Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1953)

314 CloseupS— What filmers are doing Traditionally, in December, the keeper of this bulletin board posts there the names of many fine filmers whose work, for one reason or another, did not quite progress — or having progressed, did not stay — within the charmed circle of Ten Best contest honors. Thus, with a new box of chalk and a clean slate before us, we turn therefore to that pleasant task. The family, that bigger-than-all-other reasons for buying a movie camera. is again the wellspring for a number of attractive efforts. Two producers tied in the hearthside with the holidays. James L. Watson, ACL, of Worcester. Mass., in The Twelve Days of Christmas, George N. Bates, ACL, of Grand Rapids, in Cookies for Santa. Lee Payne, ACL, of Pasadena, on the other hand, turned to the familiar "dream" continuity in diagnosing The Stomach Ache, a brief tale of a small boy and too much candy. The dream sequence also served the Reverend Charles E. Found, ACL, of Bristol, Wise, in setting forth the little known (to us, at least) operations involved in the large-scale propagation of mice. His title was Of Mice and Men and Little Boys, with an obvious assist by Robert Burns. In Portrait of Alice, by Lester F. Shaal, ACL, of Providence, a single young lady carries the family film load, as her father records the progress of a portrait painting. In Blue Jeans, Howard F. Ordman, of New York City, assigned the singleton role to his threeyear-old son, who discharged it engagingly. With Hidden Adventure, however, Raymond J. Berger, ACL, of Snyder, N. Y., was able to work in three winsome young winners, one of them inattentively baby-sitting, while the other two bicycle off for a sneak preview of nearby Niagara Falls. Then, there is of course always travel. Dr. S. H. Nighswander, ACL, of Davenport, Iowa, with an unabashed identification both of his camera and his countryside, called his 2000 foot epic Bolex Goes to Wyoming. John Ornellas jr., ACL, of Oakland. Calif., was almost equally explicit in his Springtime in Central California, while John W. Eichmann, ACL, of San Antonio, Texas, reported from Florida on The Unconquered Seminole. From his home in West Hartford, Conn., Warren A. Levett, ACL, turned southward to film Fiesta in Mexico, with Jack V. Moran, ACL, turning north toward Alaska to record his Northern Panorama. Both of these latter studies were accompanied with magnetic sound on film. The photoplay — or what passes for it in amateur film circles — commanded the cameras of not a few producers. And, to our inveterate delight, most often with meller-dramas. In Amsterdam, N. Y., a group of teen-aged "G men" rallied around Frank Constantino to produce The House at Fifty-Two, a rousingly realistic tale of international spies, purloined A bombs and the ultimate obliteration of New York City. In Martinsville, Ind., another young group, this time a Boy Scout troup, spun an equally exciting adventure yarn in Wilderness Trail; but they chose to turn back their cinematic clock to the wresting of the West from the inhospitable and inconsiderate Indians. Robert H. Young was the man behind the Auricon sound camera which recorded an excellent optical audio accompaniment. Harry W. Atwood, ACL, normally of Ajo, Ariz., and well known to the camera cognoscenti for his western adventure sagas, this time selected Alaska for his setting (with an assist from the United States Army). His one-player "plot" was To Build a Fire, based on the story by Jack London. George A. Valentine, of Glenbrook, Conn., also no tyro at the tall tale, turned up with Living Dust, a grisly melange of murder and mystery. Others, however, managed to look at life with a lighter touch. John J. Lloyd, ACL, of Long Beach, Calif., whipped together Lost Weekend, one of those husband-and-wife hassles which, in passing, owes no assistance to author Charles Jackson. The Movie Makers Club. ACL, of Oklahoma City turned also to domestic didos in The Schemer. Leonard W. Tregillus, FACL. however, found fun in the frustrations which beset photographers (both old and new ) , setting the Mack Sennett action of his Flash Back against the background of Eastman House, in Rochester, N. Y. DECEMBER 1953 The world around us is always of interest to many movie makers, whether it be man-made or nature's handiwork. Giving their allegiance to the latter, both Herbert D. Shumway, AACL, of Greenfield, Mass., and A. Theo Roth, ACL, of San Francisco, signed in with bird studies. Without Price, the Shumway survey, took place out of doors; Exotic Birds in our House, the Roth report, quite obviously did not. Turning their attention toward man's many activities, Neil 0. McKim, of Carlsbad, N. M., documented in detail the mining and refining of potash in Up From the Bed of a Desert Sea. Herman E. Dow, ACL, of Bristol, Conn., chose a less concentrated but more varied subject in Eastern States Exposition, while Leonard Bauer jr., ACL, of Oreland, Pa., reported solely on sulky racing in his Corn Tassle Derby. Carrying forward the concern of many filmers with social welfare. Martin B. Manovill, ACL, of St. Louis, turned in an 1800 foot magnetic sound training film for the instruction of Community Chest solicitors. George Merz, FACL, was equally civic minded in his report from Hollywood, Fla., on The Youth in our Community, Our judges, always seeking to see trends (where probably there exists only coincidence), took note this year of a seemingly new number of animated amateur movies. Paul A. Brundage, ACL, of San Francisco, turned to two china canines in his evocation of the popular ballad Will Ya Be My Darlin'? William F. Hanks, ACL, of Lufkin, Texas, used the more conventional animated drawings in The Land of the Whispering Pines, a refreshing variat'on on the civic chauvanism theme, while Albert Feinauer, of Providence, let nature animate his Flower Serenade, but filmed the results in time lapse photography. Could these — and the award winning Candy Capers by Roy Fulmer, ACL. and The Deserted Mill by Irwin Lapointe, ACL — stem from the staggering succes? last year of that 100 foot gem. Muntre Streker?