Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1949)

454 "Harmony of the Bees" by C. H. Bacon, ACL "Her Heart's Desire" by Othon Goetz, ACL 'One Dinar More' by J. N. Unwalla theme, and lack of musical accompaniment makes them a bit pointless. But Escape survives as a fresh and moving treatment of a very old subject. JONES BEACH: By a facile blending of warm hearted humor and a keen perception of human interest values, George Mesaros has created a film study of a famous beach in New York's metropolitan area that is replete with interest, information and entertainment. His technical skill and knowledge of what makes a motion picture move prevent this from being the dull collection of ramdom shots all too frequently characteristic of this genre subject. Employing himself as a frenzied and frustrated shutterbug and a filming friend as plain Joe Doakes at the beach with his wife, a lunch and box camera, Mr. Mesaros proceeds to examine with interest and obvious affection the thousand and one attractions of the Long Island resort. An excellent musical score and a brief commentary help to integrate the compact 700 feet of the film's lively length. MENEMSHA: 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. MEXICAN MALARKEY: It takes Cal Duncan 1300 feet of 16mm. color film to tell a pair of politely uninterested guests how he caught a sailfish off Acapulco — but the effort, as exemplified in Mexican Malarkey, is decidedly worth it. Mr. Duncan's running gag, climaxed by a truly comic finish right out of the funny papers, is the flashback technique developed to a high and satisfying order. His Mexican footage itself is no less effective. The robust and hearty producer has an artist's eye for fresh viewpoints, a dramatist's instinct for revealing action. His sequence on Mexico's traditional Sunday bullfight, always a difficult assignment, is outstanding. Mexican Malarkey is a refreshing variation on an increasing wellworn theme. STORM DUE: Although there is no actual violence portrayed in this psychological thriller, Storm Due — in which a young wife discovers her husband to be a murderer — is instinct with mounting tension and terror. Francis J. Barrett's film is a potent combination of several related elements. Wedded almost as one are dramatic, hard-hitting camera angles and the visual stimulus of brilliant, low-key lighting. Acting of theatrical calibre by the young wife is accented by an off-stage voice which underlines her fears — a technique that suggests a loan from the best in modern radio. A taut continuity only hints at the story line as it hurries through this exciting evocation of violence. "Proem" by L. W. Tregillus, ACL, and R. W. Luce, jr. "Recreation Handmade" by Westchester Workshop "Sail Fishing" by Al Schmidt, ACL