"A bathing beauty parade in Florida, blessing the fishing fleet at Gloucester, a tomato throwing fight in — well, it doesn't matter. These are not, to be sure, true scoops in the journalistic sense of the term. But they do constitute what passes for news these days in the newsreels; and, under George Merz's competent camera treatment and incisive cutting, they most certainly make for good movies. Mr. Merz sustains audience interest throughout Movie News Scoops, working in a film form — the topical newsreel — which the amateur generally has found difficult." Movie Makers, Dec. 1951, 412.
A story of a man who dreams of a rogue lawn motor coming to wreak havoc in his house.
"Mr and Mrs Behrens are seen walking along a driveway, outside their family home. Includes footage of two young children and a toddler, kicking inflatable ball in the garden" (NWFA Online Database).
"Family members pose for photographs outside a house in Cockermouth; later they are seen running around in the garden. The photographer is seen discussing his camera. Shots of a ruined mill building after a fire." (NWFA Online Database)
"Mr. Motorboat's Last Stand, written and produced by John A. Flory, who was assisted in photography by Theodore Huff, ACL, carries the subtitle, A Comedy of the Depression. It has, however, nothing in common with the typical motion picture comedy but is, instead, one of the very few films made each year that represent an intelligent attempt at experimentation with the motion picture medium. It is a story of Mr. Motorboat, an unemployed negro, who lives as elegantly as circumstances will permit in an automobile dump and who sells carefully washed and polished apples on a street corner. The picture turns into fantasy as Mr. Motorboat appears to ride to work in the morning in one of the cars of the dump that stands motionless without its wheels. Then the fantasy becomes more complete when he makes a bit of money and uses it as bait with which to fish in Wall Street. This he does literally and actually and with marvelous results until the crash of 1929. Simultaneously with the explosion of the prosperity bubble, Mr. Motorboat's competitor smashes his apple stand and the picture ends in a magnificent chase sequence, Mr. Motorboat after the competitor. This picture is photographed superbly well, and the editing is as smooth as that of the professional studio product. It is filled with remarkable directorial touches and cinematic symbolism and, although it suffers to some extent from the haphazard admixture of fantasy and realism, it is decidedly the best experimental film of the year." Movie Makers, Dec. 1933, 522.
"Multiple Sidosis by Sidney N. Laverentz a PSA member of National City, California. Sid's title is a mind-boggler surpassed only by the unbelievable single frame multi-image exposures, all in synchronization, that is reminiscent of his winner of a few years ago, "One Man Band." This 10-minute 16mm film won for him a Ten Best medal and the Golden Microphone Award, the new title for the past Sound Award" PSA Journal, Nov. 1970, 38.
"Mungo Martin demonstrates the making of a Bee Mask. Tony Hunt models the mask and provides a short rendition of the Bee Mask Dance" (Duffy, 140).
This film is also known as Mungo Martin Makes a Mask.
"Muntre Streker, which (we are informed) means "Funny Lines" in a literal translation from the Norwegian, is a wholly delightful tid-bit of animated cartooning. In it, fat colored crayons — one dressed as a boy, the other as a girl — act out a simple story which is as gay in its good humor as the animation is flawless in its technique. Scarcely 100 feet in length, Muntre Streker is a bright and sparkling gem of film fantasy." Movie Makers, Dec. 1952, 339.
"Some may seek the life of the sea to get away from something. But in the world of this deaf-mute, a deckhand on a salvage tug, there is generated a desire for companionship. In this simple story there are touching events along with the carnival atmosphere. A fine presentation in which one may feel for the mute and share his moments of happiness" PSA Journal, Nov. 1959, 48.
Total Pages: 203
Amateur Cinema