"doc. didattico"/educational documentary
"As an openly avowed disciple of Herman Bartel, one of the old masters of nature filming, Martin E. Drayson has been an ably and imaginative pupil. Seldom have individual scenes of such delicate beauty as his poured across the screen of personal movies. Interlude in Sunlight, like Mr. Bartel's work in Awakening or Pathetique, is essentially an effort to interpret, in cinematic imagery, compositions of music. As such, it is divided into three sections or movements, comprised pictorially of bees, flowing water and flowers. The musical scores which these interpret are Paganini's Moto Perpetuo, Massenet's Meditation from Thais, and Johann Strauss's Wiener Blut waltzes. Preceding these pieces (during the lead title assembly) and between the several sections, Mr. Drayson has elected the use of complete silence." Movie Makers, Dec. 1945, 496.
"Members of the Preston Family on holiday in the Lake District. The film includes various landscape shots of Lake Windermere and the boating activities that take place around the pier and lakeside. Concludes with footage of farm workers stacking hay on to a horse-drawn cart; farm animals grazing in the fields and a man and woman playing with some puppies in a garden." (NWFA Online Database)
"Lake Mohawk, Preferred, made by Leo J. Heffernan, is a picture of the attractions, residences, entertainments, dog shows, yachting regattas and water sports of Lake Mohawk in New Jersey. But Lake Mohawk, Preferred is also a film with a continuity idea utterly new to amateur movies, for the not unusual subject matter of the picture is held together with a "screwball" theme and "gags" that keep you wondering what is going to happen next and entertained in the meantime. A handsome couple have a movie camera. "Concentrate to make good movies," says their instruction book. This they do in a very pleasant way (see the frame enlargement on page 577), and the results are surprising. Their mental efforts transport them and the camera bodily about the lake, at just the right time and place to film whatever is going on. They have some astonishing experiences, too. Sometimes they can't seem to materialize, and they pick up odd characters in their voyages through ether. But their method works and they get beautiful and lively sequences of life at Lake Mohawk." Movie Maker, Dec. 1940, 603.
"The saltwater lido at Grange-over-Sands, overlooking Morecambe Bay, is a pleasant place to pass the time, even for non-swimmers, in this short film shot in the pool's early days. Plenty of people do take to the water, though, swimming and splashing in the sunshine and fresh air, in keeping with the 1930s vogue for health and fitness. The lido's design is very 1930s too, showcasing Art Deco style." (BFI Player)
Luci di Parigi: da mattina a sera ed a notte = Lights of Paris: from morning to evening and at night.
"doc. a fantasia"/avant-garde documentary
"documentario sull'attività marinara del giovani d'Italia prima del loro ingresso nei collegi e Accademie navali"
"documentary on the marine activity of the youth of Italy before their entry into the Naval Colleges and Academies"
—I Littoriali del cinema: Un’altra interessante serie di documentari,” La Stampa, September 3, 1939
"Unity of theme is the striking characteristic of Jose M. Pavon's Menemsha — and its Achilles heel as well. The producer, in a series of beautifully composed scenes that seem to ebb and flow with the surging rhythm of the sea, has extracted the essence of a small fishing town on the coast of Martha's Vineyard. For almost its entire length, the film emphasizes the salt and the sea and the strange, lovely things of the ocean littoral with a feeling that Mr. Pavon accents brilliantly in double exposures of the shimmering sea water sweeping over even the deserted wharves. Unfortunately, Menemsha's unity breaks down a little as Mr. Pavon's camera roams too far afield and brings in elements that suggest fresh water and inland life rather than his original theme. A little cutting would tighten up a film that, technically and artistically, is a delicate and creative delight." Movie Makers, Dec. 1949, 454.
"Made by F. D. Koehler, jr., ACL, The Mississauga Canoe Trip is a fine example of what the movie maker can accomplish on a hunting trip in capturing a picture that has both good photography and an interesting story presentation. The fact that a tripod was added to the duffel did not daunt this cinematic hunter, and the result is refreshingly rock steady pictures that leave nothing to be desired. Perfect exposure, for the most part, and some excellent lighting show that the maker had an eye for the essentials of good picture making. A knowledge of what makes a good screen picture is demonstrated in the many effective closeups throughout the film. An excellent job of amateur titling is another feature that places this film in a high category for vacation films." Movie Makers, Dec. 1934, 534.
Total Pages: 10
Amateur Cinema