"To present, on 8mm. Kodachrome, where the problem of definition in distant shots is made more difficult by the greater screen enlargement in projection, a serious and satisfying architectural study of a structure that extends not a few hundred feet into the air, but thousands of feet horizontally, is a task that calls for skill in movie making. Raymond O'Connell, in San Francisco — Oakland Bay Bridge, has exhibited that skill and has to his credit, in this film, a definite accomplishment. The study is rendered comprehensible to the audience, at the very outset, by the use of a model of the bridge, which is introduced in the course of the picture, with excellent effect. In several instances, one passes from a shot of the model to another of the actual structure from the same angle, and so easily that it is possible to forget the cinematic labor put forth in finding a vantage point for the camera to show exactly what was needed. Of especial merit are shots of the changing pattern of the cables, made from a moving motor car, which provide a fine essay in abstract design." Movie Makers, Dec. 1938, 620.
"Shadow's Bones is all about Frank E. Gunnell's cocker spaniel, Shadow, and his annoying habit, common to most dogs, of leaving bones in all manner of places, where bones should not be, such as bath tubs, magazine racks, beds and other localities which are not really canine cupboards. With brilliantly accomplished black and white 16mm. cinematography, Mr. and Mrs. Gunnell, as cameraman and "support" for the chief actor, Shadow, have done what is still too rare in home movies — they have found the humor of home life, and of themselves as a part of it. The plan of this tale is simple, direct and is provided with a genial finish. The direction and acting, especially in persuading the recently acquired household pet to go through his part of the performance with naturalness and zest, are excellent. This sets a new mark in interest that can be given to family records, and the interior lighting is beyond criticism." Movie Makers, Dec. 1938, 620.
"Working still in the same lyric mood which inspired In The Beginning and Consider The Lilies (place winners of earlier years), Fred C. Ells has turned this year to the Twenty Third Psalm for the theme of Still Waters. In it, to use his own words, he has tried "to bring to mind some of the beauties of the natural world, and to make the spectator conscious in some small way of the mysterious, wonderfully planned creation in which we live. The picture is pure lyric from start to finish, with no more continuity than a love song." Mr. Ells has, on occasion, been thrillingly successful in fulfilling this high charge, bringing to the screen some of the most stirring beauty it would seem possible to recreate. The cumulative effect of the relatively short study, however, is weakened by imperfect technique in the preparation of the Biblical title wordings." Movie Makers, Dec. 1938, 620.
"Technically superb macroscopic work marks the great part of the footage of Swamp Song, a color story of the insects found in the marshes and woods of the countryside, filmed by R. H. Unseld. Perfect focus and precise exposure distinguish the studies of insects, and it is not unlikely that they are the best of their type that have yet been filmed with an amateur camera. It is unfortunate that the story motif of this picture — a father and son wandering through the woods in search of insect types — is not better integrated with the extraordinary macroscopic footage. Nor is the technique of the titling on a par with the rest of the film. But the macroscopic insect scenes are truly astonishing, and such highlights as the invasion of a termite colony by a roving band of ants and a series of ultra closeups of butterflies are without parallel." Movie Makers, Dec. 1938, 621.
"Builders of Tomorrow, produced by the Cinema Laboratory of Western Reserve University and filmed by Dr. James E. Bliss, takes one into the Cleveland School of Architecture at Western Reserve and shows the embryonic architects at work. The students are pictured studying the principles of design, drafting and in art classes. Architectural models are expertly filmed and with lighting and treatment that, in several cases, make them indistinguishable from actual structures and streets. The entire picture is interior color and the lighting is ably handled throughout." Movie Makers, Dec. 1938, 621.
A short film in which Émile Gallet demonstrates how to animate a walk cycle and illustrates the inner workings of a gasoline engine. The film also includes studies and designs for La Legende de Saint Nicholas (1949), as well as footage from Ducky 'n Busty (1937).
scientific documentary
"documentario cronistico"/documentary chronicle
Total Pages: 299
Amateur Cinema