History of “ Youth Marches On ”

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 80, 5 April 1939, Page 11

History of “ Youth Marches On ”

MADE TO INSPIRE YOUTH OF THE WORLD (Regent: Coming soon.) In 1935, at Regina in Canada, there was a camp of about 200 youths mustered from all over Canada. Some had travelled over' 2000 miles at much cost and sacrifice to be there. The object was to train spiritually,, mentally and physically for the rebuilding of their nation. During the camp one of these lads, George Fiaser, a [Scottish songwriter, had guidance in liis Time that the camp was making history and that a film should be made of it which could bo used to inspire the youth of the world. He told one or two others about this and they all agreed it was a great vision, but they seemed to have nothing but willingness towards making it real, no equipment, no professional experience, and about £35. [Soon after this, some of them went into the local drug store where they were getting their snaps printed, and in conversation discovered that the man behind the counter used to be a cameraman in tho days of the silent pictures. He became so intrigued by the enthusiasm of these men tuat he offered to dig

out his movie camera and go up to the camp and take some “shots” for them. While he blew the dust off his camera they collected the money to buy 1000 ft. of film.

The next thing was to find a story and a caste. They decided to depict the various reactions made by the camp on three men of entirely different types and how, finally, all cniisted in the campaign. to bring their country under God-control. The chief characters were to be a cowboy, a student, and a- truck driver. The cowboy’s part was taken by Cft. 4in. Cecil Broadixurst. ilis only claim to dramatic experience was singing with liis ukulele over the radio. There was no time to write a story, so they made it up as they went along and several “shot” were taken. Then the Premier of Saskatchewan came to commission 25 of the campers to go to au Oxford Group house party at Oxford in England. By this time the cameraman was so enthusiastic that he made arrangements to go with them and finish the film over there. They cabled to Eric Parlitt, film producer, “Coming with 1000 feet of film.”

Some more scenes of tho film were taken in London, some in the country near Oxford; then they all moved to a studio at Elstree for the sound recording. There they worked in an ordinary professional studio and caused much interest and amazement among the staff who couldn’t understand how a bunch of amateurs could get through with so few re-takes. They saw what happened when guidance and team work took the place of personal ambition and artistic temperament. By the end of the first day a camera-man said he could see God-control would save the film companies thousands a year. The background music was written by West who delayed completing his own symphony to write the film music and blended in the two % theme songs “Horsey” and “The New Frontiersmen.”

When the actual taking of the film was finished came the even more difficult task of getting it distributed. At first no firm would consider it, would not even see it, as they said that a film with no star and no sensational plot could have no box office appeal, but Eric Parlitt and his team, confident that God was working through this film, refused to accept defeat. Eventually Butcher’s consented to see the film and were so impressed that they made a contract forthwith. Eventually it showed simultaneously in five West End Theatres and altogether was screened in 500 theatres in the country.

This film has been shown in Napier and Christchurch to packed houses. Tho Napier theatre manager wrote to the distributors as follows:—“I have beef, amazed at the interest and support. I thought I knew Napier people well, but I have seen faces at that film that 1 have never seen inside a theatre before. ’ ’ The whole film was broadcast from Christchurch, and announcements w r ere made at the Rotary Club, the Optimists’ Club, from the pulpits, and to the Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Bible classes and schools.

Despite her new contract with RKO Radio, blonde Wendy Barrie is finding time for authorship. Between scenes of her current picture, ‘ 1 The Saint Strikes Back,” she is putting the finishing touches to a biography of her early years in the Far and Near East. Born in Hongkong, Wgndy spent the first J 7 years, of her life living in China, Siam and India, studying at English and French schools, and travelling back and forth between England and the Orient by various routes. During those years she made seven trips around the w r orld, and lived in scores of Asiatic cities. Studio executives who have seen a rougkt draft of the first half of the book are reported to be greatly interested in it as possible screen material. Claudette Colbert, star of Paramount’s “Zaza,” has expressed herself very much against the word, “glamour.” In fact, the word is strictly poison to her because it really means - . . . and she quotes Webster . . “a deceptive or enticing charm . . . any interest in, or association with an object or person, through which tho object or person appears delusively magnified or glorified.” Claudette just doesn’t approve of his kind of shellac. “If you can think of some new words for ‘glamour,’ Hollywood can use them,” she says.