The workers’ movement has been pioneering ‘alternative media’ ever since it was born. Harry Potamkin, who played such a leading role in this work before his early death in 1933, encourages the growth of the Workers Film and Photo League. The W.F.P.L. would, in fact, grow becoming a well-organized and highly competent section of the Workers International Relief, providing many of the Daily Worker articles and producing newsreels of demonstrations and strikes. There 1931 Hunger March film included below.

‘A Film and Photo Call to Action!’ by Harry Alan Potamkin from Workers Theatre. Vol. 1 No. 4. July, 1931.

Workers Film and Photo league

After ups and downs the Workers Film and Photo League may be said to be on the up. It has sloughed off the self-centered ones who could not see beyond their own noses, long or short–who were more interested in their own enthusiasms than in the prospects of a mass organization of workers-photographers and workers-cinematographers. A nucleus now exists which seems much more responsible and more magnetic worker-members. With the help of the newly founded Workers Cultural Federation, through its Film and Photo Commission, the League hopes to achieve stability and effectiveness this fall. In the meantime, it has organized classes in still photography under one of the best American professionals, Howard D. Lostor, a member of the executive board, and in film projection by the League members who conduct the film-showing at workers clubs and camps. Later other classes will be inaugurated in the history and criticism of film and photo, film editing and titling cinematography, etc. Beginnings have been made in contacts with other cities than New York and with groups and individuals in England, Mexico, Soviet Russia, Germany, France, Holland, Denmark and Czecho-slovakia. The prospects for an international film league are good. An International Buro for worker-photographers already exists. It has called for an international exhibit in Berlin, October in conjunction with the tenth anniversary convention of the Workers International Relief. A conference on the photo will be held and it is possible the league will be represented. A move has been made from this side to include the film in the discussion. In anticipation of the October international, Proletarian Photo week has been declared for the last week of July and all who have work showing the life of workers in America are requested to send negative or positive into the league, Room 330, 799 Broadway, New York City. Everyone interested is urged to enroll for membership. An exhibit of the acceptable work will be given at the John Reed Club.

The League looks forward to work in the following decisive ways:

1. The education of the workers and others in the part the movie plays as a weapon of reaction;

2. The education of the workers and others in the part the movie plays as an instrument for social purposes–in the U.S.S.R.;

3. The encouragement, support and sustenance of the left critic and the left movie-maker who is documenting dramatically and persuasively the disproportions in our present society;

4. The creation of a chain of film-audiences who morally and financially guarantee such films;

5. The regular publication of a periodical devoted to our purposes;

6. The fight against the class-abuses of capitalist censorship;

7. The attack upon the invidious portrayal in the popular film of the foreign-born worker, the Negro, the oriental, the worker generally;

8. The opposition to the interests of the institutions like the church as they participate in the shaping of the monopolized film;

9. The use of methods of direct action, boycott, picketing, against the anti-working-class, anti-Soviet film;

10. The distribution of suppressed films of importance;

11. The defense of artists and critics abused by reactionary elements (as in the Eisenstein case);

12. The re-discovery and presentation of neglected films of significance;

13. The education of the critic and worker by closer contact.

THE SECOND PART OF NUMBER 3 IS EVENTUALLY OUR MOST IMPORTANT PURPOSE. Our film-makers need more training, and that is got by more opportunity. THIS PURPOSE IS MADE MEANINGFUL BY NUMBER 13.

In film-criticism we must develop the worker-correspondent in the film. At film-showings educational, critical material should be supplied each spectator–in regard to the film shown–and discussions encouraged. In Germany the Arbeiterbuehne and Film publishes Proletarian Film Criticism from the non-professional, the worker-spectator, his has proven so effective, tantamount to boycott in some cases, the trade press has become virulent in its attack on the worker-correspondent film-critic. But–in speaking of the film–let us not forget the photo. It too is a powerful weapon, and one that is more easily wielded and by many more than can wield the weapon of motion picture. The League understands that full effectiveness is the capture of the image we want with the greatest economy of time and expense. But to capture the image means to capture it well– clear, expressive, dramatic, convincing. That is why a class has been started. The worker-photographer should be able to carry through a job from the taking to the printing. JOIN THE WORKERS’ FILM AND PHOTO IEAGUE.

In establishing the league we must not forget there is still a necessity for a broad association for spectators. Such a society can serve the League– functioning within the larger and looser organization–as a basis for influence outside of itself, as a contact with the various levels of film- audience, as self-education, and as a financial source. The English Federation of Workers Film Societies has seven units in Britain: in London (1200 members), Glasgow and Edinburgh (400), Liverpool (350), Newcastle (550), Manchester (350), and Birmingham, a new group. R. Bond, secretary, writes me: “They are all united in this Federation which also organizes the production work. We have made three workers topical news reels (demonstrations, strikes, hunger marches, etc.), a montage film on Russia, made up from out-outs from various Soviet films, and “1931” a documentary, 1500 feet, just completed. I have been in charge of all production work to date, but our activity is severely restricted by lack of cash. They are evidently about where we are in the matter of production. (“1931″) costs us 40 pounds–we could not afford more.”

In London and England there are numerous bourgeois societies, which, as comrade Bond says, “are only interested in the art angle.” But we in America have not had that. Such societies can be formed and serve the Workers Film and Photo League as I have indicated. It is not impossible. However, I do not imply that we are to form bourgeois societies. We should form very broad ones which in no way would take the place of the special workers’ club film-showings. We should have our workers in these bodies to keep their corpuscles rod, but allow for “art”– as the film-art-lover sees it. I have in mind what the W.I.R. did in Philadelphia when it established the World Cinema League there. Though it is stated that this body has as its sole objective: the furthering of the film as a proletarian art, “the membership is not altogether proletarian, comrade Nonamaker writes me, “Membership runs about 600 to 800 with occasionally 1000 turning out for an especially good program.” This is a broad organisation to a film. On the program, now and then, are shown amateur films, which might be better chosen. A much more valuable thing than the showing of worthless “experiments” (“antiquated novelties” badly done) by vain young men would be a comparative showing of an American and Soviet film. The League has voted yes on this for camp showings, if feasible. The League must serve as a propaganda unit in a variety of ways and avoid sectarianism and cliquishness.

The New Theatre continued Workers Theater. Workers Theater began in New York City in 1931 as the publication of The Workers Laboratory Theater collective, an agitprop group associated with Workers International Relief, becoming the League of Workers Theaters, section of the International Union of Revolutionary Theater of the Comintern. The rough production values of the first years were replaced by a color magazine as it became primarily associated with the New Theater. It contains a wealth of left cultural history and ideas. Published roughly monthly were Workers Theater from April 1931-July/Aug 1933, New Theater from Sept/Oct 1933-November 1937, New Theater and Film from April and March of 1937, (only two issues).

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/workers-theatre/v1n04-jul-1931-Workers-Theatre-NYPL-mfilm.pdf