halls. An effective complement to the film can be a musical program, choral societies or spoken choruses, used especially in certain cities in cognection with the “Lenin’s Warning.” A combination of our half-year running Red Revue of Berlin with a good film would result in an unprecedented success. : In. France the I. W. A. in consi- deration of railroad schedule difficul- ties, has equipped a_ fully-equipped mnovie caravan that travels from vil- lage to village and gives its showings. { H than that of their competing movie theaters. The consequent loss of re- venue must be made up by increased attendance. And mass attendance is achievable only thru widespread, striking, screaming advertising. There- | fore in the arrangement of our show- ing it is unwise to ‘stint, «rather to plunge ® little to’neaeh all local in- dustries and the street»pu welll, Sums spent for this purpose” doubtedly come back thru the increas. ed attendance. NTIL now only the I. W.-A, er- ganizations in America,- Czecho- Slovakia, France and Germany have carried out this film propaganda on an extensive scale. In other countries, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria and various over- sea countries only single films have been presented. It is the task of all Communist Parties and organizations to exploit the propaganda potentialt- ties, and to ascertain in their own land the best technical and organiza- tional poseibility' for the carrying out of this film propaganda. Our pres- ent report can only give examples from our past experience. The Walden Book Shop 307 Plymouth Court (Between State and Dearborn Just South of Jackson) ae fererererar Famous uae Poet gato will speak on Russian Literature and Friday, Oct. 2 | at TEMPLE HALL, Cor. Van Buren and Marshfield. . CHICAGO, Admission 50c” Beginning at 8 p. m.. Mayakovsky will speak In Russian. In Detroit! = 52522 A LECTURE BY © | iy MAY AKOVSKY RUSSIAN POET JUST ARRIVED FROM RUSSIA.. SUBJECT: : “NEW RUSSIAN LITERATURE” HOUSE OF THE MASSES, Gr#iot, corner St. Aubin, Detroit, Mich. Wednesday, September 30, 8 P. M. ane Jee Sea ory Tea RARS ets inet :