"Puppets have gained favor and interest among amateur filmers and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kallenberg have done a right smart job with a table full of animals from the forest. The story opens with a monkey in a rocking char, reading his cook book. He turns the page to the recipe for ducks. This stimulates him to seek a duck, the capture of which creates quite an uproar among the animals. In the end, Mr. Monkey becomes aware of the error of his ways. This type of work is tedious and painstaking and these filmers have demonstrated their patience and skill in the movement of the many characters in telling a homey little story." PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 33.
"A two minute black and white cartoon built around the animated spelling of short words which are quickly converted into the subject of the spelling. There is an effective sound impulse with the rapidly changing characters. Stewart Wynn-Jones has done a short bit of clever cine-cartooning" PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 33.
"The Nugget, as one might expect, is a nugget of gold, produced by the Los Angeles 8mm Club. This type of picture offers the desirable opportunity to engage many of the club members for production purposes as well as parts in the story. There are the old miner, his niece, her boy friend (who is also the sheriff), the Marshal, and the outlaws. Much of the story was filmed in the Ghost Town at Knott's Berry Farm outside Los Angeles. The interiors were filmed in the garage after suitable props had been constructed. The music and spoken word contribute atmosphere and understanding. An excellent Western picture" PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 53.
"In a setting of props prepared for the purpose and with the aid of makeup, Albert Bahcall has filmed the Tell-Tale Heart, adapted from the story by Edgar Allen Poe. The "old man" with a strong heart also has a protruding eye that annoys the manservant to a point beyond restraint. There is an effective use of color, moving feet and hands, and closeup of faces to sharpen the impact of the story" PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 53.
"Kyle Holmes has also turned his camera toward the recording of Shifting Whispering Sands and has used scenes of the desert country to blend with the old desert character. This film is less critical in the use of scenes, leaving to the imagination the privilege of filling in some of the details. It is most unusual that two almost identical films are entered in the same contest. It happened here and the two films were rated as almost equal" PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 53.
"Winged Hickory on the high snow-covered slopes in the area of Aspen, Colorado (not far from Denver) is a nostalgic piece of winter ski sports by Theodore H. Sarchin. Aspen is a famous old, deserted silver mining town that has been rejuvenated by ski enthusiasts taking advantage of the excellent slopes and weather conditions. The ski lift is the longest in the world. It requires 40 minutes to ride its full length, in two sections, to an elevation of 11,300 feet. There are beginner and novice trails and challenging slopes for the experienced skier. There are vistas of the towering snow-covered mountains as well as activities in camp. During one of the Gala Days, Mr. Sarchin photographed some unusually expert skiers, such as one on tall stilts, and four men on two long skis, sort of like four men on a horse. The beauty and grace of the skiers, speeding along with the snow feathering out behind, make the rugged beauty of the terrain an outstanding picture. The background music is well chosen and Mr. Sarchin's narration is adequate" PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 53.
"Antonio Cernuda has created a pictorial mood, a feeling of being there, and a desire to live it again. His choice of music has contributed a great deal to this delightful picture. It begins in the early fall and we move quickly to the gathering of apples, processing, and the bottling of cider. There are celebrations of the gathering of the harvest, girls and boys in native Spanish dress, with the frolic of the occasion and the solemnity of the religious spirit. The first snow of winter, as the leaves are about gone, and on into the heavier snows and ice of winder as the people go about their daily travels—afoot, by horse-drawn vehicle, and train. The transition to spring is so skillfully set forth with the melting snow and turbulent streams that we are hardly aware of the passing of winter. Soon there is a burst of spring everywhere and then summer with its crops, vacation activities, boating, fishing, tug-of-war, and outdoor Mass. The picture opens and closes with artistic views of the mountainous country. We might think of this as the four seasons. Asturias, with its deep canyons and mountains, with scars of its heroic history, that have the darkness of coal in its womb, the whiteness of snow on its head, and the pink of apple blossoms on its body. Asturias lets her men go out into the world with the certainty that the homesickness for her beauty will always make them return." PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 31.
'Scenes of Frinton covered in snow and ice. A man plays with a dog and people dig paths through the snow. People attempt to walk through the snow; some out to enjoy themselves, others seeking to carry out a normal routine of shopping and other daily business. A man tries to unlock his frozen car. In the town centre there is a shop with a 'sale' sign in the window. The area is practically deserted. Hammonds' filling station is covered in snow and deserted. A lorry attempts to drive through the snow, but is having to rely on a push. One vehicle that does manage to take to the road is a Land Rover. Finally, a snow-covered St. Mary's Church and frozen power cables brought down by the severe conditions' (EAFA).
"In a color chucklelogue Midgley will show spectacular pictures of Colorado today and give a nostalgic look into Colorado's colorful past. . . . The film features Denver, Pikes Peak, the Garden of the Gods, the Royal Gorge, Estes Park, ascent of Longs Peak, Trail Ridge Road, skiing at Aspen, and pictures of ghost towns and horseless carriages. Some of these pictures, filmed in excellent color years ago during the last days of the Narrow Gaugers, could never be replaced." The Clock Tower, Oct. 17, 1969, 1.
"A compilation film documenting the many Augustas--streets, storefronts and cities from Montana to Maine--that Scott Nixon encountered as a traveling salesman based in Augusta, GA." Moving Image Research Collection, University of South Carolina
Total Pages: 299
Amateur Cinema