Home Movies (Jan-Dec 1940)

Genisis, 75 feet 8mm, by Harry A. Downard, Jr., Sacramento, Calif. Heart Trouble, 400 feet 8mm, by Harold Witt, Santa Ana, Calif. HOME MOVIES FOR SEPTEMBER Staff of Life, 700 feet 8mm, by Jack L. Krapp, Cleveland, Ohio. Tally-Ho, 400 feet 16mm, by A. L. O. Rasch, Philadelphia, Pa. The Thirty-Miners, 200 feet 8mm, by A1 Morton, Salt Lake City, Utah. Whistling Wings, 350 feet 16mm, by W. H. Nor fj din, Austin, Minn. Achievement Awards For Photography : To Dr. R. E. Gerstenkorn, Beverly Hills, Calif., for his 400 foot 16mm picture, “The Cauldron.” For Editing: To A. O. Jensen, Seattle, Wash., for his 300 foot 8mm picture, “Driftwood.” For Titling: To Clarence A. Aldrich, Long Beach, Calif., for his 400 foot 16mm picture, “Susanna.” For Sound: To Dan Billman, Jr., Minneapolis, Minn., for his 1200 foot 16mm picture, “Black Cousins.” For Technical Achievement: To Edmund Turner, Detroit, Mich., for his 400 foot 16mm Animated Cartoon, “Peetie.” For Outstanding Club Achievement : To the Peoria Cinema Club, Inc. T HE Lloyd Bacon Trophy goes to a film that definitely establishes a new trend in amateur movie making — “Angels Are Made of Wood” — outstanding entry in the Scenario Class. It is a phantasy, delightful as it is unique. In planning this picture, Herman Bartel sought to tell a story through the medium of subtle pantomime. There are no descriptive titles. And none are needed. Clever camera angles, an abundance of closeups, and well-planned lighting concentrate attention in such a manner as to make the story as readily understandable as though filmed with sound. “Angels Are Made of Wood” is a story of a commercial artist, temporarily frustrated in an attempt to execute a rush order for advertising illustrations. After many efforts, inspiration fails him. He retires in disgust, seeking solace in a bottle of rum. • Below are pictured scenes from prize winning films in the Family Films Class: Left to right — "Christmas Capers," third award; "Checking Off the Budget," second award; and "Cat Tales," fourth award. It May Happen to You! 200 feet 8mm, by Wm. Wade, Los Angeles, Calif. Jello Again! 150 feet 16mm, by Carl Anderson, Los Angeles, Calif. Mexican Silhouette, 1000 feet 16mm, by Clement K. Chase, Tucson, Ariz. Miracle of Spring 200 feet 16mm, by Wm. F. Small, Newburgh, New York. Pioneer Daze, 575 feet 16mm, by John Phillips, Winnipeg, Canada. Rats In Spats, 800 feet 16mm, by Irven L. Spence, Los Angeles, Calif. Rubout of Dan McGreiv, 300 feet 8mm, by John W. Talbot, Huntington Park, Calif. Slab Happy, 400 feet 16mm, by Werner Henze, St. Louis, Mo. Snoiv White and the Seven Dwarfs, 150 ft. 8mm, by Albert Watts, Buffalo, New York. While he sleeps, “Dodo,” the wooden manikin on his desk suddenly comes to life. Summoning brushes, paper, and water-colors, which assemble mysteriously before him, “Dodo” completes the set of illustrations, then returns to a state of immobility on the desk. When the artist arises the next morning, he is as joyful as he is surprised upon finding the illustrations completed. Grateful, the artist rewards “Dodo” with a paternal hug, and a bottle of beer. The manikin sequence, of course, was done in stop-motion photography. But this is no ordinary effort in animation. It is probably the finest amateur accomplishment of its kind to come to attention thus far. Timing of each movement is perfect — nothing haphazard ; no jerky action — indicating that considerable study and calculation were devoted to its execution. And if there were any awards in this contest for acting achievement, one of them most certainly would go to Harry Etchell, cast as the artist