"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.
"If you are engaged in any phase of little theatre work, Prelude to Performance is certainly your picture. However, even if you are not engaged in any phase of little theatre work, Prelude to Performance is also your picture. That fact of universal appeal is the true measure of this movie's success. Made by John W. Jones with the cooperation of the London Little Theatre, in Ontario, Canada, the primary purpose of this picture was to outline (and, if possible, teach) the basic steps of putting a play together. This it most certainly does, from the inception of the idea down to the rise of the opening night curtain. But in the process — through a sound sense of cinematic treatment and smoothly integrated subtitles — the picture maintains a lively and appealing interest for all." Movie Makers, Dec. 1951, 412.
"W. J. Seeman's offering, 'Prairie Schooner,' which was also dotted with effective wipes and fades, but in addition was tinted and toned. This also employed his youngsters in a very interesting and well photographed story." American Cinematographer, Dec. 1933, 342.
"Bituminous coal is the major actor in The Power Behind the Nation. This sound on film color movie, made by Waldo E. Austin for the Norfolk and Western Railway Company, shows effectively the tremendous part played by soft coal in the development of the nation. The picture is well filmed and thoroughly integrated by an excellent narrative, while lead and end titles are appropriately double exposed on shots of moving trains, which serve to drive home the point that the railroad is the important link between the mine and the consumer. Exceedingly fine sequences of coal mining and well handled shots of the railroad equipment are high points. This film is a fine example of an industrial motion picture produced without the excessive equipment and appropriations sometimes thought to be necessary for such an effort. " Movie Makers, Dec. 1940, 604.
"Pouring A 200 Inch Telescope Mirror, by Edmund H. Wellech, ACL, is a glorified industrial but greatly worthy as a clear record of one of civilization's milestones. Mr. Wellech's film, in addition to being an important scientific document, is, besides, a truly excellent cinematic achievement, for it makes an involved subject entirely understandable. The accomplishment of the single task of determining the correct exposure for scenes of molten glass against a dead black background is in itself a feat that would make the film outstanding. But, beside this, there are carefully worked out cinematic exposition and an approach to perfection in every aspect. As an engineer working at night for the Corning Glass Company, Mr. Wellech devoted his spare daytime hours to making this noteworthy film." Movie Makers, Dec. 1934, 546-547.
A Mysterious short film surrounding a building company's bid for a contract to build a town hall.
"The Devon Amateur Film Production Society seems to be still forging ahead at a rapid rate. Its present production is a three reeler entitled “Pott’s Pride,” and it is anticipated that it will be cut and edited by the middle of April. All the “props,” scenery and reflectors have been made by members and though the developing and printing have been put out, the photographic section of the society has undertaken the tinting and toning of the print where necessary. It is hoped that every kinema in Devon will show the picture, the proceeds of which will be devoted to local charities. The film is being directed by Tom H. Hattershall and photographed by A. B. Sydenham, B.Sc." (Anon 1928, 62).
"Item is a double feature production of a trip Dr. Willinsky took to Portugal and Morocco with his wife, Sadie. In the form of a travelogue, footage of landmarks, landscapes, vegetation, historic sites and the local population is interspersed with maps and captions that were added in by Dr. Willinsky to provide context. Featured cities include Lisbon, Tangier, Casablanca and Villa Daressada. Sadie is occassionally spotted sight-seeing, interacting with locals and purchasing wares from street vendors." Ontario Jewish Archives.
"The mind and heart of Lydia are portrayed symbolically in smooth-flowing, single-framed drawings in this psychological study of a woman. A different film for the devotee of the experimental approach to motion pictures" PSA Journal, Oct. 1963, 42.
Total Pages: 299
Amateur Cinema