FILM FOUNDATION FINDS TURTLES HARD SUBJECTS

The following article on tonight's Film Foundation movie was written by William Brewster '22.

"Nesting of the Sea Turtle" is but one of the pictures the University Film Foundation is presenting to the public for the first time today at Brattle Hall. Cambridge, which was taken under the most unusual conditions. The Loggarhead turtle, which is the "heroine" of this picture belongs to a deep-sea species.

One night in the year the female comes ashore to lay her eggs along the deserted southern beaches. A timid creature, the turtle takes fright at the slightest sound or light and retreats to the ocean, to return again at some more opportune time, always under the cover of darkness. How to photograph this episode in the life cycle of the turtle presented a problem which many investigators had been obliged to give up. Repeated tests, carried out on an island off the Georgia coast, indicated that when the turtle had once begun the actual egg-laying process she became oblivious to her surroundings and it was possible to approach sufficiently near to take pictures.

Correct Lighting

The problem of securing sufficient light for photographing still remained. Further experiments with Magnesium flares indicated that it was difficult, but not impossible, to use this method of lighting. If the flare was lighted too soon, the turtle retreated to the sea; if too late, half of the episode was lost.

This is the first public performance of the University Film Foundation. The performance at Brattle Hall will be at 8.15 o'clock tonight and will be repeated at the Fine Arts Theater in Boston on Saturday. Tickets may be purchased at Herricks and at both box offices.