The Cuckoo (film #373 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Educational]

Silent nature film from the 20s about the bizarre reproductive habits of the cuckoo, that bird that lays eggs in other birds’ nests and tricks the other birds into raising its young. The film is well organized and explained, but unfortunately some of the key footage is rather hard to see. Still, it’s fun to watch the filmmaker get into a giant fake bush in order to film the cuckoo at work.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.