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More VF Experiences by G. E. lloore

In an earlier screed I told of my first essay with Pathchcope's fastest 9.5mm
film not long after it had been introduced - taking wedding pictures in dull,
rainy weather outside a church and afterwards within a marquee; and I went
on to describe the big job I later undertook in making a potted film version of
the King's College Students' Rag Revue of' 1950 in the Palace Theatre,
Newcastle-upon-T yne. Three further experiences have provided very interesting
souvenir pictures.
The first records the maiden trip last year of the Isle of Man Steam Packet
Co.'s new steamer "Mona's Isle". The ship was gay with bunting as she ~ay
beside Liverpool Landing Stage, with steam up. The weather was dull, and
heavy seas "outside" were repori·ed. However, out in the open on the Landing
Stage and later on the top deck when the "Mona's Isle" began a severe baptism,
the conditions were quite within the "S.S. Pan's" capabilities and a charger-full
of film was exposed.
Then I went below, and, having already obtained permission took a number of
pictures with "V.F." in the turbine-room and then the boiler-room- in the latter
managing to include a "close-up of a set of oil jets in the furnace. The artificial
illumination below was far from brilliant; I slightly stopped-down my fl.9 lens
(I never like to work "full-open"), and all shots were startlingly good and realistic.
The remainder of the V.F. charger was exposed on the enclosed bridge. One
shot shows the captain, my daughter, and the Company's superintendent
engineer; another, the steersman and his compass - beyond, through the rain
and spray outside, the bow being dimly seen dipping into the heavy seas.
The next successful V.F. shot of special interest was taken under worse lighting
conditions. We called on Arthur Askey in his theatre dressing-room. I should
here explain that "Big-h·earted Arthur" and I went to the same school, though
I was of the earlier generation and never one of his "playmates".
During the chat I took a "bust view of the comedian - the only lighting
being from a I 00 watt lamp on the ceiling and another of the same size on the
dressing-table nearby. After this (and with the same indifferent lighting) I "shot"
him seated on the settee between my two daughters.
From this experience I can pass naturally to another theatre example of V.F.'s
utility - the taking of excerpts of the latest Students' Rag Revue. Profiting
by the earlier effort of 1950, I was able to produce a more compact and
uniformly-exposed film. Results with the fl.9 lens stopped down to as little as f4
in brilliant scenes were very pleasing. As before, telephoto pictures and spot-
lighted scenes gave vivid effects.
This being the last Revue in which our daughters, Mary and Ailsa, would
appear, I decided to have an epilogue. This shows the curtain calls and how
the audience made much of all members of the cast and of the stage hands ...
Then, at last, the final curtain. A good show!
FOB YOUR GUIDAN~E
Several instances have been re- or numbers to assist in the recovery
ported recently of cine cameras of their cameras.
Most cine cameras bear an identity
having been stolen. Unfortunately,
number and we would strongly advise
in the majority of cases, the owners all owners to make a careful note of
of the stolen equipment have been this so that it can be referred to
unable to supply any identity marks should the occasion arise.
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