"Alan Probert has confined his study of Mexico to the primitive Otomi Indians. With startling clarity and a fine cinematic eye for detail, he presents the tribal group in a series of sketches that reveal the age old customs of their forefathers still in daily use — sowing and reaping, spinning and weaving, trading and worshipping. Remnants Of The Past is an expertly filmed factual account of the subject, which would have gained considerably from greater unity and a stronger ending." Movie Makers, Dec. 1948, 494.
"In Rogge (meaning "rye"), G. J. Gast, jr., of Almelo, Holland, set out to make merely a record film of farm life in a community still committed to primitive farming methods. An ardent realist, he lived with his subject family for nearly a year before shooting his film, which was another full year in the making. An artistic cinematographer. he came up with something more than a record film. Exquisitely framed filter shots emphasize the contrasting values of light and shadow, giving the film a richly rewarding old-master quality. He achieved this by an understanding exploitation of the black and white medium. Unfortunately, his overzealous realism caused some of the interiors in Rogge to be very poorly lighted, detracting from the overall excellence of the film." Movie Makers, Dec. 1948, 495.
"In The Magic City, Virginia Rodarmor shows a warm and winning appreciation of a child's love for fairy tales. After a delightful opening scene in which Mother pantomimes the end of a bedtime story to her three young ones, we see them being tucked away for the night. The film then pictures the children enacting, in a dream, the tale their mother has just related. A regrettable lack of steady camera support is offset by the sensitive unfolding of the story, keeping it unerringly on a level of pure fantasy. A delightful and characteristic conceit is the sequence in which the witch is transformed into a pure white cat — complete with miniature black mask and peaked hat. The role is played by the family pet with superb and feline aplomb. The Magic City is a rewarding adventure into the difficult realm of motion picture fantasy." Movie Makers, Dec. 1948, 495.
"Any husband who has ever cast a wandering eye in the direction of a neighboring redhead should appreciate the husband and wife shenanigans related in The Wolf's Tale, by George A. Valentine. In addition to its redhead, and further complications, Mr. Valentine's film has the great merit of brevity, though it includes several travel shots and a little family background as well as its smoothly told story. Basically, however, the moral of The Wolf's Tale is: Leave redheads alone." Movie Makers, Dec. 1948, 495.
"When a preaching film turns out to be entertaining, the advice it offers is more likely to be remembered and heeded. In Time To Consider, a film that advocates bicycle safety, the Fourfold Film Society dramatized its subject with delightful imagination and refreshing use of the black and white medium. A pompous gentleman, after being splashed by a bus on the way to his club, vents his ire by "writing to the Times." A messenger takes the envelope, which is addressed simply Time," and starts off on his bicycle, only to be run over in traffic. The film then switches to fantasy, as the messenger, dressed now in white livery, delivers the letter to Father Time's heavenly establishment. Father Time, peering at a celestial television screen, observes the various traffic mistakes that mortals make and, between sequences showing unwise behavior, he dictates the rules of proper procedure. The production's few scenes of uneven exposure are more than made up for by its rich imagination, excellent cutting and refreshing camera treatment." Movie Makers, Dec. 1948, 495-496.
"Two Dudes In Montana, by Lester F. Shaal, is an engaging and altogether competent record of a dude ranch vacation. In it, two attractive Eastern youngsters are seen adapting themselves with enthusiasm to the strange and stimulating adventures of Western ranch life. Developing his theme deliberately and in carefully integrated continuity, Mr. Shaal shows his tenderfeet taking to the saddle for safaris which progress from an afternoon's outing to full scale pack trips into the high mountains. The producer brings to this subject matter a fine technical skill with movie tools which has long been his. New and rewarding in his present work is an evolving eye for the appeal of human interest." Movie Makers, Dec. 1948, 496.
"Out of his own experience and happy recollections, Sidney Moritz presents in telling terms a warm and affectionate recounting of the marriage and honeymoon. A bright sun filtering through the stained glass of the church lights the solemn exchange of vows amidst swelling organ tones. The scene dissolves to preparations for the honeymoon, the contentment of a pastoral setting, the first months of life together, the small details that contribute to gracious living, and finally a fond recalling of the beginnings — the stained glass and sunlight, two people in love, the music and the prayer. A sympathetic scoring complements this sincere and moving record film." Movie Makers, Dec. 1948, 496.
"Young Fella is a teaching film; it is also a family film. Again Walter Bergmann presents his charming household and shows the devotion of its members for pets. This time it is a young cocker spaniel that is the star. Subtitles on the proper care of dogs point up the scenes which demonstrate the advice given, as to feeding, bathing, playing and proper use of a run. Young Fella is an appealing pup and a willing actor, but the Bergmann cats steal some of the scenes in typical fashion." Movie Makers, Dec. 1948, 496.
"For years a master movie maker amid the narrow confines of musical comedy and ice show filming, Oscar H. Horovitz has now turned his camera on the less exact yet more exacting problems of the human record picture. Guatemala gives promise of equal accomplishment in this broader field of filming endeavor. The country is colorful and quixotic, its people both gay and grave. Mr. Horovitz records them with straightforward yet stimulating camera skill. Evocative title wordings, tastefully double exposed on a background of native fabric, enhance the pictorial continuity. Marimba music, much of it recorded in Guatemala, rounds out this pleasing presentation. " Movie Makers, Dec. 1948, 493.
"Life at the Pribilof Islands fur seal colony on the Bering Sea." (BC Archives)
May include some footage shot on St. Paul Island in 1946 and provided to Dr. Carl by the Fouke Fur Co., St. Louis.
Total Pages: 299
Amateur Cinema