Berlin Siege: Gen. Clay Returns to Report on Red Crisis (film #88 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
Newsreel from the late 40s reporting on the Soviet blockade of Berlin and the subsequent Berlin Airlift. Also included are stories on the continuation of the military draft, American communists being arrested and tried for treason, and the US giving four submarines to Turkey. There’s a definite cold war feeling here in all of these stories, making this a good example of a newsreel from the postwar period.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Fastax-tion (film #507 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Industrial]
Early 60s 3-M film designed to sell the Fastax high speed movie camera to engineers. The various uses of the camera by different companies to study high-speed motion are profiled, from Hercules Power’s study of rocket engine firing to Munsingwear’s identification of a faulty knitting needle in one of their high-speed knitting machines. Lots of samples of high-speed photography are shown and these are the most interesting sequences of the film. The scene of popcorn popping in slow motion should have been used in a drive-in snack bar promo, the scene of big ugly 50s cars in crash tests should have been used in a driver’s ed film, while the scene of the guy getting a pie in the face speaks for itself. Overall, this is an unusual film that documents a little known corner of film history, as well as being a great film to mine for a video project.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
The Crossroads Crash (film #10 on AV Geeks. Also, film #10 on The Educational Archives, Volume Three: Driver's Ed DVD (Fantoma, 2001)). [Category: Educational]
The rules for handling intersections are presented in a very 70s manner, from the Bonnie and Clyde opening to the big, earth-toned cars. The points are occasionally punctuated by crash-test footage featuring big black 50s Cadillacs with huge tailfins. A lightweight in the driver's ed genre.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
The Book and the Idol (film #10 in the General section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Hollywood]
In this 1960 film, archaeological artifacts from the Land of the Bible exhibition are shown. Unfortunately, the narration is in Spanish. It’s too bad I couldn’t understand the language on this one, because the visuals are quite interesting, the music is well done, and the narration gets quite dramatic in spots. Still, this has historical value for its visuals of artifacts of biblical history.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Charley – Mummy Should Know (film #45 on National Archives). [Category: Educational]
This time, Charley the cat not only prevents his owner from going off with some friends without telling his mother, but prevents him from going after them when they leave before he gets back from asking Mummy. This is a bit longer than usual, and has some dramatic moments, but mostly it’s typical Charley stuff, which means its cute and charming.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
By the Sun’s Rays (extra on The Penalty DVD (Kino Video, 2001)). [Category: Early Film & TV]
In this mystery Western, Lon Chaney plays the employee of a mining company who is in cahoots with a band of outlaws to steal shipments of gold. A detective from the company eventually discovers his secret and also prevents him from despoiling the honor of a pretty female employee. This is lively and fun, with good storytelling for its time. A 1914 Universal film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Barbie (film #3 in the Commercials section of Movieflix). [Category: Commercial]
This early Barbie commercial shows the doll to be the original material girl, and encourages little girls to fantasize about growing up to be just like her. So they can’t claim that wasn’t their intention––the evidence is all right here. Of course, that makes this essential for any collector of TV commercials.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
A Day Along the Way (film #9 in the Rural Settlement and Security section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]
This 1968 Israeli film features interviews with people living in various border settlements in Israel. Unfortunately, with the exception of an interview with a pair of English-speaking turkey farmers who say that their parents are none too glad to have them be there, these interviews are entirely in Hebrew, making the film pretty much indecipherable to those who don’t speak that language. It does have perky opening credits music and some interesting visuals of the rural settlements where the people being interviewed live, giving it some historical value.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
Disused Fridges (film #36 on National Archives). [Category: Public Service]
70s British PSA warning people to not leave discarded refrigerators lying around, as children could crawl into them and get suffocated. This is done with very limited animation, but other than that, it’s pretty standard.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.
Animal Quackers (film #18 on Disc #2 of Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Vol. 1 (Warner Bros.)). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]
Short compilation film highlighting two favorite co-stars of Daffy Duck: Porky Pig and Marvin Martian. Interview footage provides some background for these characters and lots of great scenes from some of their best cartoons are shown. This is a pretty standard DVD extra, but it’s fun.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Election 1974 – BBC News (film #10 in the News section of TVArk). [Category: News]
Opening credits for election night coverage on the BBC in 1974. Again, this is very short and very tiny, though the video quality is better than in the 1970 clip.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: **. Overall Rating: *.
Berlin Airlift Increased (film #87 on Universal Newsreels). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
Newsreel clip from the days of the Berlin Airlift with serious soundtrack problems. It starts with German narration, which is bizarre because the title cards are in English. Then it suddenly switches to English narration for a few seconds, then the sound cuts out entirely. Then it switches to footage of a UN discussion of the Berlin situation. At first, this is silent, but then we get to hear a speech from an American delegate about the reasons for the airlift. Then it goes silent again, as we see one of the other delegates looking frustrated. I wish some of these newsreels had been better preserved––this would have had a lot more historical value with a complete soundtrack.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
Fashion’s Favorite (film #504 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Industrial]
This DuPont film from 1940 tells us all about the wonders of rayon in great detail. A lot of time is spent showing us how rayon is made, including two different chemical processes for making it, and how extensive quality control is maintained. This gets a little dry after awhile, as it is just bombastic narration with no soundtrack music, but the visuals make up for it somewhat. There are lots of great scenes of scientists working with all kinds of strange equipment and scary-looking glassware, as well as scenes of all kinds of DuPont products, such as clothing, lingerie, draperies, kitchenware, paints, and even tires. I had a field day mining images from this one. One scene I particularly enjoyed was the explanation of “cross-dying.” Apparently, it’s possible to weave white cloth with two different kinds of rayon yarns, then dye it in a mixed dye bath, containing two different dyes of different colors that each react with only one kind of rayon. What ends up happening is a single piece of white cloth is dipped in a single vat of dye and comes out plaid! Proof that there really is such a thing as plaid dye! Now all DuPont needs to do is invent portable holes. I’m sure they’re working on the problem as we speak.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
The Dude and the Burglars (track #1 on The Origins of Cinema, Volume 2: The Films of American Mutoscope and Biograph (Video Yesteryear, 1995)). [Category: Early Film & TV]
A dandy neatly and daintily routs a couple of roguish burglars. Good for a couple of snickers. A 1903 Biograph film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.
Boo Moon (film #32 on Disc #4 of 150 Cartoon Classics DVD Megapack (Mill Creek Entertainment, 2005). Also, film #2 on Disc #3 of TV Cartoon Classics DVD Boxed Set (Platinum Disc, 2005)). [Category: Hollywood]
Casper the Friendly Ghost goes to the moon to see if he’ll get a better reception there. There he meets some tiny moon people who look way too much like Smurfs for comfort. They don’t like him any better than the Earthlings, but change their minds after he helps them defeat the evil Tree People (“How would you like it if somebody picked your apples?”––no, that’s The Wizard of Oz). This defies so many rules of science, not to mention theology, that it’s not funny. If you can get past their sickly sweetness, these Casper cartoons get weirder the more you think about them.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Charley – Matches (film #44 on National Archives). [Category: Educational]
This time, Charley knocks over his owner’s block tower in order to keep him from playing with matches. Again, this is cute and charming, and probably was effective for its intended audience.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Buying Stamps from Rural Wagon, U.S.P.O. (film #25 on America at Work, America at Leisure. Also in the Historical section of Open Video Project). [Category: Early Film & TV]
Uh, this doesn’t look like a person buying stamps from a rural wagon. This looks like a mailman delivering mail to a woman living in a brownstone apartment house in someplace like Brooklyn. But maybe the brownstone is out in the middle of nowhere, and the wagon is off camera. Nevertheless, this leaves me scratching my head. A 1903 Biograph film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: **.
A Few Quick Facts (film #22 on The Complete Uncensored Private SNAFU DVD (Image Entertainment, 1999)). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
GIs are told that too much spending on their part can cause runaway inflation, resulting in poverty for the local population, and they are advised to save their money for the future instead. Although Private SNAFU appears and illustrates these points visually, there is little of the usual humor found in Private SNAFU cartoons, making this more of a short training film than a cartoon.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Axe Trailer (extra on The Child DVD (Something Weird, 2001)). [Category: Commercial]
Disturbing trailer for the 70s slasher flick Axe, in which a rape victim gets revenge with the help of a handy hatchet. Not for the squeamish.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
Castel: The Quest for Eternity (film #2 in The Arts section of the State of Israel section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]
This film profiles the Israeli artist Moshe Castel, showing lots of his artworks and letting you see him in his studio creating. Unfortunately, the narration is in Hebrew, so it’s hard to follow if you don’t know the language. Still, the visuals are arresting, and that creates some interest anyway. I’d like to know more about this artist.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Decimal Currency – The System (film #37 on National Archives). [Category: Public Service]
British PSA explaining the decimal currency system, which went into effect in 1971. This is told in a straightforward but visually interesting way, with stop-motion animation of coins and bills. A snapshot of a bit of British history.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Anemic Cinema (film #23 on UBUWeb. Also, film #3 on the Light Rhythms disc of Unseen Cinema: Early American Avante-Garde Film 1894-1941 DVD Boxed Set). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]
This film, made by Marcel Duchamp, alternates rotating spirals a la Hypnovision-type movie gimmicks with sentences written in white plastic letters on a black circle, which also rotates. As you might suspect, this is fairly mesmerizing, though I wish I could understand French so I could read the sentences. Many of the spirals are quite beautiful, or maybe I just got hypnotized by them. At any rate, I liked this a lot.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
Election 1970 – BBC News (film #9 in the News section of TVArk). [Category: News]
Brief clip of the opening of election night coverage on BBC in 1970. This is so small and poorly digitized that you can hardly see anything. It does have bombastic music, though.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
Berlin Airlift (film #12 on National Archives). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
This British film documents the Berlin Airlift, when supplies were brought into West Berlin by air after the Soviets blockaded it. This is told in a straightforward and detailed way, with particular emphasis on the types of aircraft used. This has historical value, but no surprises.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Farmer Miller Goes Into High Gear (in the Ephemeral section of Open Video Project. Also, film #502 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Industrial]
This 20s silent film, made by Goodyear, tries to sell farmers on rubber tires for their tractors, a new idea back in the 20s. Farmer Miller writes to Better Farming magazine, asking what’s all the hoohah about rubber tractor tires. The editor writes back and encourages Farmer Miller to visit a farm equipment dealer for the real scoop. Farmer Miller does and he finds out his neighbor has been using rubber tires and loves ‘em. Meanwhile, his son Bob goes one better and visits the Goodyear factory and sees how tires are made. Farmer Miller is convinced, and he is so happy with his new Goodyear tractor tires that he writes the editor of Better Farming back to report his good news. The editor runs the letter in the next issue, along with an article about the National Plowing Champion, who also uses Goodyear tires. This is a great example of an early industrial film, and it contains most of the elements that would become standard later on, such as a personalized story and factory tour footage. Farm equipment buffs should enjoy this film very much, as it has lots of footage of old tractors and other farm equipment in action. The film documents an interesting period in the history of farming, when rubber tires eclipsed steel wheels, which gives it a lot of historical value as well.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
Bold King Cole (film #4 on 11 Cartoons Starring Felix the Cat DVD (PC Treasures, 2005)). [Category: Hollywood]
Felix the Cat helps Old King Cole battle some ghosts with the help of handy lightning bolts. This later Felix, though not quite as much fun as the early ones, is wonderfully weird. Especially weird is the rather disturbing device the ghosts use to rid Old King Cole of his hot air, and the way the lightning turns Felix’s head into a lamp. I usually don’t like these later Felixes, but I have to admit this is one of the better ones.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Charley – In the Kitchen (film #43 on National Archives). [Category: Educational]
After being splattered by hot grease, Charley the cat tells his owner to stay away from the stove, in his incomprehensible language that only the owner can translate. Again, this is charming and cute.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Butterflies (film #5 on Early Sci-Fi Fantasy Films (Buyer’s Gallery Home Video). [Category: Early Film & TV]
A Japanese chorus line (well, it looks like one) and a magician create a human butterfly with ever-changing colored wings. All goes well until she courts a black moth, who must be destroyed. His death scene leaves no scenery unchewed. As you might expect, this is a Melies film. There’s some footage at the end of a bunch of serpentine dancers and a magician; I’m not sure if this is part of the movie or not. A Melies film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Golden Gate City (film #607 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Hollywood]
This 30s Castle film is a standard-issue travelogue about San Francisco. Some of the more interesting moments include four lanes of streetcar tracks on Market Street, scenes of coin-making inside the U.S. Mint, and some of the scenes of Chinatown. If you're looking for footage of San Francisco in the 30s, this is your film. Otherwise, it's pretty ordinary.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Atragon Trailer (extra on Atragon DVD (Toho, 2005)). [Category: Commercial]
Original Japanese trailer for the monster movie Atragon. I find these Japanese trailers fascinating and a lot of fun, as they give you an idea of how the acting actually was, and the Japanese captions are cool-looking. This is a fun one, featuring a sea serpent monster, a woman with neon red hair, and a cast of thousands. It’s letterboxed and beautifully preserved, too.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
A Colony Is Born (film #15 in the Pre-State section of Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]
This silent French film from the 40s shows us a group of Jewish pioneers building a colony in Israel. This basically covers the same ground as Collective Adventure, only much more primitively. This gives it more of an outsider film feel, though the lack of soundtrack and the French title cards make it hard to follow, which lowers the interest level considerably. Still, this has historical value.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: **.
Clunk Click – Shopping with Jimmy Saville (film #39 on National Archives). [Category: Public Service]
70s British PSA featuring a popular DJ reminding drivers to fasten their seatbelts, even for short trips. There’s a mild shock sequence of a woman going through the windshield, but mostly this is a DJ repeating a catchy phrase.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
The Andy Griffith Show #6 (film #6 on Side A of Disc #8 of TV Favorites DVD Megapack (Treeline Films, 2003)). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]
When a goat eats a box of dynamite, it brings out the weirdness in the people of Mayberry. The blasting engineer looks suspiciously like the guy from Don’t Touch, and the Warner Brothers cartoon influence is apparent again as Barney lights his cigarette lighter in a room full of dynamite (he doesn’t blow sky-high, though). This is one of the wackier Andy Griffiths, which makes it a classic.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
BBC2 News Extra Close (film #26 on TVArk). [Category: News]
Very brief clip of the closing of a 1973 news show on BBC2. This was hardly worth preserving.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: **. Overall Rating: *.
Atomic Achievement (film #24 on National Archives). [Category: Military & Propaganda]
This 50s British film documents and explains the rise of nuclear power in England. It goes into great detail about how nuclear power is generated, going so far as to explain how uranium ore is processed and how plutonium is made. No downside or risks are shown, and nuclear power in general is shown to be the greatest thing since sliced bread. But other than that, this is a classy and well made film, though it drags a bit in spots. Considering it was made in 1956, it’s surprising to see how much nuclear energy and experimentation was going on in England at the time. They even show a whole bunch of dots on a map to represent nuclear reactors or research stations, and they’re all over the island. Let’s hope they’re all reasonably safe. The visuals in the film look more modern than 1956, making the film somewhat ahead of its time. All in all, this film has a lot of historical value in documenting the history of nuclear energy in Britain.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Farm Petroleum Safety (film #1821 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Industrial]
This 50s film was designed to warn farmers of the dangers of petroleum products and show them how to handle them safely. It starts at a county fair, where the local Farm Safety Committee, aided by the fire department, gives a speech and demonstration on petroleum products and their dangers. This is fun to watch, with lots of dramatic demonstrations of things burning and blowing up, feeling very much like an actual demonstration one might watch at a county fair. Then Jim, a teenager whose family house burned down when his mother unwisely poured kerosene on the fire of the wood-burning stove. This story, though typically tearjerking and dramatic, is actually well told enough to have some impact. It actually stirred some emotion from me, which is unusual for these types of safety films. I think it’s because they presented the tragedy in a straightforward and realistic fashion, pulling no punches, and avoiding scenery-chewing for the most part. Overall, this is a charming film which makes its points well and was probably effective for its intended audience.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.
County Government (film #372 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]
Dry, straightforward 50s film explaining the various aspects of county government. It is thorough, meaning it probably fulfilled its educational purpose in its time. And it has historical value as a snapshot of county government during the 50s. But its entertainment value is practically nil.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: *. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: **.
Blacksmith Song – Spike Jones (extra on Seven Keys to Baldpate DVD). [Category: Hollywood]
Let me first just say that I didn’t need to see Spike Jones with his shirt off. Now that I’ve gotten that off of my chest (insert drum riff here), let me just say that a pantomime horse is a great addition to this soundie, especially when he starts singing. Which is a good thing, as the song is one of Spike Jone’s weaker efforts. This is a wonderfully weird short, though.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Charley – Falling in the Water (film #42 on National Archives). [Category: Educational]
Charming British PSA for children in which Charley the cat falls into the lake where his owner and his dad are fishing and nearly drowns. This is dramatic and almost upsetting, but not too much. Then the little boy who owns Charley translates Charley’s sputters into English, telling children to stay close to their parents when near water. This is cute and quite effective in getting its message across.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.
Buster’s Revenge on the Tramp (film #50 on Edison Film Archive). [Category: Early Film & TV]
While the maid sleeps, Buster ties her apron around her head so he can get into the jam. A tramp crawls through the window and helps him get the jar down, but when he hogs all the jam, Buster calls his mama in to help. Havoc ensues. One of the sillier Buster Brown films. A 1904 Edison film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
Drunkard's Child (film #8 on The Origins of Cinema, Volume 5: Griffith and Lubin (Video Yesteryear, 1997)). [Category: Early Film & TV]
This has all the melodramatic elements you need to tug at the heartstrings: a crippled boy, a dying mother, a drunken cad of a father, honesty rewarded, an unpaid mortgage, a happy ending. Of course, that makes it campy fun today. A 1909 Lubin film.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
The Anthrophagous Beast Trailer (extra on Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror DVD (Shriek Show, 2005)). [Category: Commercial]
This trailer for a 70s horror film mainly features scenes of people exploring an old dark house interspersed with scenes of blood and gore, while really annoying electronic music plays on the soundtrack. I have no doubt that the actual film is two hours of the same thing. As trailers go, this is, uh, anthrophagous, meaning its pretty cheesy.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.
The Amazing Transplant Trailer (extra on The Amazing Transplant DVD (Something Weird, 2001)). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]
Sleazy and disturbing trailer for the 70s X-rated sci-fi sex-psycho film The Amazing Transplant. They don’t get specific about what was transplanted, but it seems pretty obvious. This probably brought in the audience it was aimed at, but it’s not something I find particularly pleasant.Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: **.
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: ****.
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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 ...
