"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.
""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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"Timothy Lawler and family have produced another family picture, this time a day at the zoo. We are permitted to relive the pleasures and problems of providing for a lively group of children who seem too anxious to get into some sort of mischief. And they do. Those of us who have seen his earlier pictures will very much appreciate another visit with the family. We suddenly realize that the children are getting larger and others have moved in to refill the younger spots. A delightful family picture for all to enjoy." PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 32.
"A delightful bit of drama filmed by Kazuo Nakamura again illustrates that one does not have to travel far from his home to film a picture. This was filmed in Japan and one may assume that the maker had the cooperation of a local dramatic group. Mr. Nakamura has shown his skill and accomplishment in the finished product. It is a story within a story. The father tells his young son and daughter about the legend of the arrow which comes from nowhere to fall upon a roof. That home must sacrifice a daughter to some unknown person which in the story is a terrible old tiger. The animal, in the disguise of a man meets his fate at the hands of a god who disappears as mysteriously as he had appeared, while the villagers dance and celebrate their freedom. The children are now fast asleep. Although their native language is heard throughout, the story is easily followed. The costuming and acting are superb in their simplicity." PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 32.
"2 part edited travelogue film of the people and customs encountered in towns along the Amazon River in South America. Part one includes landscapes, a variety of housing from towns to shacks along the river, people selling goods, trapping and selling exotic animals, herding cattle, boating, and a religious ceremony." Chicago Film Archives.
Total Pages: 299
Amateur Cinema