Amateurs

When I once suggested that there were some amateur actors who were as good, if not better, than some professionals I was verbally assaulted by a representative of Equity, the actors' union: I was told I was speaking through my you know what.
In my reviewing days I often found that there were some good amateurs who I thought might have made the grade as professionals, but why should they? Why would they want to try? After all, many of them held down good jobs: some were lawyers, some teachers, all professional people - why would they want to give up their lucrative professions for the rat race that is acting with the numbers out of work at any one time being about 80%.
One of the worst features of amateur productions I found were the sets. They were indeed amateurish. And, for musicals, the choreography - always amateurish however much they practiced.
Many directors of films, however, have used amateurs and often the results are successful. It's not just the novelty factor but the fact that they often play themselves. The main character in Vittorio de Sica's "Bicycle Thieves" was a manual worker and the boy who brilliantly played his son was his real life son.
The great Indian director, Satyajit Ray, learned from such films as "Bicycle Thieves" before he began film-making hiimself with his Apu trilogy. He too used amateur actors.
When you see his films, as well as de Sica's, you wonder why films aren't made like them any more. Perhaps it's because there are no people like them in the film industry any more, men of integrity and vision.