"Marshland takes us into the Canadian (Alberta) breeding grounds of a large variety of waterfowl. There are many close-ups of ducks, geese and a variety of other birds which nest near the water. We see men fishing with bow and arrow. Air propeller boats are useful in shallow marshland with these one may follow the ducks as they fun ahead of us on the surface of the water, using both feet and wings. With the boat we can get to the nests for closeups. As the fall and hunting season arrives our cameraman flies north to intercept some of the birds as they come in to the feeding grounds along the flyway, where we may see impressive flight formations of ducks unlimited. Russell Jameson wrote and narrated the story of this picture and has recorded fitting background music and sound effects." PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 32.
"An English satire on army life at an outpost, by the Grasshopper Group, is a clever bit of cartoon work in color. There are soldiers and officers to line them up for drill and a mischievous little girl to upset the decorum. The enemy has charged, the battle is on, with the silly antics of a comic. Finally, the enemy is defeated and rolled up in a caricature polo fashion. A delightful cartoon, interesting and entertaining." PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 32.
"Spring comes for John W. Ruddell and nature unfolds its little power plants of color and our cameraman has captured these beauties for us. The seed catalog heralds the coming of spring. The housewife busies herself with the new, pretty pages of flower pictures and goes into a bit of slumber. Then followed the results of a tremendous effort in filming single frame, time lapse growth of seeds, plants, trees, and flowers. This is not just another effort to make time lapse photography. The picture is sprinkled with unusual and amusing photographs of plant life and flowers, leaves grasses, carefully timed to the music. The choice and use of music in this picture does a great deal to enhance its effectiveness. A beautiful and delightful prelude to spring." PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 32.
Prelude to Spring stands as the Canadian Film Awards' de facto Film of the Year for 1957 after the judges did not select a winner in the professional category.
"There will always be those who seek gold. Eugene McIlwain has filmed the story of one who did find gold. It was real gold, more than he could handle. The setting is in a desolate desert are where one may expect to suffer privation. At times there may be the risk of one's life from the very desert from which he strives to conquer and extract its riches. The hardships of such a venture are told with engaging interest in Fool's Gold. The story if paced with background music and narration." PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 32.
""The Derelict" by Robert Board is a smooth scenario depicting one chapter in the life of a derelict. As the title might imply, the setting is near the railroad and the low economic area. As one may expect, the derelict is hungry and alone. We are made to realize the emotional impact of this situation and the kindheartedness of others who cross his path. there are girls to whet his interest and others who are more considerate and helpful. His one effort to seek work fails and he returns to the rails." PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 32.
"O.L. Tapp has coupled opportunity and imagination in putting motion pictures to the recording "Shifting Whispering Sands." Finding the right kind of material to photograph must have entailed a great deal of planning and searching. Every scene is a work of art. As one watches the scenes unfold to the music and song he feels compelled to sit in contemplation of the lonesomeness of the great desert." PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 33.
"Al Morton's "Wild Water and Bouncing Boats" takes us through Desolation and Gray Canyons on the Green River which flows into the great Colorado River. The Green River starts in northern Utah and joins the Colorado south of Arches Monument in Utah. The picture takes us down the Colorado as far as the Hoover Dam. The country abounds in desert and canyon scenery—to say it is spectacular is a display of modesty. There are canoes and other hand-powered craft on the turbulent rapids with upsets and the struggle to gain an island rock and the shore. There are craft equipped with outboard motors to drive it through turbulent waters and rapids. This film is packed with thrills for those who like rough water" PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 33.
"James Watson has made a neat family picture which should be in constant demand by his son and his friends. Mother and son walk in the woods prepared to have a picnic lunch. The story is introduced with Walt Disney's Peter Pan. After reading the book, Mother takes a snooze and Sonny goes for a walk. He comes upon Peter Pan with his flute, the Good Fairy, and a bewitched woman, in the woods. Meantime, his Mother is searching for him. After they join and walk together we again meet these persons in their normal atmosphere and then realize Sonny had supplied the imagination to cloak them as characters in the story-book" PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 33.
"From the shore of Lake Superior, H. E. Jameson gathered many small stones (agates) which he cuts, grinds, and polishes into pins, bracelets, rings, necklaces, and car decorations. We are permitted to see some of the details of this operation and an interesting variety of finished products. This bit of work by lapidary should appeal to everyone" PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 33.
"A breaker of water is collected from a stream and one drop of this little world is placed under a microscope. Looking for a particular micro-organism is like searching for a person in a large city, yet these little animals seem to be unlimited. In this micro world there are many forms of existence, these may resemble bugs or flowers. Gene Arneson has done more than merely to photograph these tiny creatures. He narrates the story to tell us about some of the unusual activities, their methods of propulsion, and to describe a fight in this drop of water. He gives us the feeling of having seen a scenario type of picture" PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 33.
Total Pages: 299
Amateur Cinema