Art Notes

on sets, but in "Mutiny" at all stages the canvas was wide and the detail convincing. "The Last Chance" was a moving, not to say harrowing film and despite language difficulties, surprisingly popular : there was much beautiful Alpine and Italian scenery shewn : in particular there were camera studies of an Italian lake in the opening sequences that were quite exquisite : the cliche of the scenic postcard was avoided : a few close up shots of lakeside rushes and lapping water under moonlight achieved an air of peace that contrasted sharply with the story that was to follow : it is a great pity that the Society cannot get more films of this type. "Pride and Prejudice" is not very good Jane Austen perhaps, but none the less has much to commend it : it is well edited, transition from one sequence to another being often noticeably sharp and effective : the Lady Katherine and Mr. (sic.) Collins are also gorgeously overplayed by Edna May Oliver and Melville Cooper. Non-fiction films —documentaries, if you like—when billed, seemed, to some at any rate, formidable fare in prospect : in reality they did not go down too badly, or was it that in their applause those present were merely being kind? ' "Wings over Africa" turned out to be an uninspired and dated travelogue, not, however, without its points of interest; but Jill Craigie's study of post-war Plymouth, called "The Way We Live" was in a higher class altogether : it was a story told with superb economy in that there was no waste footage or padding; every shot had something to add to the effect. Flaherty's "Man of Aran". a visual tone-poem of the sea, if such a thing is possible, made some of its points rather obscurely and a careless sound track did not help. Laurel and Hardy, however, were in their best form and everybody went off to bed in a good mood. "Hue and Cry", graced by an original story, proved a pleasant, if unsensational, finale to the season : the crowd scenes were very \yell handled—(a rare virtue in British films : how tired one so soon gets of those lighted torches !) and one shot was at least reminiscent of the famous "steps" sequence in the Russian film "Potemkin"

H. H. Hunter and R. N. Johnson are to be congratulated on being "hung" in the 54th Exhibition of Students' Drawings and Paintings recently held by the Royal Drawing Society in the City of London Guildhall and Art Gallery.

From there the Exhibition tours all the large municipal centres. Work comes in to this Exhibition from all over the world and the standard of Exhibition is thus very high. Of the many Public Schools which "send in" to this Exhibition only Taunton, Rugby and ourselves are this year represented, but it is to be noticed that the Modern School and the County Grammar School are increasing their representation.

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