Broken Glass (film #41 on National Archives). [Category: Public Service]
70s British PSA warning beachgoers not to litter the beach with bottles and broken glass by showing a boy running along the beach who almost steps on a broken bottle. This is simple and effective.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
The Andy Griffith Show #5 (film #5 on Side A of Disc #8 of TV Favorites DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2003)). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]
Fairly funny episode featuring Barney, a deputized Gomer, and some bank robbers the state police are housing in Mayberry’s jail temporarily. Barney is really a boob in this one, but it all turns out OK in the most unlikely way, true to the spirit of Mayberry.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Eisenhower Re-Elected (film #163 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: News]
50s newsreel reporting the reelection victory of President Eisenhower. Also included are stories on the Suez Canal crisis, an uprising in Hungary, a coal mine explosion in Nova Scotia, the birthday of the Statue of Liberty in New York, and football games in Los Angeles and Iowa. No surprises here, but this has historical value as a snapshot of the mid 50s.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Falling Hare (film #5 on Bugs & Daffy: The Wartime Cartoons (MGM/UA Home Video, 1989). Also, film #10 on 50 Cartoon Classics DVD. Also, film #7 on Film Chest Vintage Cartoons. Also, film #31 on Disc #3 of 150 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Mill Creek Entertainment, 2005)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
Another ubiquitous public-domain Warner's toon you've seen a million times. This is the one where Bugs is tormented by a gremlin at an air base and takes a wild ride in a plane with the little monster. We all remember how it ends: "Sorry, folks, we ran out of gas!", but can you think of a better ending for this kind of toon? Personally, I prefer seeing Bugs doing the tormenting, rather than being the victim, like in this toon. But he does pull the exact same gags on Yosemite Sam in a later cartoon.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.
Army Recruitment (film #31 on National Archives). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
This late-60s British army recruitment promo uses international travel as a selling point, a common military recruitment tactic. This makes the promo very ordinary, though it’s also very British.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
Farewell to Treasure Island (in the Ephemeral section of Open Video Project. Also, film #1820 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Industrial]
Short promotional film from 1940 trying to get people to visit the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco before it closes. This has lots of color footage of the fair’s architecture, giving it historical value. OK folks, I know the meaning of a certain word beginning with G has changed over the years, but I couldn’t help snickering at the huge pair of signs announcing the “Gay Way.” Otherwise, this is pretty ordinary, but it does have the usual futuristic fun of world’s fair propaganda.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
The Big Bad Wolf (film #20 on Disc #3 of TV Cartoon Classics DVD Boxed Set (Platinum Disc, 2005)). [Category: Hollywood]
Ordinary Castle Films cartoon in which Ub Iwerks combines the characters from several different nursery rhymes and fairy tales to make a standard good-guys-vs.-bad-guys toon. This is kind of cute, and it gets a bit weird when the pumpkin-headed scarecrow loses his head (literally) in battle and replaces it with a goat’s head. But mostly, this is ordinary.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Buster’s Dog to the Rescue (film #47 on Edison Film Archive). [Category: Early Film & TV]
Buster uses his dog to retrieve a tray of goodies from a high shelf. You didn’t think the word “rescue” referred to anything good, did you? A 1904 Edison film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
The Goal Rush (track #26 on The Cartoons That Time Forgot: The Ub Iwerks Collection, Vol. 2 DVD (Image Entertainment, 1999)). [Category: Hollywood]
Apparently, Flip the Frog played football during his college days (what, you mean you didn't know he went to college?). This leads to some standard football gags, but about halfway through they run out of those and then the real fun begins. The weirdest moment happens when Flip and the ball somehow end up on a nearby farm and the ball strikes up a relationship with a mama sow and starts nursing her like all the other little piglets! This one is unexpectedly inspired.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
The Andromeda Strain Trailer (extra on The Andromeda Strain DVD (Universal, 2003)). [Category: Commercial]
Fairly standard trailer for the late 60s science fiction film The Andromeda Strain. This does tell us that “no one will be seated during the last 10 minutes of the film,” which ups the camp value a little. But mostly this is pretty ordinary, though it does make the film look pretty good.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
The Cool Hot Rod (film #377 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]
Bill Bowers, a teen would-be hot-rodder, moves with his family to a new town that he thinks is full of “squares” who drive like “old ladies.” He is prepared to educate them in the ways of hot-rodding, which to him means driving like a maniac a la Dick York in Last Date, but he is actually the one who gets reeducated. The town has an organized hot-rod club that requires passing a driver education course, the car’s passing a rigorous safety inspection, six months of driving without getting a single ticket, and passing a “reliability test” as just some of its requirements for membership. Then you get to race your rod on the town’s dragstrip. Amazingly, Bill wants desperately to join this highly exclusive club and spends months taking driving lessons and working on his car in order to do it. As a result, he turns from a hood into a nice young man with an afterschool job at the gas station, which, of course, is the point. This film was sponsored by Hot Rod magazine, so it tries its level best to convince viewers that hot-rodding is a clean-cut, safe hobby. And it was made by Sid Davis, so that means Bill narrates the entire thing, including telling us what was said in all conversations rather than letting characters speak for themselves. This is a good example of a social guidance film that appears to be about a limited topic, but is really about turning teens from juvenile delinquents into nice young ladies and gentlemen. It does deserve credit, though, for showing girls as well as boys equally participating in the hobby, even to the point of working on their own cars and racing against male competitors, making it way ahead of its time in terms of gender roles.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Collective Adventure (film #3 in the Pre-State section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]
This film, made in 1939, shows a colony of Jews building an agricultural settlement in Palestine, erecting all the buildings in a single day. Not only is this a lot of hard work, but they must also be constantly on guard against attack from those who oppose Jewish settlement in Palestine. There is an additional sense of urgency from the fact that the Jews in Europe were beginning to experience the Holocaust at this time, and you know that these pioneers were some of the lucky ones who got out in time. It’s a fairly stirring story, though it’s a bit long, and drags a bit in the middle. Mostly, though, you end up being inspired by the courage and industry of these pioneering people. The film has lots of historical value as a document of Zionist pioneering in pre-state Israel.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: N/A. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ***.
A Long Journey in a Small Country (film #23 in the General section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Public Service]
Now this is different for the Spielberg Archive. A limited animated contributor to the Keren Hayesod organization tours Israel with the help of a limited animated guide to see how the money is being spent. The two of them are the only limited animated people on the trip and the contributor gets to see lots of the various ways new immigrants to Israel are being helped with Keren Hayesod funds. Eventually, he decides to make a large contribution to build a kindergarten, which qualifies him to get his name put on a plaque on the building. The first kindergarten made possible by a contribution from a limited animated cartoon character––now that I’d like to see!Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
The Andy Griffith Show #4 (film #4 on Side A of Disc #8 of TV Favorites DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2003)). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]
This episode gets somewhat annoying, as it features Barney trying to find Andy a wife, and he gets so controlling you want to scream after awhile. It does have some historical value for Mayberry fans, though, as it features the first appearance of Helen Crump and Andy’s decision to date her.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: **.
Eisenhower and Johnson on Medicare (film #1048 on Open Source Movies). [Category: News]
Narrated news footage documenting President Eisenhower’s and President Johnson’s attempts to pass Medicare legislation. Included is an excerpt from a speech Johnson gave on the subject. This has a bit of historical value, but it’s pretty ordinary.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
Berlin (film #89 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
Newsreel story about conditions in Berlin just as the Berlin wall was going up. This is fairly moving, with scenes of bricks being put into place, troops on both sides patrolling the streets, and families being split apart by the wall. Lots of historical value here.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: N/A. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
Far Speaking (in the Ephemeral section of Open Video Project. Also, film #500 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Industrial]
Charming Western Electric film about the history of long-distance telephone service up to 1935, and the technological innovations that made it possible. The film is framed by a silly scenes of a couple in 1877 who get their first telephone––the wife expresses skepticism that it will ever catch on––followed by an ending scene of the same couple, elderly in 1935, getting a call from their granddaughter in Japan (this time the wife insists that it was the husband who was originally skeptical). Between this are technical explanations of how long distance developed. These are kept lively by showing interesting graphics and animations of the devices involved, as well as a well-done down-through-the-years montage sequence. It all comes off as charming and fun, which seems to be typical of films made by the old Ma Bell.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
The Dream of a Rarebit Fiend (film #8 on Melies III: The Search for Munchausen (A-1 Video). Also, film #20 on The Movies Begin, Volume Three: Experimentation and Discovery (Kino Video, 1994). Also, film #2 on The Devil's Plaything disc of Unseen Cinema DVD Boxed Set (Image Entertainment, 2005)). [Category: Early Film & TV]
May I respectfully submit that cheese sauce is not this guy's problem––alcohol is, along with trick photography. His dream is one of the first filmed hallucinations, making this also one of the first anti-drug films. Enjoy the ride, kids, but just say no to cheese. A 1906 Edwin S. Porter film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Ben and Me (film #18 on Disc #1 of Disney Rarities DVD (Disney, 2005)). [Category: Hollywood]
Charming cartoon based on Bill Peet’s book about a mouse named Amos who supposedly gave Benjamin Franklin all of his best ideas. There’s no real surprises here, but this is a charming story, well adapted to the screen by Disney.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Buster Makes Room for His Mama at the Bargain Counter (film #47 on Edison Film Archive). [Category: Early Film & TV]
Buster does this by having Tige do backflips, which apparently make the other shoppers believe he’s gone mad. His mother gives him a kiss for helping out, which says a lot about how Buster got to be so rambunctious in the first place. A 1904 Edison film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Ahh! Snow Cones (film #4 on Drive-In Movie Ads). [Category: Commercial]
Fun, cheesy, and brief promo for snow cones at the drive-in. Snow cones magically appear in a desert landscape in lots of flavors. Features those pointed Dixie cups we all remember. Brief but necessary.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
A City Called Eliat (film #2 in the Cities section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]
This 60s film documents the development of the city of Eliat in Israel from an old settlement to a modern city. This is in Hebrew, so it’s hard to follow if you don’t know the language, but it seems to be mostly about what a gosh-wow modern city Eliat is, since there’s lots of bouncy music on the soundtrack and lots of scenes of new construction and modern technology. What the scene of a bunch of men ogling a woman in a smoky bar means, though, I have no idea.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: **.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall (track #21 on Stay Tuned: Television's Unforgettable Moments DVD (Garner Creative Concepts, 2002)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
This is one of the best segments of the Stay Tuned DVD. In addition to documenting the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, it contains footage of the wall's construction, footage of several presidents commenting on the wall, and breaking CNN news footage of the announcement by East Germany that travel between east and west will no longer be restricted. The footage of crowds of citizens participating in the tearing down of the wall show how much of a symbol of oppresion it had become. A great piece of history.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: N/A. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
The Long Hard Days (film #22 in the Jewish Communities section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Public Service]
This early 60s film, made by the United Jewish Appeal, shows the struggles of Jews from North Africa fleeing war and persecution in their homelands to France as a waystation to immigrating to Israel, and how the various Jewish agencies in France, funded by the UJA, help them. This is told in a stark, dry fashion that drags a bit in spots, though the overall story is interesting, with the human struggles shown stirring the emotions. The film has quite a bit of historical value in documenting the struggles of a particular set of Jewish refugees and how they were helped by various Jewish organizations.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: N/A. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
The Andy Griffith Show #3 (film #3 on Side A of Disc #8 of TV Favorites DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2003)). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]
This episode features Opie having his first crush on a girl named Karen, and how Thelma Lou’s attempts to cheer him up interfere with Barney’s dating plans. Again, this could have been insufferable, but Griffith & Co. manage to have just the right touch with this material, with a number of genuinely funny moments involving Opie’s innocent questions about romance.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
80th Congress Convenes (film #24 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: News]
Dull post-war newsreel documenting the opening of the 80th congress, the first with a Republican majority since 1931. The section featuring President Truman’s state of the union address drags on and on. More interesting are the stories about the Orange Bowl and Tournament of Roses parades, with their goofy floats, including a really scary giant dog balloon. But this is interspersed with boring footage of the football games, resulting in a pace that continues to drag.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Beaten Nazis Sign Historic Surrender (film #89 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
This newsreel documents the German surrender to the Allies, which spelled the end of the European war in World War II. Also included are stories on the arrival in the US of the last group of German POWs, the death of Mussolini (this story contains some grisly scenes of dead bodies being strung up), the statue honoring the taking of Iwo Jima being unveiled and used to sell war bonds, President Truman visiting his mother on Mother’s Day, the first American GIs being discharged, soldiers being awarded medals, and the beginning of horse racing after a wartime hiatus. This has lots of historical value, as it documents a lot of different things that were happening near the end of the war, and, unlike most of the WWII-era newsreels on the site, it’s well preserved.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
Funny Face (film #9 on The Cartoons That Time Forgot: The Ub Iwerks Collection, Vol. 2 DVD (Image Entertainment, 1999)). [Category: Hollywood]
Oh no! Flip the Frog's girlfriend has found another beau! Flip the Frog decides this happened because his face is, like most cartoon characters', pretty silly-looking. His solution is to go to a plastic surgeon and get another face. Is it just me, or is there something perverse about a cartoon character getting plastic surgery? Especially when the sample faces in the doctor's office start singing. Anyway, the girlfriend's pretty-faced beau turns out to be a total wimp in the confronting bullies department, running home to Mama and leaving her in the lurch with a local ruffian. Meanwhile, Flip discovers that his new face makes him irresistable to every girl in town, and they all start chasing him, like That Cute Guy in Levi's Slacks. He eventually hides in an old house that just happens to be the same place where the bully is tormenting his girl, giving him the opportunity to show how much more gumption he has than the girl's pretty-faced ex-beau. Has the story gotten weird enough for you yet? Of course, for that reason alone, I love this cartoon.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: *****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: *****.
Family Portrait (film #499 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Industrial]
This 40s film profiles the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, going into a great deal of detail about how the company is run and how it benefits its policy holders, employees, and society as a whole through its investments. This is all told very straightforwardly and in a way that is neither dry nor bombastic, making this a very well-made film overall. Which is pretty amazing considering how negatively I generally view insurance companies. Again, Jam Handy did a very good job with this one, though that makes it somewhat less interesting from an ephemera standpoint, since there are no real surprises here.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ***.
Bars and Stripes Forever (film #9 on Cartoon Mania DVD (Front Row Entertainment, 2002)). [Category: Hollywood]
Lame Warner Brothers cartoon taking place in a dog prison, and featuring every prison cliché and gag you can think of, all of which fall flat. Most annoying is the running gag of a big, tough prisoner who causes trouble but gets all his punishments pounded on the head of his tiny, wimpy cellmate. Proof that Warner Brothers had its off days once in awhile.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: **.
Cooking: Terms and What They Mean (in the Ephemeral section of Open Video Project. Also, film #376 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]
Margie, a new bride, ruins her first chocolate cake because she doesn’t know the meaning of basic cooking terms like “stir” and “boil.” Fortunately, the narrator explains all of these terms to her, and consequently she gets to bake a new cake before her husband comes home, so he never learns of her first cooking disaster. But there are many meals to come, and if Margie is that clueless, disaster in the kitchen is only a matter of time. This is a cute, charming home ec film that says more about the gender roles of the time than it does about cooking. It would have been better, I think, if Margie had been allowed to talk, but still, her facial expressions are priceless. And the food, as expected, looks uniformly terrible (we’re talking the successful dishes). There’s even cheesy organ music in the opening and closing, though this is certainly not a Brighter Day in Your Kitchen. It is extremely mstable, though.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Buster and Tige Put a Balloon Vendor Out of Business (film #48 on Edison Film Archive). [Category: Early Film & TV]
When Buster’s mama refuses to buy him a balloon, Buster sicks a whole pack of dogs on the vendor, which effectively puts him out of business. Brat! The painted backdrop in this is great. A 1904 Edison Film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Dream and Reality ["Reve et Realite"] (film #12 on The Movies Begin, Volume Three: Experimentation and Discovery (Kino Video, 1994)). [Category: Early Film & TV]
The dream, if you're our hero, is sharing champagne with a pretty masked woman. The reality is waking up in bed next to your ugly wife. Har-de-har-har! A 1901 Pathe Freres film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.
The Adventures of Captain Marvel Trailer (extra on The Adventures of Captain Marvel DVD (Artisan Home Entertainment, 2003)). [Category: Commercial]
This trailer starts off with a bang as God (or somebody who looks like Michelangelo’s version of God) explodes and we see “SHAZAM!” in a cool font. And the rest of it is pretty lively, with hyperbolic assertions, goofy costumes, unlikely cliffhangers, and bad guys being thrown into balsa wood furniture aplenty. Serials are often better in trailer form, since they leave out the boring parts.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Aroused Trailer (extra on The Zodiac Killer DVD (Something Weird, 2003)). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]
Lurid, yet well-made trailer for the 60s sex slasher flick Aroused. This is fairly disturbing, yet it has campy moments as well, such as the assertion that it should not be seen by anyone under psychiatric care, a claim that’s sure to bring in all the psychos out there. The movie was probably not nearly as good as this trailer.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.
The Knesset (film #21 in the General section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Public Service]
This 50s Israeli film shows how the Knesset, Israel’s parliamentary governing body, works. Unfortunately, it’s in Hebrew, so it’s hard to follow. Even from the standpoint of not knowing the language, this appears to be a well-made and informative film, containing lots of footage of the Knesset in action, as well as various government workers doing their jobs. Some of the parliamentary discussions shown become quite heated. I wish I understood Hebrew with this one.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
The Andy Griffith Show #2 (film #2 on Side A of Disc #8 of TV Favorites DVD Megapack). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]
Cute, charming story involving a bunch of dogs and a state inspector who will determine if the Sheriff’s Department qualifies for new funds. This is typical Andy Griffith fare, with a number of amusing Barney moments.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
EBC1 – Grandstand of Sport (film #2 in the Sport section of TVArk). [Category: News]
Attention Pythons: I’ve spotted a genuine British looney in the form of the host of this sports show. I was expecting a dull sports intro, as I hate televised sports. What I was not expecting was a manic bird puppet, a giant banner being pulled by a bicycle, and a set inspired by the set of “Shenanigans”. Which, of course, gives this a much higher rating than any conventional sports show would have.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *****. Weirdness: *****. Historical Interest: ***** (this has to be preserved in some form!). Overall Rating: *****.
Battle Rages Along Nazi Wall (film #84 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
Newsreel clip from World War II reporting on the Allied drive across Europe towards Germany. Also included is another story about the drive across France. This is quite straightforward, with some grisly scenes of dead bodies in places.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
Eleventh Hour (film #8 on Cartoon Scandals (Goodtimes, 1987). Also, film #112 on Feature Films. Also, film #26 on Film Chest Vintage Cartoons. Also, film #35 on Disc #4 of 150 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Mill Creek Entertainment, 2005). Also, film #15 on V for Victory WWII Cartoons & Shorts Show (Something Weird, 1996)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
No wonder we won World War II––we had Superman on our side! Clark Kent and Lois Lane are interred in Yokohama and Superman uses this opportunity to sabotage the Japs right and left. But that dumb Lois Lane still doesn't get it! A fun little piece of propaganda.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Facts on Friction (film #498 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Industrial]
This 30s Jam Handy film tells us way more than we want to know about how brakes work and why Chevrolet breaks are the best. It’s very straightforward and didactic, with the narrator getting way too excited about friction at various points. There’s little of the usual Jam Handy wackiness here, but it does teach you about brakes and give you some great visuals of streets and highways in the 30s.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Barnyard Bunk (film #22 on 50 Cartoon Classics DVD. Also, film #5 on Disc #3 of 100 Cartoon Classics DVD Magapack (Treeline Films, 2004). Also, film #5 on Disc #1 of 150 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Mill Creek Entertainment, 2005)). [Category: Hollywood]
Dick and Larry, who are indistinguishable from Tom and Jerry (the other Tom and Jerry), show a broken-down farmer how to increase agricultural production with jazz music. This involves lots of weird incongruities, cartoon mince, and, yes, singing and dancing inanimate objects. This is a very tooney 30s cartoon, which, though not great, is thoroughly likable.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Frosty the Snowman (track #26 on Chicago Television (Hollywood's Attic, 1996). Also, film #3 on ToonTracker Cartoon Showcase). [Category: Hollywood]
This is just a cheesily-animated Castle Films portrayal of the Christmas song. Frosty has a slightly epileptic manner, but for the most part, this is harmless.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.
Buster and the Dude (film #49 on Edison Film Archive). [Category: Early Film & TV]
Buster Brown, despite his sissy clothing, was actually an early version of Dennis the Menace (who was an early version of Bart Simpson, for all you whippersnappers); i.e. a kid who could be counted on to wreak havoc wherever he goes. In this episode, Buster meets a dandy walking a dog in front of a hat shop. While the dude chats politely with some ladies, Buster gets his dog into a rousing battle with his own dog, Tige. Eventually, the dude’s hat gets into the melee––oh, the horror! A charming early version of the younger generation creating anarchy in polite society. A 1904 Edison film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Adam’s Rib Trailer (extra on Adam’s Rib DVD (Warner Bros.)). [Category: Commercial]
This trailer for the 40s romantic comedy Adam’s Rib is not nearly as clever as it thinks it is, but the movie has enough class that it’s not totally stupid either. Meaning it’s not as interesting a piece of ephemera as it might be. Follow that?Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Control Your Emotions (in the Ephemeral section of Open Video Project. Also, film #376 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]
A rather bogus-sounding psychologist lectures us on the benefits of emotional control. His arguments are based on behaviorist theory, but he is seemingly ignorant of the fact that behaviorism, in the simplistic fashion that he uses it, undercuts his arguments because it’s so mechanistic and deterministic. For instance, he says emotions are based on “stimulus-response patterns,” hitting his knee at the reflex point to illustrate this. But if emotions were that automatic and involuntary, we wouldn’t have any control over them at all. But I’ll forgive him for that because he has the coolest audio-visual aids ever: bricks that say “RAGE,” “FEAR,” and “LOVE,” and a big round black piece of cardboard with the word “PERSONALITY” written on it in plastic letters. These great props would have a place of honor in the Film Ephemera Museum of Quirky Devices, right up there with the wire rack from Speech: Using Your Voice, though I think I’d save the “RAGE” brick to throw at the television screen. Anyway, back to the movie. After his lecture, the psychologist shows us the story of Jeff, a teen who flies into a rage at the least provocation, culminating in almost beating his little brother to death with a coat hanger––his mother stops him, fortunately. This is a tantrum that Joan Crawford would approve of, since he uses a wooden coat hanger, rather than a wire one. The psychologist then steps in and shows us alternate ways Jeff could have handled the situations that made him angry. These are good solutions for the most part, but he gives us no clue as to how somebody with a serious anger control problem like Jeff could simmer his feelings down enough to be able to put these suggestions into practice. This is a typical campy Coronet film that takes a complex psychological problem and makes it seem like it could be solved in the space of a 13-minute film. Which, of course, makes it a great deal of fun and very mstable.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
The Cameri Theater Celebrates Its New Home (film #1 in The Arts section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]
This 60s film celebrates an Israeli theater company’s move to a new theater. Many scenes from plays are shown and there’s lots of premiere footage, all in Hebrew. This gives you a chance to see lots of Israeli theater, though many of the clips seem to be of English plays translated into Hebrew––William Shakespeare is mentioned a number of times, and the scene from the play about royalty mentions Mary Stuart. This film is hard to follow, due to the language barrier, but it’s lively.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
If I Forget Thee: The History of Hadassah on Mt. Scopus (film #11 in the Health section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Public Service]
This 70s film gives an overview of the history of the Hadassah Hospital on Mt. Scopus in Jerusalem, from pre-state Palestine to the present days of renovation. War, terrorism, and violence are a part of this story at many points. The film provides a sense of context to the other Hadassah Hospital films on the Spielberg Archive, helping the viewer to figure out where those other films fit into the bigger picture. The story is well told and touching at times, though there are few surprises. But it’s a historically valuable film that would be good to watch before the other Hadassah Hospital films on the site.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: N/A. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Dragoons Crossing the Saone (film #13 on The Movies Begin, Volume One: The Great Train Robbery and Other Primary Works (Kino Video, 1994)). Also, film #13 on The Art of Cinema Begins (Video Yesteryear, 1997)). [Category: Early Film & TV]
A bunch of shirtless guys on horseback ford a river. Not particularly interesting, as the shirtless guys aren't particularly good-looking (well, where else can interest be found in such a film?). An 1896 Lumiere film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: *.
The Andy Griffith Show #1 (film #1 on Side A of Disc #8 of TV Favorites DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2003)). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]
This early 60s episode of The Andy Griffith Show features Rafe Hollister, a country bumpkin with a beautiful singing voice. When he wins an audition to sing and the Ladies’ Club Musicale, the snooty mayor tries to object, thinking Hollister too white trash (they’re too nice to use the term, but it’s obvious that’s what was meant) to represent Mayberry. Of course it all turns out well in the end when they hear Hollister sing. This is a charming episode with a the kind of fluffy problem typical to the show. What I was waiting for, though, was for Andy’s guitar to blow up while they were singing “Those Endearing Young Charms.” Sadly, it never happens.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
The Dust Bowl (film #6 in the 1929 Stock Market Crash and Great Depression section of WPA Film Library). [Category: News]
Newsreel footage, mostly silent, of parched farmlands, dust storms, and rural people battling dust. Most of this is sepia-tone, so it really has an old-time feel to it. The last clip is from a British sound newsreel reporting the dust bowl refugees immigrating to California. These clips are historically interesting, giving you a real feel for the long-term disaster of the Dust Bowl.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: N/A. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
The Battle of France (film #516 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
Newsreel story about the Allied drive across France after D-Day. This is pretty standard, though there are a few striking images of soldiers and prisoners of war. Unfortunately, the footage is murky, so it’s hard to see those striking images.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.
The Face in the Mirror (I Wonder) (in the Ephemeral section of Open Video Project. Also, film #493 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Industrial]
I was utterly charmed by this Jam Handy sales training film. In it, a salesman on his day off gets sent by his wife on a shopping spree in one of those downtown areas that don’t exist anymore. There he deals with salesmen from terrible to excellent in all the different stores he goes into. And this was in the days before self-service in retail, so he has to deal with salesmen in all of them. After buying a bunch of stuff, he drops in on his boss (why, I don’t know, since it’s his day off––must be a workaholic) who encourages him to use the experiences he had with salesmen that day to help him sell better himself. This is actually one of the most effective Jam Handy films I’ve seen. Although working in sales is anathema to me, I found myself being swept along by the message of this film that selling mainly involves being friendly, helpful, and considerate of your customers, along with knowing your product and being enthusiastic about it. The successful salesmen show a masterful knowledge of psychology in the way they smoothly convince the main character to buy without making him feel like he’s been sold something. And the simple, commonsense advice given in the film makes sales seem a much friendlier, and less exploitative, a profession. The film is also appealing from a historical perspective, in showing a way of shopping that doesn’t exist anymore. Jam Handy has made some stinkers, some howlers, and some films that are extremely weird, but this film shows that when he was at his best, his films were right on the money in conveying the message they were designed to convey.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: *****.
The Effects of Atomic Bomb Explosions (film #2 on Atomic Memories (Video Yesteryear)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
This film has a real campy opening: an army officer on furlough encounters a culture gone atom-crazy ("That guy's got a punch like an atom bomb!" "Try our Atomic Cocktail") and lots of ordinary folks with outrageous misconceptions about the bomb ("What scares me is that awful gas that deforms ya!"). Back from leave, he relates his experiences to his commanding officer, played by Hugh Beaumont, and Dad––uh, I mean Hugh––has a man-to-man talk with him, setting him straight on the facts of life about the a-bomb. Actually, this is one of the few cold-war propaganda films from this period that doesn't grossly underestimate or gloss over the destructive effects of the bomb. Of course, it was made to be shown to army personnel, rather than average citizens––the average folk were watching things like Duck and Cover and You Can Beat the A-Bomb, in which the bomb only musses things up a bit (which nobody believed). So no wonder people were confused. A great relic of the Cold War.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
The Barber Shop (film #1 on Six Short Films: W.C. Fields DVD (The Criterion Collection, 2000)). [Category: Hollywood]
W. C. Fields plays a small town barber in this short, and all I can say is don’t allow him near your face, or any other part of your body, for that matter. The short has the usual cranky wife, bizarre plot, and witty Fields asides you expect from one of his films. There’s also a perfunctory chase scene with a bank robber and an ending where you find out where tiny violins come from. As usual with Fields, this is inspired strangeness, with a creakiness that makes you feel like you’re in the 19th century instead of the 20th.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: *****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
From Beatnik to Beauty (film #8 in the Makeovers, Diets & Fitness section of WPA Film Library). [Category: Hollywood]
In this clip from a British newsreel featurette, a swinging beatnik chick goes into a beauty shop full of staid, girdle-wearing middle-aged suburban women and, through the miracle of “the deception that is a part of a modern women’s lifestyle,” gets transformed into a staid, girdle-wearing, middle-aged (her “beauty treatment” ages her at least 20 years) woman who is all ready to find a nice husband and move into the suburbs. More horrorific than The Stepford Wives, because such places actually exist! One of the campiest films from the WPA Film Library, which is usually pretty staid itself.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Burns & Allen Show #6 (film #6 on Side A of Disc #4 of TV Favorites DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2003)). [Category: Early Film & TV]
More inspired wackiness from George and Gracie. This one features a pair of teenagers from the pre-rock ‘n’ roll days, as well as George and Gracie doing a mean jitterbug themselves. Gracie’s wackiness is in full flower and Bill Goodwin makes a strawberry shortcake in a suitcase. This is a real early TV relic that is both historically fascinating and a piece of comedy that holds up well today.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: *****.
Connecticut (film #369 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]
Standard-issue educational film about Connecticut, with flowery prose that makes you almost think it’s a travelogue, but then it ends with “Now let’s review what we’ve learned about Connecticut…,” which puts it squarely in the educational category. No surprises here.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
Battle Beyond the Sun Trailer (extra on Rocket Ship DVD (Sinister Cinema)). [Category: Commercial]
This trailer for a 60s outer space mission film made me giggle the minute I saw it. Perhaps it’s because it opens with a battle between two incredibly ridiculous-looking monsters that I can only describe by saying they are two different versions of the Horrifying Vagina with Teeth, though too silly-looking to generate much fear even with the Freudian implications of their appearance. To add to the fun, many of the titles are in a wacky 60s font that changes in size to produce text blocks in fun shapes. The rest of the trailer is standard cheap sci-fi fare, but the monsters really make this one.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: *****.
Challenge of the Negev (film #4 in the Rural Settlement and Security section of the State of Israel section of Stphen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]
This early 50s film chronicles the development of the Negev desert in Israel from a barren wasteland to a place where agriculture is possible and where some of the thousands of Jews coming into Israel can settle. This is told in great detail and this gives the film quite a bit of historical interest, especially for those interested in the early development of the modern nation of Israel. It’s told rather dryly, though, which makes it drag after awhile. Still, those interested in the history of Israel will definitely want to check this out.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
The Dog and His Various Merits (film #31 on The Movies Begin, Volume One: The Great Train Robbery and Other Primary Works (Kino Video, 1994). Also, film #31 on The Art of Cinema Begins (Video Yesteryear, 1997)). [Category: Early Film & TV]
Various types of working dogs are shown, and this gives you a chance to see some sights you don't see today, such as a legless beggar on one of those flat wheeled platforms that he pushes with a couple of handled objects that look like irons, or a milkman delivering milk using a large milk can with wheels and a dog harness. An interesting turn-of-the-century (the 19th to the 20th, I mean; I still can't get used to the fact that we're in the "turn of the century" now) relic. A 1908 Biograph film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
I Came to Beersheva (film #3 in the Cities section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Public Service]
Two brothers from Morocco come to the city of Beersheva in Israel. There they are educated and trained in job skills by the Youth Allyah organization. That’s about all I can tell you, as the film is narrated in French, or some language like it (unfortunately, the archive lists the language as English, but it’s no English I’ve ever heard). This has lots of images of the life of Moroccan Jews in Israel, so that gives it some historical value. But if you don’t speak the language, it’s impossible to follow.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
The Ducktators (film #6 on V for Victory WWII Cartoons & Shorts Show, Vol. 1 (Something Weird, 1996). Also, film #11 on WWII Cartoons, Vol. 1 VCD (Authentic History Center)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
A Hitler duck, a Mussolini duck, and a Tojo duck take over a barnyard, much to the dismay of the Dove of Peace, who, in the end, decides to beat the crap out of them. So much for peace. This Warner Brothers toon is not one of their best, but it is one of the most representative of all wartime toons, with plenty of gags that would never pass muster today. Possibly the most offensive is when the Tojo duck shows an angry turtle a button that says, "I Am Chinese," which seems to imply that most Chinese were really Japs in disguise. Watch for Daffy Duck in a very non-PC cameo.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
Amitrock (film #19 in the Action section of Brickfilms. Also, film #6 in the Music Video section of Brickfilms). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]
This is basically just one action sequence featuring Lego guys after another, while electronic music plays on the soundtrack. I found this boring for the most part, but the last third of it picks up a bit as the music gets faster and the action on screen gets weirder. An oddity.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.
Frogland (track #6 on Weird Cartoons (Rhino, 1987)). [Category: Hollywood]
Foolish frogs pray to the god Jupiter for a king, but they get more than they bargained for. This early, silent example of stop-motion animation has some great character animation. The different frogs are fun to watch and their foolishness is quite human, making the cartoon quite satirical at certain points (especially the frog politicians!).Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Assassination Attempt on Ronald Reagan (film #4 in the Featured Clip Library section of WPA Film Library). [Category: News]
Short tv news clips of the assassination attempt on President Reagan, and his later return to the White House after being hospitalized. This is pretty straightforward, having historical value as an event that was televised as it happened. Reagan’s narration of his experience during the first clip adds interest to it.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Battle for Rome (film #85 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
This newsreel from 1945 includes stories on the Allied takeover of Rome, retreating German soldiers burning a warehouse, Allied bombing of Italian rail yards, a meeting of Allied generals, a fun story about ladies’ fashions and “rooms of tomorrow”, some boys collecting enough pennies to buy a canteen truck for soldiers, a roller skating show, African-American paratroops, and fierce fighting on a Pacific island somewhere. This makes it a great slice of life from the war years, but unfortunately, it’s missing its soundtrack. Still, the visuals have a lot of historical value.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Expo ’67, “Monument to Man,” Opens in Canada (film #169 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Industrial]
Newsreel story about Expo ’67, a huge world’s fair that unfortunately opened during the days when world’s fairs were waning, so you don’t hear much about it today. The typical scenes of modern architecture, opening ceremonies, and carnival rides are shown. By 1967, newsreels were almost dead, giving this a double swan-song quality.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Astronomeous (film #5 on 11 Cartoons Starring Felix the Cat DVD (PC Treasures, 2005)). [Category: Hollywood]
Felix goes to Mars and encounters some truly strange Martians in this early sound cartoon. This is one of the better of the early sound Felixes, as Felix gets a chance to manipulate the environment a bit, and the Martians are great tooney strange creatures. You can’t really make out what Felix is saying, but it doesn’t really matter, because visually, this is a treat.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Burns & Allen Show #4 (film #4 on Side A of Disc #4 of TV Favorites DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2003)). [Category: Early Film & TV]
More fun with George Burns and Gracie Allen, as Gracie bamboozles the income tax man, gives away Harry Morton’s surprise birthday gift for Blanche, and arranges for their income tax to be paid in whipped Carnation milk. Also included are silly antics involving cigars, a cake that is destroyed to show how delicious it is, and Bill Goodwin’s usual bizarre Carnation commercials incorporated into the action. This time the musical acts are ditched and the set is expanded to include Gracie’s kitchen. As usual, this is as fresh and funny today as it was when it first aired, yet it also retains the character of early TV.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *****. Weirdness: *****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: *****.
The Bat Whispers Trailer (extra on The Shadow DVD (Sinister Cinema)). [Category: Commercial]
Gasps! Whispers! Shrieks! Hilarity! Bad Acting! Cheesy Special Effects! That’s what you’ll find in this fun trailer for the 30s B-movie The Bat Whispers. Loads of fun.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Competition and Dominance Hierarchies in Rats (film #372 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]
Stark, silent college psychology film showing a behavioral experiment done on white rats. Three white rats are placed in a cramped beaker and forced to compete for a single food pellet. When they are well-fed, this results in competition but not outright battles. When they are underfed, however, it gets nasty. After a number of fights, they eventually settle into a hierarchy, with the rat whose the biggest bully getting first grabs at the food pellet, the middle rat occasionally offering mild resistance, and the submissive rat becoming so scared he refuses to eat even when alone. The stark, disturbing atmosphere of this film is intensified by the soundtrack, which consists only of film sprocket noises alternating with a trio of repetitive beats––boom boom boom, boom boom boom, over and over again. The uncaring “objectivity” of the film is also disturbing, considering that this was probably a highly stressful experience for the rats. The results of the experiment are interesting, though, showing us how dominance hierarchies are formed. This would be a good film for video artists to mine for footage for a film about violence.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
The Carpet (film #3 in the Rural Settlement and Security section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]
This 50s film tells the story of a young Jewish woman from Kurdistan whose family has recently settled in Israel. The Kurdish Jews live a traditional Middle-Eastern lifestyle much different from the European and American Jews living in Israel that are profiled in other Spielberg Archive films. The young woman is eventually placed in an arranged marriage, and we get to see the wedding customs of her people, which are a combination of Jewish and Kurdish. Fortunately, she likes her husband, but unfortunately, he is soon killed in a border dispute. Not only must she face her grief, she loses her role as a married woman in her community, and there is little for her to look forward to as a young widow in her culture. A social worker encourages her to use her traditional needlework skills to create carpets for sale, and this helps to restore self-esteem and a sense of purpose to her. This is a touching film with subtle feminist overtones that are surprising given the time it was made. For instance, during the wedding ceremony, the young woman’s new husband places his foot over hers, which in her culture is a symbol of the husband being in charge in the home; but the woman responds to this by pulling her foot out of her slipper, indicating she does not accept such domination. Also, the intervention of the social worker lets the woman know that she need not accept the depressingly useless role her culture ascribes to her as a widow. This is surprising given that in the early 50s, there wasn’t much feminism going on even in Western culture. Despite this questioning of the patriarchal aspect of Kurdish culture, the film overall is respectful of it. The film also has a lot of historical value in documenting the culture of Kurdish Jews.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: N/A. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1913) (Sinister Cinema). [Category: Early Film & TV]
It's only two years later, but this adaptation is much longer than the 1911 version, with much more complex storytelling and lots more exposition. Lots more stuff happens, too. The Mr. Hyde makeup, though, is not nearly as good as in the 1911 version, and, I dunno, the film is just not as much fun as the earlier one (though there are some scenes with Mr. Hyde and Jekyll's servants that are priceless). A 1913 IMP film. Sinister Cinema gets a few extra points for throwing some extras onto the tape.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.
Among Your Souvenirs (film #1 on AV Geeks). [Category: Public Service]
This 60s film warns travelers of the dangers of accidentally bringing back foreign insect pests and plant diseases in the souvenirs they buy, and explains why customs officials have to inspect your luggage and confiscate certain items. Although the danger is real, there is a real paranoid feel to this film in its fears of foreign contamination, making the film rather mstable. Fun to see are the many tacky souvenirs pictured and Pestina, the slutty cartoon character meant to represent foreign insect pests. Mostly, this is pretty ordinary, but it has its moments.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Airwaves (film #882 on Open Source Movies). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]
Computer animation brings us undersea stalagmites and bubble-like forms, while techno music plays in the background. Fairly mesmerizing.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.
Duck and Cover (film #1 on Atomic Beach Blast Bingo DVD (A/V Geeks).Also, film #1 on Atomic Memories (Video Yesteryear). Also, film #2 on Atomic Scare Films, Vol. 1 (Something Weird, 1996). Also, film #1 on Atomic TV (Video Resources, 1994). Also, extra on Atomic War Bride/This Is Not a Test DVD (Something Weird, 2002). Also, film #5 on The Educational Archives, Vol. 5: Patriotism DVD (Fantoma, 2003). Also in the Ephemeral section of Open Video Project. Also, film #466 on Prelinger Archive. Also, film #1 on U.S. Government Classics (Worldwide Entertainment Marketing, 1991)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
This children's educational film is probably the most memorable piece of Cold War ephemera. Animated Bert the Turtle tells kids they always have to be aware that the atomic bomb could go off any minute, but if they duck down and cover the backs of their necks, they'll be O.K. Apparently, this was widely shown in elementary schools during the 50s, and one wonders the effect it had on the mental health of the schoolchildren of the era. A must.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: *****.
Drew Pearson Reports on Science in Israel (film #15 in the General section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: News]
Reporter Drew Pearson tells us all about scientific research in Israel in this 50s film, covering such things as medical research, nuclear energy, fly control, and early experiments into solar energy. Many of Israel’s leading scientists of the time are interviewed. If you want to know about the state of scientific research in Israel in the 50s, then this is your film. The variety of different kinds of research presented keeps the film fairly interesting to the average viewer as well.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
The Ballad of Kiriat Shmoneh (film #11 in the Cities section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
This 70s film tells the story of terrorist attacks on the Israeli city of Kiriat Shmoneh, a city on the border with Lebanon. Mostly, this is the story of how the people survived the trauma of the massacre-like attacks, which involved Arab terrorists going door to door and killing everybody they found. They let the people tell their own stories in this, which makes for a powerful film that has impact without a hint of melodrama. A compelling portrait of how terrorism affects the lives of ordinary people.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: N/A. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
Explosives: Tool for Progress (film #5 on AV Geeks). [Category: Industrial]
This 70s film asserts that we owe everything good in our modern society entirely––not to railroads, not to aluminum, not to crop spraying, not even to truck farmers––but to blowing things up, a sentiment every boy will agree with. Unfortunately, they don’t really get around to blowing things up real good until the end of the film. Until then, we get lots of scenes of construction projects in Manhattan, the Grand Coulee Dam, and the Panama Canal, with a scene of a very 70s housewife and her little girl baking a pie in a very 70s kitchen thrown in for good measure. Consequently, the film is not quite as much fun as it sounds––by the end of the film, all fans of explosions will be chanting “Blast ‘em! Blast ‘em! Blast ‘em!” over and over again. For real explosion fun, I say stick with the atomic bomb films of the 50s.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Fright to the Finish (film #3 on Cartoon Explosion, Vol. 2: Foney Fables/Popeye's Greatest Hits DVD (Front Row Entertainment, 2002). Also, film #17 on Cartoon Mania DVD (Front Row Entertainment, 2002). Also, extra on Drive-In Discs, Vol. 2 DVD (Elite Entertainment, 2001). Also, film #132 on Feature Films. Also, film #41 on 50 Cartoon Classics DVD. Also, film #19 on Film Chest Vintage Cartoons. Also, film #6 on Disc #1 of 100 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2004). Also, film #6 on Disc #4 of 150 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Mill Creek Entertainment, 2006)). [Category: Hollywood]
On Halloween night, Popeye and Bluto take turns scaring Olive Oyl to death, while making her believe it's the other one doing it. This has some funny gags, including "vanishing cream" that does just what you expect it to do in a cartoon, but mostly it's pretty ordinary.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.
Assignment Tel Aviv (film #11 in the Pre-State section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Hollywood]
Bright, breezy film from the 40s about Tel Aviv and what a modern city it is. A reporter stays with a Jewish family and gives a glowing report of life in the city, likening it to the American way of life, and making it seem much better than life in a nearby Arab-controlled city. This was made right before Israel won its independence, so there is definitely some political motivation to this travelogue, though in other ways, it’s no different than many other city profile films made at the time. I like the section on locally-produced groceries for its scenes of the colorful labels on canned and packaged goods.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
BBC1 Schools Interval from 1975 (film #9 in the Schools section of TVArk). [Category: Educational]
A still title card announces that the next show will be starting soon, while Dixieland jazz plays in the background. This is a realistic example of what educational television stations broadcast between programs at the time, but it’s not very interesting to watch.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
A Communications Primer (film #360 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]
This film was made by Charles and Ray Eames, which makes it more intelligent and visually striking than most educational films. It deals with the semantics of communication, breaking down the concept into a flow chart of choosing, coding, sending, receiving, decoding, and understanding messages. This is applied to modes of communication as simple as “one if by land and two if by sea” and as complex as billions of neurons firing in the human nervous system. Visually, these concepts are portrayed with a collage of animation, film clips, photographs, electronically-generated images, and images from famous works of art. Aurally, they are portrayed with deadpan narration and a haunting music score by Elmer Bernstein. This film is to films like Communications and Our Town, as 2nd-grade social studies is to a graduate-level course in philosophy. But at heart, it’s still an educational film, so it still qualifies as ephemera, though smarter than your average piece of ephemera. The Eames were key players in the modernist design movement, giving this film a great deal of historical value.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
Burns & Allen Show #3 (film #3 on Side A of Disc #4 of TV Favorites DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2003)). [Category: Early Film & TV]
More silliness with George Burns and Gracie Allen. This one has the fluffiest of plots involving Harry Morton’s secretary making Blanche jealous, until she finds out he’s a man. Mostly, though, this is gags aplenty, Gracie’s illogical logic, and Bill Goodwin’s bizarre Carnation commercials that are woven into the action. There’s a real vaudeville and radio feel to this one, making it a good example of early TV.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: *****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
Belair Commercials Compilation #1 (film #159 on UCSF Tobacco Control Archive). [Category: Commercial]
Collection of dorky early-60s commercials for Belair cigarettes, mostly featuring groups of very white people partying by singing Belair jingles, which is at least livelier than the last 3, which feature a white guy talking to the camera. These are not as fun as some of the Raleigh commercials, but they do have the appealing dorkiness from the days before advertisers discovered the concept of cool.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Campus in Jerusalem (film #8 in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]
In this 1960 film, students study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem while the school’s new campus is being built around them. Various research projects are highlighted in such areas as biology, medicine, law and sociology. This is a straightforward film that has historical value in showing the development of the Hebrew University.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Hands of Healing (film #5 in the Health section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Public Service]
An American doctor tells us how vastly impressed he is by the good works being done by the Hadassah Medical Center in Israel, especially in helping new immigrants. And boy, is he impressed. Still, he has a lot to be impressed with, so the film just barely escapes being hyperbolic, and lands in the typical good-works film category, perhaps made livelier by the emotional narration. Like many of these Hadassah films, this has historical value in documenting healthcare in Israel during the 50s.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (track #1 on Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde (Barrymore) (Sinister Cinema, 1999)). [Category: Early Film & TV]
This 1911 adaptation of the well-known Robert Louis Stevenson story is quite lively and fun, with good performances and great Mr. Hyde makeup. The Jekyll-Hyde transformation is done with a simple jump-cut (no long, drawn-out transformation here), but Mr. Hyde is so lively and so different from the dapper Dr. Jekyll that you hardly care. A surprisingly good adaptation for its time. A 1911 Thanhouser film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Ahoy! Have Any of You Lot Seen Sinbad? (film #302 on Open Source Movies). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]
Robots with junk bodies and human skull heads dance a robot twist to Elvis’ “Hound Dog”. Proving that even robots dig rock ‘n’ roll. I love robots so I enjoyed this.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.
Drew Pearson Reporting on Religion in Israel (film #14 in the General section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: News]
This 50s film features reporter Drew Pearson reporting on religious freedom in Israel. The portrait is quite rosy and optimistic, with Jews, Muslims, and Christians peacefully practicing their faiths together. However, the shadow of potential violence occasionally peeks into the proceedings. This is a historically interesting film that gives us a snapshot of religious practices in Israel during the 50s. It’s too bad such peace and tolerance could not be maintained over the long run.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Baghdad Pact: Unified Military Command Foreseen (film #82 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
50s newsreel story about peace talks in the Middle East that were rudely preceded by a bombing at the American embassy. Also included is a story about a large camera designed to track missiles. This is straightforward and unsurprising.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
Exclusively Yours (film #487 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Industrial]
This 50s film for Texaco dealers introduces the new improved Sky Chief gasoline with Petrox, a new additive that sounds like it was made from oxtails, but was actually made from petroleum. Several white men lecture at us about it, the best of which is Phil Foster, a master of maniacal facial expressions. The concluding message from C. B. Barrett includes mention of several other must-have ephemeral films that Texaco made at the time, including one about gas station restrooms which sounds like a must-have. There’s also some great visuals of cutaway engines, gasoline additives in unmarked beakers, and Texaco print ads and billboards. Overall, this film is pretty ordinary, but it has some great individual moments in it.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Draftee Daffy (film #2 on Bugs & Daffy: The Wartime Cartoons (MGM/UA Home Video, 1989)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
Daffy, upon hearing of a "smashing frontal attack on enemy rear", breaks into enthusiastic patriotic revelry...until he gets a call from the little man from the draft board. He spends the rest of the cartoon trying desperately to hide from the Droopy-like man from the draft board, who finds him wherever he goes. Lots of fun.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ****.
Assault and Flattery (film #7 on Cartoon Explosion, Vol. 2: Funny Fiesta/Popeye’s Greatest Hits DVD (Front Row Entertainment, 2002). Also, film #21 on Cartoon Mania DVD (Front Row Entertainment, 2002). Also, film #40 on 50 Cartoon Classics DVD. Also, film #5 on Disc #1 of 100 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2004). Also, film #5 on Disc #4 of 150 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Mill Creek Entertainment, 2005)). [Category: Hollywood]
This is one of those Popeye cartoons that is made up of clips from other Popeye cartoons. Bluto takes Popeye to court, charging him with assault and battery. This is a funny premise, and Wimpy does an amusing turn as the judge, but much more could have been done with this that wasn’t. Basically, this is a rerun toon.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.
For the Birds (Audio Commentary) (extra on Monsters, Inc. DVD (Disney-Pixar, 2002)). [Category: Hollywood]
Commentary is provided by Jim Eggleston, the director of the short. He gives us a few interesting tidbits about the short's production, but there's not enough time for him to say much.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
Burns & Allen Show #2 (film #2 on Side A of Disc #4 of TV Favorites DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2003)). [Category: Early Film & TV]
More fun with George Burns and Gracie Allen, with the usual collection of great gags, surrealism, witty asides, Carnation commercials seamlessly worked into the action, and a plot that’s “more than a variety show, but less than professional wrestling.” After thoroughly bamboozling the tax assessor, Gracie gets a dent in the car and tries to cover it up by having Bill Goddwin borrow it. This may be early TV, but it holds up well today.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: *****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
Belair & Raleigh Commercials Compilation #2 (film #163 on UCSF Tobacco Control Archive). [Category: Commerical]
Three more commercials for Belair and Raleigh cigarettes. These are especially dorky, featuring minimalist sets and announcers that magically make a couples’ Raleigh premiums disappear, until they say, “But we do smoke Raleighs!” Fortunately, they bear no negative consequences from having things like stepladders or chairs disappear out from under them––their weight continues to be supported by thin air. Would that the health consequences of smoking be so ephemeral.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Communications and Our Town (film #359 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]
A telephone lineman rescues a model plane from some telephone wires and returns it to the two boys who threw it there, one of whom is Jerry Mathers as the Beaver, while overly-dramatic music plays on the soundtrack. Rather than bawling them out, the lineman takes a large chunk out of his workday to talk with them about the various forms of communication in their community, including the telephone, mail, and radio. The Beave points out that an obvious form of communication is “just talking to people,” but the lineman, although agreeing with this, never lets the boys talk for themselves, but insists upon narrating the entire film in voice-over. He then creates an elaborate, though primitive, model of their town on the sidewalk, using rolls of tape, a pocketknife, and other lineman stuff, and connects everything together, including the “church,” with short lengths of telephone wire, which coincidentally form a pentagram. Just when you’re beginning to wonder about the wholesomeness of this lineman’s influence on young minds, he decides to get back to work, after giving the boys the “fun” assignment of making a list of all the different kinds of communication they can find in their town, the better to spread his Satanic philosoph––no, no, forget I said that. That pentagram means nothing, actually. Granted, Eddie Haskell did grow up to be Alice Coop––no, no, it’s just a coincidence, folks. Move along, now. Nothing to see here.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
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Better Reading
Better Reading . Teenager Harold Wilson has a problem—he can’t read for (expletive deleted). So he has to spend all his free time studying ...
