"Amateur filmmaker and cinema historian H.A.V. Bulleid presents a visual interpretation of the 'free verse' method employed by American poet Amy Lowell. With a title borrowed from a Lowell poem, and subtitled 'Here is a Dome of Many-Coloured Glasses' after her best known anthology, Bulleid brings the splendour and surreality of an English summer to life with beautiful colour cinematography. In the wind-swept sky, clouds pass quickly over the Boxhurst Estate, where pets lounge in the sun and family members take tea outdoors. Views of the garden in bloom, fruit ripening on vines and birds on the lawn is combined with brief vignettes of life on the estate. From the mundane to the surreal, a call for a glass of water ends with trick photography and stop-motion animation, and a young man shoots an unseen beast who quickly becomes pie filling" (EAFA Database).
"Victor E. Pye, using his family as the principal actors in a sincere and competent photoplay, brings us the flavor of family life in far away Australia. With a sure cinematic sense, he opens Inspiration with a moving dolly sequence which carries you into the house directly to the star of the film. With creditable economy of footage and compelling acting and directing, Mr. Pye tells a simple tale of a once crippled child returned to health through the inspiration of a famous figure skater — herself a former "polio" victim. There are also several scenes from which it becomes obvious that the movie maker has profited from viewing theatrical productions with his mind on his own filming. Suave and sensitive, Inspiration becomes moving and believable as the plot unfolds." Movie Makers, Dec. 1946, 488.
"With the help of four wild ducks and two cooks, Dan Billman, jr., has produced a gay film of contrasting culinary abilities. With understandable economy, he has allotted only one duck to the novice cook, while three are given to a jewel of the kitchen. The preparation of the birds in competent hands is a delight to watch, for the closeups of each step are examples of superb interior lighting. The abandon with which the beginner mixes the dressing and what happens to her stuffed duck in cooking are presented in ludicrous contrast. The Inside Story has as its climax an attractive sequence of serving the perfectly roasted birds at a family dinner. A light touch is added by gay titles and their accompanying sketches, while special mention must be made of the fine scene shot from outside the house at night, to reveal the warm interior of a pine paneled room through the black tracery of the casement window frames." Movie Makers, Dec. 1945, 494-495.
"No matter how one feels about the outside cover of a magazine, George E. Valentine's The Inside Story of the Outside Cover will be a surprise. If you think that the production of four color engraving plates is a simple matter, you will do some quick revising of your thinking. If you have a certain admiration for the technical skill that goes into such work, that admiration is likely to be heightened by Mr. Valentine's step by step story of the creation of a four color magazine cover. Aside from the story it tells, Mr. Valentine's film is a real technical achievement because of the working conditions under which most of the shots were of necessity filmed. His peak sequence — a proof-press run analyzed in slow motion — was achieved by mounting the camera directly on the moving press. When you can do that, you're good." Movie Makers, Dec. 1947, 539.
"Dr. William M. Harlow is professor of Wood Technology at the State University of New York, College of Forestry. His film records the unparalleled spectacle of live insects being trapped by the pitcher plant, the sundew and Venus flytrap. Expert close-up photography and effective time lapse sequences employing home made equipment includes material never before recorded on film. A top flight nature film with suspense and drama, carrying a powerful appeal to any audience." PSA Journal, Dec. 1955, 35.
"ASIDE from the honorable mentions already noted, another was given to Koji Tsukamoto,of Tokio, Japan, for his lovely 9 millimeter entry, "The Inland Sea of Japan." This contestant achieved some astonishing results with a difficult medium." Photoplay, Nov. 1929, 86
"Film footage moderately edited with added intertitles, shot in Ceylon, Egypt, and Italy by oil explorer and geologist Walter Link during his personal vacation, records various tourist destinations. Landmarks include: the beach and harbor at Colombo, Sri Lanka (Ceylon); the Sphinx, pyramids, Mosque of Mohamed Ali and Egyptian Museum in and around Cairo, Egypt; Villa San Michele in Capri, Italy; and St. Peters and the Coliseum in Rome, Italy. Footage consists mainly of sights and structures, and features little interaction with local inhabitants," Human Studies Film Archives, Smithsonian Museum.
"An Indian brave keeps his ear to the ground in vain!" Oldfilm.org
Total Pages: 299
Amateur Cinema