"The term, "perfect," is not one to be given lightly, but The Ackley Lower Impression Technic, a dental study, earns such comment, because there is no other word that fits. Harry Coleman, the producer, here shows a complete mastery of the camera. The film, of greatest interest to dental technicians, carries brief, double exposed titles that make each progressive step thoroughly clear to those versed in the phraseology. The titles appear at the proper time, superimposed upon the scene but out of the field of action, thus serving as a visual commentary. To anybody who is interested in dental filming, this movie might well serve as a model of a technical film, for it features extreme closeups, work in areas of the mouth difficult to film and a lighting technique indicative of real study and much experience. The exposure, especially important in showing the slight variations of color in parts of the mouth, is unusually accurate. Rarely does one see so satisfying an accomplishment in films of this specialized type." Movie Makers, Dec. 1941, 564.
"The Workshop trains physically handicapped people over school age. Activities featured are the General Committee at work - ladies seated around a table; a medical inspection - boys are weighed and have their chests, throats and limbs examined; all stages of book - binding; dinner time in the kitchen and the canteen; recreation; table - tennis, cards, reading, sewing, bagatelle, etc; needlework and embroidery room - women sewing at a long table; more scenes in the bindery; men busy in a leather workshop; and finally (in colour) a display of finished goods, and groups of workers, outside in the yard." (NWFA Online Archive)
"Silent film set in a small African village. The King takes his young son, the Prince, on a journey to teach him lessons on how to be a great leader by showing appreciation and care for the people they rule. The King guides the Prince to help care for the ill suffering from leprosy, learn skills like farming the land, making clothing and building shelter, and enrolls him in school to get an education and learn religion. The film shows many skills and medical processes of African villagers in detail from start to finish." Chicago Film Archives
"When Ernest Kremer wanted to make a film which would include his family and, at the same time, be entertaining to outsiders, he devised An Anaesthetic Fantasy, an ingenious tale of the nightmare of a dental patient under laughing gas. The patient imagines that he returns home, and there things begin to happen that confound him and the audience, too. Clever trick work, dissolves and stop motion are used to create this section of the film. Mr. Kremer has proved that the 8mm. worker need not bow to his 16mm. brothers when it comes to producing cine illusions. The film was presented with a delightfully appropriate selection of musical records played on a dual turntable outfit." Movie Makers, Dec. 1940, 601-602.
"This proved to be an unusual serio-comedy, telling of a restless young husband and how he was cured. It was very well acted by Alfred Fontana as the husband, Margaret Ervin as the vamp, Anne Howe, and Beatrice Traendly as the wife. The directon of Russell T. Ervin Jr. was remarkably good, revealing an unusual facility for telling a story concisely and quickly. Then too, he understood how to cover any histrionic imperfections of his cast. 'And How!' is a suprisingly neat amateur film" Photoplay, June. 1928, 66
"A Hitchcock type film, the star's fear all being caused by an appointment with the dentist, but under the gas he dreams of meeting an attractive girl. But he wakes up just as it gets interesting." PSA Journal, Nov. 1956, 45.
"In As Ye Sow, Walter Bergmann has made a record of a Victory garden around the plot of the conscientious worker as contrasted to the indolent one. Mr. Shirker in his wishful thinking, through a dream sequence, takes the local prize for vegetables before the digging even begins. As the season progresses, Mr. Worker grows a fine garden, while his opponent achieves a harvest of weeds in spite of his bribes to helpers to produce his garden for him while he goes fishing. The players are well chosen and directed, and there is an amusing and well acted climax in which Mr. Shirker gets his inevitable just deserts." Movie Makers, Dec. 1944, 495.
"Excellent documentary of the care and treatment of (cerebral palsy) spastic children. The very thought of the subject may bring us sharply to the realization of our good fortune. The picture handles the subject with fine touches of human interest and may cause us to feel thankful that there are those who will devote their time and energies to this work. It must be tremendously rewarding to see the children learn to walk and do things under their own power and control. A truly enlightening picture" PSA Journal, Nov. 1959, 48.
"In order to acquaint medical students with actual mental types observed in basic years of study, Jon B. Goldsborough has made Clinical Types of Mental Deficiencies. The film is not planned as an exhaustive study of types, but rather as a way to direct attention to symptoms and expressions in mental cases by showing specific examples of the diseases studied. The picture proceeds in an intelligent, orderly fashion, by bringing each definite type to the screen preceded by a simplified case history and the name of the specific disease. The film is marked by precision, clarity and intelligent planning and editing. Mr. Goldsborough has accomplished admirably his purpose of making a direct teaching aid, to be used in conjunction with extended commentary and lecture in the field of psychology and psychiatry." Movie Makers, Dec. 1944, 495.
Total Pages: 8
Amateur Cinema