FILMING WARS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24083, 30 September 1941, Page 8

FILMING WARS

NEWSREEL CAMERAMAN VISIT TO DOMINION A widely-travelled American film cameraman, Mr. Arthur Menken, who has specialised in making newsreels on the various war fronts since the hostilities in Spain, arrived in Auckland yesterday on a brief visit to the Dominion. During a fortnight's stay he hopes to complete a newsreel of New Zealand's war effort. The giant strides and speed with which he traverses continents in search of topical events are indicated in the fact that since he filmed the German biitz in England last year Mr. Menken has shot films in China and the Philippines and completed a survey of the western Pacific all within the period of a year. The last war newsreel which he completed was the bombing of Chungking by the Japanese. He said this film would probably be released in Auckland at an early date. In all Mr. Menken has made newsreels for his company in six continents. He was in Finland and Norway during hostilities in those countries ana secured excellent pictures. He made light of any suggestion of the hazardous nature of his work and switched the talk to the possibilities of striking a topical subject for his camera in the few hours that he would be in Auckland. Mr. Menken was met on arrival by Mr. C. A. Furlong, of the Internal Affairs Department, on behalf of the Government.