"Amateurs in cinematography, members of the Manchester Film Society, which was formed last year by Mr Peter Le Neve Foster, one of the founders of Cambridge Cinema Club, have almost completed its second film, “The Black Bear”, based on the story “The Fool of Chester”. Mr Foster directed the film and Miss. R. Tongue manipulated the camera. The length of the film is about 1,000 feet, and it will be presented in about one month’s time. The promoters of this enterprise are hopeful of being able to secure sufficient local bookings to cover the major part of the outlay. With the exception of making prints, the whole work of production has been undertaken by the Society, which hopes someday to be able to purchase the necessary apparatus enabling them to do even this work themselves. Nearly all the scenes were “shot” in Cheshire" (Anon 1928, 47).
"Black Book and Camera has good old George, you know George, photographing all the pretty lassies at the World's Fair. He then asks for their names and addresses so that he can send them a photo. Wouldn't a black book full of names and addresses be worth a pretty penny? W-e-l-l. . . George gets a lot of pretty pictures, but as for those names and addresses. . ." PSA Journal, Aug. 1967, 37.
"The Black Cat is a 25-minute version of Edgar Allen Poe's story by the same name and concerns a man who does away with his wife in what he believes to be the perfect crime, only to be outdone in the end by the family black cat. This low key, well dramatized version is the only 8mm film among the top ten and also received the MPD Scenario Film Award" PSA Journal, Sept. 1965, 50.
"Everyone is familiar with the fine work turned out by the Greenbrier Amateur Movie Club of White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. This club was given the fourth prize for their production "The Black Door," which has been honored in other contests conducted both here and abroad. This organization shows a fine sense of production values and an insight into what is required to build the proper suspense in motion picture entertainment." American Cinematographer, Dec. 1932, 7
"Delmer J. Frazier, ACL, of Oakland, Calif., is a man who can see the fine possibilities for plot ideas sticking out all about him in the current popular magazines. In his delightful film, Black Magic, he used an advertisement, but stories and funny papers are pretty fertile too. His story opened with the young lad of the house immersed in the mystic joys offered by a pancake flour company. ''Send Ten Wrappers and Get the Magic Wand!" He did, the wand arrived and the fun began. Fun, until his chum said the wrong magic words and started to disappear — wand and all. Only heroic measures on the part of our hero (and the cameraman) saved the day." Movie Makers, April 1935, 167.
"This was a well thought picture, but lacked a bit in photography to stack up with the prize winners." American Cinematographer, Feb. 1936, 73.
"For Louis McMahon, making movies must seem to be as natural as breathing — only far more fun. It stands out in his work, from the first dynamic opening of The Black Rider to the last dramatic gun fight, in which, inevitably, the villain is vanquished and the hero left triumphant. For this film goes back to first principles of the motion picture, both in its "horse opera" subject matter and in its unfailing sense of movement and compelling excitement. True to the old traditions, this young producer has turned seemingly impossible obstacles with cinematic trickery and imagination. For the present, his technical skill has not always been equal to his creative ambition, but the genuine urge is there in abundance." Movie Makers, Dec. 1941, 566-567.
"Al Londema's 'The Black Satchel,' is a pretentious photoplaylet in 8mm color, showing good camera work and direction." American Cinematographer, May. 1952, 224.
"Documentary on smoke pollution and the effects it has on people's health." (EAFA Database)
"A short mystery film from members of the Amateur Cinema League. A group of relatives gather in a haunted house for the reading of a will. Someone among them knows a secret about the house, and uses stories about the Black Widow to try and scare everyone away. In the end, their identity is revealed and all the secrets come to light. Title cards narrate the dialogue." Chicago Film Archives.
Visitors at a party receive a message from beyond that informs them, "There is a devil here!" and chaos follows. ‘Just before he died, the photographer of this film, Jack O' Hea, saw an article by Tony Rose, FACI, about the very first year of the Ten Best Competition and so this 'lost' film was rediscovered. It was made in 1934, just two years after Kodak had introduced the 8mm gauge. Music and 'devilish sound effects' were added by Jack O'Hea in 1978. These were revised and re-tracked for the IAC Library by the late Leslie Germany, FACI. The story, by John Burke, relates how the visitors at the Blackmores' party (one of whom is played by the director, Stanley Comber) receive a spirit-message that: 'There is a devil here!'. They link hands round the table and the hostess is attacked’ (EAFA Database).
Total Pages: 299
Amateur Cinema