"Animated figures have seldom been presented with such meticulous technique and in such clever situations as are executed by Clifford Bach in Breakfast in Bed. A perfectionist to the last twitch of an eyebrow, Mr. Bach has achieved exceptional realism in the movements of his small figures by painstaking frame by frame exposure and expressive camera viewpoints. His story follows the efforts of a cocky little cockatoo, Windy, to prepare breakfast for his master, Professor Whiffle. Windy's ingenuity overcomes all obstacles in a series of neatly motivated and genuinely amusing "gags." Mr. Bach's persistence and eye for design indicate a bright future in the field of animated movies." Movie Makers, Dec. 1947, 536.
"Recording a modern dairy on 8mm. film is no mean accomplishment, and Helen H. Loeffler deserves special praise for her explicit coverage of the operations involved in running Randall Farms. Miss Loeffler's carefully composed frames and neat subtitles give one a clear picture of the various stages, from milking to bottling. She has overcome the murky interiors of the barns and farm buildings by able lighting, while her pasture sequence at the conclusion of the film shows the sleek cattle at their best. Conducted Tour is a mature record film, tightly edited and presented with polish." Movie Makers, Dec. 1947, 536.
"Using animated puppets and hand painted water color backgrounds, Charles H. Benjamin, in Fantasy in Toyland, takes a curious dog through the horrors usually reserved for white knights, to save a fabulous female canine in distress. The story is old but the treatment is new. The puppets were manipulated from below stage level and filmed frame by frame with a remotely controlled camera. The star of the piece meets cows, dragons and various beasts made of pine cones and other strange raw materials. The film ends on the accepted romantic note." Movie Makers, Dec. 1947, 536-537.
"Terry Manos takes his family and his audience to the country and shows us what Farm Frolics are for those who live rurally and what fun city children can get from participating in them. Against a background of farm life that is shown largely by indirection, the children romp and play little tricks on each other, while the understanding adults take a good humored part in the proceedings. Mr. Manos's camera work is imaginative, making the most of the abundant material at hand. His greatest achievement is the creation of a fine family film that, because of its lively farm background, also holds audience interest." Movie Makers, Dec. 1947, 537.
"The pitfalls of sentimentality and bombast have both been avoided in Gateway to Faith, a simple, dignified teaching film of the Roman Catholic baptismal rites, produced by the Reverend Edward Hayes and the Reverend Paul Hayes. With a clarity reminiscent of Thomistic syllogisms, the two priests show precisely what happens during a baptism and explain, with equal precision, the symbolic meaning of each section of the ritual. The film was made for instructional purposes; it fulfills these purposes in a highly intelligent manner. Gateway to Faith was produced at Sacred Heart Church, in Newark, N. J., and received the official imprimatur from Archbishop Thomas J. Walsh. The priest in the film is played with restraint and dignity by the Reverend John Wightman." Movie Makers, Dec. 1947, 537.
"To impart life and interest to a film about growing alfalfa requires more than ordinary patience and perseverance. Mildred J. Caldwell has supplied these in her picture, Green Gold. Filmed throughout the year, it shows the plowing, seeding, mowing, bundling and threshing, to create a story with depth and perspective. There were times when the movie maker had to climb on stacks of baled alfalfa or ride on a lumbering machine while it performed some vital operation in the culture of alfalfa. Hemet Valley, in California, was the setting, providing pleasant scenic backgrounds for the different operations." Movie Makers, Dec. 1947, 537-538.
"From Capetown, South Africa, comes Help Yourselves, Boys!, by Lewis Lewis, a charming record of two handsome youngsters and their father engaged in planting, growing and harvesting zinnias. Using many effective angles and double exposed titles, Mr. Lewis relates a plausible tale of his boys raiding the grape arbor, being caught, and finally having their exuberance turned toward flower growing. Since the newly hatched garden is situated close to the ocean, the scenic backgrounds are startling as well as pleasant. Rich, black earth and flaming orange zinnias provide an attractive setting for an engaging family movie." Movie Makers, Dec. 1947, 538.
"Filming indoor spectacles is difficult, but it is made doubly so when the staging, actors and lighting facilities are in a constant state of flux. Yet Oscar H. Horovitz, in his Ice Follies 1947, has solved these problems with technical perfection. Points of filming vantage are carefully chosen, from which sequences of the major acts and personalities are imaginatively recorded. An intelligent use of varying focal length lenses contributes the near shots and closeups so necessary to a well rounded study of this kind. Mr. Horovitz more than maintains his position as one of the master craftsmen in his chosen field." Movie Makers, Dec. 1947, 538.
"In Lake Superior Landscape, the artist, Dewey Albinson, demonstrates his technique of landscape painting from the bare canvas stage to the climactic moment when the glowingly finished product is first exhibited. Shot by Elmer Albinson, the film is marked by vivid closeups and many changing angles, which help immeasurably to achieve a comprehensive sense of growth as the painting progresses. Producer Albinson understands the relationship that exists between the object, the artist and the painting; he has used his camera with accuracy and sensitivity to pass this understanding on to those who see his film." Movie Makers, Dec. 1947, 538.
"Irwin Sharpe and Cye Landy have gone back to film beginnings in composing their engaging little etude, Picnic. The fundamental of their selection is the old reliable device of the chase sequence. Beginning quietly with a simple family picnic, the producers soon overlay on this bucolic subject a mysterious kidnapping and its resultant chase. The cutting, camera positions and tempo of this climactic sequence show a true understanding of cinematic expression." Movie Makers, Dec. 1947, 538-539.
Total Pages: 299
Amateur Cinema