Film Note are We All Murderers?
| DOI | 10.1177/026455055300602411 |
| Date | 01 November 1953 |
| Published date | 01 November 1953 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
KENT
BRANCH
WEEK-END
CON.'ERENCE
What
are
the
ingredients of a truly successful week-
end conference?
In
Kent
we
think
we
can
answer this.
Wye College was again
our
venue.
It
provides ideal
facilities:
the
accommodation in
the
new (women's)
wing excels for comfort
and
sheer
beauty;
our
food was
ample
and
delicious;
and
the
staff
spared
no effort on
our
behalf.
What
of
our
mental
diet? Mrs. Rosamund Fisher, of
Canterbury
and
Lambeth,
talking
on
"Children
and
Divorce," stressed
the
importance of family solidarity in
individual development
and
in society.
The
Hon. Mr.
Justice Karminski gave us
heartening
information
about
the
value of reconciliatory work by probation officers in
the
divorce courts in his address on
"The
JUdicial
Approach to Divorce," Dr. R. E. Hemphill, from Bristol
University
and
Barrow Hospital, already known to some
officers who have been
"refreshed"
in
that
area,
addressed ua on
"The
Scope
and
Limitations of Psychia-
tric
Treatment
in Matrimonial Problems," His undoubted
sympathy
and
knowledge of his subject ensured
that
he
was
kept
engaged in
earnest
discussion for
the
remainder
of
the
week-end.
We were delighted to
have
our
Secretary,
Frank
Dawtry, on his feet for a session,
and
his address,
"It
occurs to me . . . ," contained all
the
sincerity
and
wisdom which we
have
come to expect of him.
Mr. C. E. A. Freebody, of Diplock House Hostel; Mr. C.
W.
Jenner,
of Hollywood Manor Home; Major L. D.
Bairstow, of St. Margaret's Girls' Home;
and
John
Starke,
of
the
Maidstone office, comprised apanel to arouse
discussion on
"Homes
and
Hostels," ahighly successful
session which deserves more space
than
can
be given
here.
Mr. R. H. Adams came from Klngswood to address us
on " Classifying Schools,'"
and
from Mr. F. Vernon Elvy,
of Kidlington, we
learned
how"
Detention
Centres"
are
developing
their
contribution to
the
system.
The
questions
and
comments aroused by each of
the
sessions were proof of
their
success,
and
discussion
fre-
quently continued over food
and
drink.
There
was still time for a gay social evening,
at
which
our hosts were
the
Ashford magistrates,
and
for
an
opportunity to increase
our
envy of
the
students
at
Wye
by conducted
tours
of
the
College
research
departments.
We
are
deeply
grateful
to all who came to address us
and
to those who acted as
chairmen
at
the
sessions.
It
was
grand
to see our friends from outside
the
Service,
from
Kent
and
from
farther
afield; all of
them
helped
to
make
the
success
that
was Wye
1953.
To
Ivan
Elgar
and
the
Conference Committee we
can
only add to
our
thanks
the
threat
that
they
are
more
than
likely to get
the
job again.
The
Edridge
Fund
received
our
Conference Service
collection of £ 7 5s.,
and
our Reserve
Fund
was increased
by
£3
16s. as
the
result of a
....
held
at
the
social
evening.
The
whole Conference was ably rounded off with a
closing address by N.A.P.O,'sChairman, Mr. S. R. Eshelby,
whom we were very pleased to
have
as
our
guest for
the
week-end,
together
with
all
the
two of
our
H.Q. Staff.
F.M.N.
OBITUARY
(Continued)
in college
and
university so
that
he could eventually
become a Minister of
the
Baptist
Church.
From
that
point
onwards he became adistinguished figure in
many
walks of life; in politics (where he became an M.P.
and
later
Deputy
Speaker
of
the
House of Commons),
in social work, religious activity, local government, as
a
magistrate
and
in
the
field of sport. He was for several
years
Chairman
of
the
Becontree Division Probation
Committee
and
took a lively
and
keen
interest
in
the
work of
the
probation
officers. He believed
they
followed
asacred calling
and
was loud in his praise of
them,
while he
had
many
new
and
refreshing
Ideas
about
probation
and
used every occasion to draw
attention,
by his wonderful oratory, to
the
importance of probation
work.
SIR
NORWOOD
EAST
Sir Norwood East, for
many
years director of
the
Prison Medical Service, died on October 30th
at
the
age
of 80. He was
at
one time medical officer
at
Brixton
Prison,
later
inspector of prisons,
and
at all times
regarded as
an
expert in
the
subject
of criminal psycho-
logy. Since his
retirement
he
has
spoken widely on
the
subject, on several occasions to N.A.P.O. meetings,
and
only a week before his
death
a
paper
he
had
hoped
to deliver
at
the
Essex
and
Chiltern Counties' week-end
was
carefully
prepared
and
sent
by him to be
read
to
the
conference.
FILM
NOTE
ARE
WE
ALL
MURDERERS?
It
would be
interesting
to have
the
views of
readers
of
this
Journal
who
have
seen
the
recently released
French
film,
"Are
We All Murderers?",
made
by Andre
Cayatte, formerly alawyer of repute.
It
is a gripping,
realistic
and
sincere film,
its
sequence well balanced,
and.
the
characterlsation
excellent. Not only does
the
film
ably
present
the
futility of
the
suffering inflicted in
the
name
of
justice-which,
instead
of helping
the
convicted
murderer
to face
his
crime, only serves to
torture
him
with
terror
-
but
it
also indicates
that
the
repressive
force which is
at
work
throughout
the
interminable
waiting for execution merely serves as a
mask
to hide
the
inability of a society to
change
the
social conditions
which help to produce murder.
We
are
shown
ayouth,
brought
up in affectionless,
slum conditions,
not
taught
a
trade,
but
able to use a
gun in time of
war
and
ahero for doing so
during
the
Resistance;
but
when
he
later
lost
his
head
and
used
his
gun
indiscriminately he became a
murderer,
and
we see
him
in
the
grim
atmosphere
of
the
condemned cell,
shackled
and
awaiting
execution.
But
first
his
life
has
to be saved by
the
doctors when he falls critically ill.
He
shares
his
cell
with
ahalf-crazed
father
who could
no longer
stand
the
crying of
his
child;
with
adoctor
who
maintains
his
innocence on a
charge
of
murdering
his
wife,
and
with
ayoung Corsican, executed for
his
part
in a family feud, which is immediately resumed on
his
death.
We
are
thus
left
finally to
ask
how
far
these
executions
protect
society or
prevent
crime. Are
they
not,
the
film suggests, society's excuse for
not
dealing
more effectively
with
the
causes
of crime? E.M.C.
BRANCH
LINES
[286 ]
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