This film was produced at some time in the 1950s.
"'Moods of Nature' by Paul Brunford, recently won a prize in the Institute of Amateur Cinematographers' contest in England. Not only does Brunford show a fine sense of rhythm, but a keen eye for composition and a splendid sense of cutting and dramatic values in nature. This picture merely deals with a storm arising and then subsiding. Brunford uses both water and earth to show this. The smashing waves, bending trees and waving wheatfields combine to create his drama. His photography however, is something for which he is to be especially congratulated." American Cinematographer, Jan. 1936, 24.
"Making maple syrup in the Amish sections around Cleveland, Ohio. An owl and a raccoon symbolize nature and tie together the four seasons. The details of syrup making are integrated with life in the country throughout the year, especially the wildlife. Bird calls are synchronized." PSA Journal, Nov. 1956, 22.
"Un-staged documentary footage shot and edited by Sallie Wagner. Sallie's description of the film: 'Wide Ruins and area, farming Navajos, Black Rock - Medicine Man, Cut Hair plowing, Joe Toddy following Cut Hair, planting, Patsy Martin standing on Cultivator, Jim House's wife husking corn, Paul Jones helping husk corn, sheep dipping at Ganado, Dwight Wagner viewing sheep dipping, wool shearing at Wide Ruins, loading sheep at Chambers, tall man in tan outfit Bill Cousins, Bent Knee sitting on fence, Crip Chee's grandson in closing scene'." New Mexico States Archives.
"Hamilton H. Jones has again shown his marvelous ability to combine beautiful movies and fine music on the double turntable into a cinematic whole that, in New England Autumn, carries an audience through the calm delight of fall days to a climax that has great dignity and spiritual stimulation. We see autumn in its most restful and wistful mood, and the action is slowly paced in harmony with the dying year. There is leisurely strolling in the many hued woods. The leaves on the ground are scuffed through and gently scattered. We see the things that we all like to do in the forests in autumn. Finally, in an arresting sequence of autumn fruits — great, gleaming pumpkins and ruddy apples — the music turns to the inspiriting old Dutch hymn of thanksgiving. Rising first orchestrally and then voiced by a thousand singers, the chorus ends as our eyes are lifted to the simple spire of a New England church. Here is suavity, here is intelligent movie making and here are dignity and spiritual uplift." Movie Makers, Dec. 1947, 534.
"Lester F. Shaal demonstrates, in New England Frames, what editing of existing footage can achieve. He has compiled from scenes of numerous sections of the Northeast a record of the year's seasons. Although the opening sequence of a train departing in a snowstorm seems to presage a more dramatic theme than that which follows, Mr. Shaal has captured the flavor of the New England countryside in all its seasonal beauty. Particularly competent in the winter sequence are the smooth follow shots of skiers. A little streamlining in the overall coverage would not have impaired the attractions of even this land of the early settlers." Movie Makers, Dec. 1950, 468.
"L. Clyde Anderson was given an award for Color photography, for 'October By-Ways.' We want to congratulate Mr. Anderson for his selection of colors. It is one of the very first amateur pictures we have seen where color was really properly balanced. There were no harsh notes to distract, but he chose scenes where the ensemble blended and where there was a fine eye-resting blance of color and also color composition. It was obvious that Anderson used haze filters on his outside scenes as the sky does not have that postcard-blue effect, but has been reduced to almost a gray haze which helps the fall colors in the trees and does not take the eye away from the main points of interest." American Cinematographer, Jan. 1937, 37.
"Sunlight and morning noises, the rich, sweet smell of clover, the hot grain fields at midday and windmills drawing water from the deep earth — these are part of the common life of an Ohio farm that two young girls, Marjean and Mary Elizabeth Headapohl, have put into their film, On the Farm. It is a record as American in feeling as Walderts Pond, even though unconsciously so. Innumerable closeups show the generousness of the earth in Ohio, whether in flowers around the house or in the grain and vegetables of the fields. Day after day, the imponderable clouds drift by. Peas are shelled for dinner; the cows are brought in from the pasture by the collie dog; the farm hands return to the barn after a day of harvesting wheat. There is little more shown, in substance, and presently the film ends. But it leaves one with a conviction that this simple way of life in America cannot easily be changed, and that, as long as people of good hearts make records such as this, we cannot wholly forget that the Republic was founded on the plough." Movie Maker, Dec. 1940, 603-604.
"Herman Bartei has, in Pathetique, made another contribution in the special field which he shares with Walt Disney and Leopold Stokowski — that of setting music to film. In this process, the music is the absolute, to which the footage must conform. While Disney achieves his conformity with drawings, Bartei uses actual cinematography of natural scenes. Mr. Bartel's absolute in this instance is the first movement of Tschaikowsky's Sixth — or Pathetique — Symphony, which is played from start to finish on double turntables, while the film sets forth what its maker feels is an interpretation in motion pictures of the music. The footage consists of autumn scenes, whose subject matter and tempo are varied to agree with the musical expression. The success or failure of this type of effort must depend upon the universality of the conviction of unity between musical and scenic episodes. Mr. Bartei reaches several high spots, notably one in which swirling crows against an angry sky are in very real harmony with the musical statement. Other scenes of autumn mist are very apposite to Tschaikowsky's phrases. The synthesis as a whole is both convincing and emotionally exciting." Movie Makers, Dec. 1943, 474.
"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.
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Amateur Cinema