Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Apr 10, 2017 22:02:19 GMT
Mostly short films. Things linked to are either uploaded by the copyright holder, or are public domain (though I admit I don't know the copyright status of the 19th century French short)
FILM:
The Bushman Goes Home (1948, Australia, 10 minutes) - 7/10. Short documentary about cattle farming. Also features some footage of the city of Melbourne. Not particularly well-directed, but still interesting and entertaining.
Children of the City (1944, UK, 30 minutes) - 7/10. A film (a sort of documentary, though the characters are fictional) about kids who get into crime. Appears on the DVD set "The COI Collection - Volume 1 - Police and Thieves".
Babbage (1968, USA, 4 minutes) - 7/10. A very short documentary about Charles Babbage's calculating machine. I'd like to see a longer documentary about the same subject.
The Cobweb Hotel (1936, USA, 8 minutes) - 8/10. Fun little cartoon in which a spider is out-witted by some flies.
Our Firemen (1951, Australia, 8 minutes) - 7.5/10. A classroom film, but better than most. Surprisingly it has a female director, and even more surprising, it appears to have been shown in at least one theatre (a classroom film given a theatrical release? Really?).
Anything Can Happen (1973, UK, 20 minutes) - 7/10. Police recruitment film. It appears on the "Police and Thieves" DVD set. The most unusual thing about this film is that it is MUCH more dated than the older films on the DVD set. Somehow, 1970s always seems more dated than the 1950s.
Four Men in Prison (1950, UK, 39 minutes) - 7.5/10. Also from the"Police and Thieves" DVD set. This film, although a drama, did not see theatrical release. According to the liner notes of the DVD, the film was very rarely seen, and was "produced for magistrates and other people concerned with the administration of justice". Despite its limited viewing, it is a fairly well-made film, in fact it is a lot better produced than some films which *did* theatrical release.
Across the Frontiers (1953, Australia, 10 minutes) - 7/10. This is a documentary short about the work of UNESCO, taken from an Australian perspective. In itself it is not a great film, but the fact it can be viewed is incredible. Just 15 years ago, a short like this went unseen. Now it can be viewed easily on YouTube. I am hoping more shorts become available for viewing.
Two Wheel Worship (1959, Australia, 10 minutes) - 7/10. You've probably seen a safe driving film before, and you may have seen some Australian films, but have you ever seen an Australian safe driving film? Gee, I didn't even know the country produced such films until I was searching around YouTube. This one is aimed at motorcyclists, and is complete with smoking bikers in leather jackets. I think the director had watched a few too many American films!
Polyorchis Haplus (1970, USA, 3 minutes) - 7/10. Just footage of a jellyfish. What more could you want? With its piano score, I found this tiny film to be rather relaxing.
Laughing Gas (1914, USA, 13 minutes) - 7.5/10. One of those violent comedies Charlie Chaplin did at the Keystone company. You either love 'em or hate 'em.
Is Anybody Doing Anything About It? (1967, Australia, 25 minutes) - 7.5/10. This is a sort of "Mad Men" 1960s, mid-century modern, instructional film about weather forecasting, and how it effects people, done in the form of a drama.
Hawaiian Birds (1936, USA, 9 minutes) - 7.5/10. Interesting that they got away with showing an attempted suicide in a Technicolor cartoon. I often rather surprised by what I see in 1930s animation, even in production-code era shorts like this.
Life of an American Fireman (1903, USA, 7 minutes) - 7.5/10. A well-done drama film for its era. Some aspects of the film are odd by modern standards. In particular, the editing style (same event shown twice, from two different perspectives) is something one wouldn't see in a film from just a few years later.
La défense du drapeau (1897, France, less than 1 minute) - 7/10. Cute little film depicting a bloody battle.
One Week (1920, USA, 25 minutes) - 8/10. Very amusing Buster Keaton short.
Jacaranda Festival (1949, Australia, 7 minutes) - 7.5/10. Colourful film depicting a festival themed around the Jacaranda tree. Nothing outstanding about this film, but it is very enjoyable.
The Property Man (1914, USA, 24 minutes) - 8/10. A lot of people really hate this film. But I enjoyed it! There's something delightful about such a sadistic comedy.
A Day At The Zoo (1956, Australia, 10 minutes) - 7.5/10. A simple but entertaining classroom film about a trip to the zoo.
The Face on the Barroom Floor (1914, USA, 12 minutes) - 7/10. Not a particularly funny film, but I found it amusing.
Aircraft at Work (1966, Australia, 17 minutes) - 7.5/10. A documentary about aviation. A short history is given, but most of the running time focuses on the then-present day. We are shown how airplanes help provide contact between the big cities and the small rural towns. We are also shown how doctors visit remote areas via aeroplane. This was intended as a classroom film, but it doesn't "feel" like one. There's none of the condescending narration or "prim and proper" casts that I've come to associate with classroom films.
Recreation (1914, USA, 6 minutes) - 7/10. Some of the worst picture quality I've ever seen. I've seen Mutoscopes that looked better than this! But hey, any comedy featuring brick throwing is fine with me.
The Lovers! (1973, UK, 85 minutes) - 7.5/10. This is a feature film adaptation of the hit sitcom. I've always liked Paula Wilcox as an actress, and Richard Beckinsale is also a good actor, and they help the film overcome its not-very-funny script. It was also interesting to see Manchester in the early 1970s.
The Expanding Airport (1958, USA, 9 minutes) - 7.5/10. A mix of drawings in this film, which proposes a new sort of airport with lounges that move to the plane. I love these 1950s films with failed never-going-to-go-anywhere technology.
Mooching Through Georgia (1939, USA, 19 minutes) - 7/10. Decent comedy short starring Buster Keaton.
Australia at School (1947, Australia, 19 minutes) - 7/10. A rather dry non-theatrical film intended to be shown to British people intending to move to Australia. Historically interesting, sure, but rather dull.
Parade, or Here They Come Down Our Street (1952, USA, 6 minutes) - 7.5/10. A very much WTF-worthy short film, depicting a parade of toys going down a street. Another fascinating film by Charles Eames & Ray Eames.
TELEVISION:
"Mary, Mungo & Midge" - Episode titled "Automatic Machines" (telecast 18 November 1969, UK, 15 minutes) - 7.5/10. This was a cartoon series for children which used to air on the BBC. The series featured a child, a dog and a mouse. They live in one of those "modern" housing developments of the period. The child (Mary) is usually only seen at the start and end of each episode, with the plot usually featuring the dog (Mungo) and the mouse (Midge). Although this isn't a realistic series in the strict sense (the mouse plays the flute, for example), the series is set in the "real world". The series had a contemporary, urban setting, which is unusual for a BBC children's series of the period.
“What’s My Line?” - Episode telecast 24 June 1962 (USA, 25 minutes) - 8/10. In this episode of the long-running game show, the guest panelist is Dave Garroway, and the mystery guest is Jerry Lewis. Jerry Lewis is quickly identified by panelist Bennett Cerf, which is not a surprise since Lewis does a poor job of disguising his voice. The regular contestants include a boomerang maker, a judo instructor, and a female captain of a fishing boat.
"What's My Line?" - Episode telecast 1 July 1962 (USA, 25 minutes) - 7.5/10. Guest panelist is Allen Ludden, mystery guest is Anne Bancroft. Regular contestants include a crab fisherwoman and a "human bomb" act.
"The Fosters" - Episode titled "That Lovely Weekend" (relecast 14 May 1977, UK, 25 minutes) - 7.5/10. This was the first UK sitcom with an all-Black cast. It lasted two seasons, both of which were longer than the usual UK TV season.
FILM:
The Bushman Goes Home (1948, Australia, 10 minutes) - 7/10. Short documentary about cattle farming. Also features some footage of the city of Melbourne. Not particularly well-directed, but still interesting and entertaining.
Children of the City (1944, UK, 30 minutes) - 7/10. A film (a sort of documentary, though the characters are fictional) about kids who get into crime. Appears on the DVD set "The COI Collection - Volume 1 - Police and Thieves".
Babbage (1968, USA, 4 minutes) - 7/10. A very short documentary about Charles Babbage's calculating machine. I'd like to see a longer documentary about the same subject.
The Cobweb Hotel (1936, USA, 8 minutes) - 8/10. Fun little cartoon in which a spider is out-witted by some flies.
Our Firemen (1951, Australia, 8 minutes) - 7.5/10. A classroom film, but better than most. Surprisingly it has a female director, and even more surprising, it appears to have been shown in at least one theatre (a classroom film given a theatrical release? Really?).
Anything Can Happen (1973, UK, 20 minutes) - 7/10. Police recruitment film. It appears on the "Police and Thieves" DVD set. The most unusual thing about this film is that it is MUCH more dated than the older films on the DVD set. Somehow, 1970s always seems more dated than the 1950s.
Four Men in Prison (1950, UK, 39 minutes) - 7.5/10. Also from the"Police and Thieves" DVD set. This film, although a drama, did not see theatrical release. According to the liner notes of the DVD, the film was very rarely seen, and was "produced for magistrates and other people concerned with the administration of justice". Despite its limited viewing, it is a fairly well-made film, in fact it is a lot better produced than some films which *did* theatrical release.
Across the Frontiers (1953, Australia, 10 minutes) - 7/10. This is a documentary short about the work of UNESCO, taken from an Australian perspective. In itself it is not a great film, but the fact it can be viewed is incredible. Just 15 years ago, a short like this went unseen. Now it can be viewed easily on YouTube. I am hoping more shorts become available for viewing.
Two Wheel Worship (1959, Australia, 10 minutes) - 7/10. You've probably seen a safe driving film before, and you may have seen some Australian films, but have you ever seen an Australian safe driving film? Gee, I didn't even know the country produced such films until I was searching around YouTube. This one is aimed at motorcyclists, and is complete with smoking bikers in leather jackets. I think the director had watched a few too many American films!
Polyorchis Haplus (1970, USA, 3 minutes) - 7/10. Just footage of a jellyfish. What more could you want? With its piano score, I found this tiny film to be rather relaxing.
Laughing Gas (1914, USA, 13 minutes) - 7.5/10. One of those violent comedies Charlie Chaplin did at the Keystone company. You either love 'em or hate 'em.
Is Anybody Doing Anything About It? (1967, Australia, 25 minutes) - 7.5/10. This is a sort of "Mad Men" 1960s, mid-century modern, instructional film about weather forecasting, and how it effects people, done in the form of a drama.
Hawaiian Birds (1936, USA, 9 minutes) - 7.5/10. Interesting that they got away with showing an attempted suicide in a Technicolor cartoon. I often rather surprised by what I see in 1930s animation, even in production-code era shorts like this.
Life of an American Fireman (1903, USA, 7 minutes) - 7.5/10. A well-done drama film for its era. Some aspects of the film are odd by modern standards. In particular, the editing style (same event shown twice, from two different perspectives) is something one wouldn't see in a film from just a few years later.
La défense du drapeau (1897, France, less than 1 minute) - 7/10. Cute little film depicting a bloody battle.
One Week (1920, USA, 25 minutes) - 8/10. Very amusing Buster Keaton short.
Jacaranda Festival (1949, Australia, 7 minutes) - 7.5/10. Colourful film depicting a festival themed around the Jacaranda tree. Nothing outstanding about this film, but it is very enjoyable.
The Property Man (1914, USA, 24 minutes) - 8/10. A lot of people really hate this film. But I enjoyed it! There's something delightful about such a sadistic comedy.
A Day At The Zoo (1956, Australia, 10 minutes) - 7.5/10. A simple but entertaining classroom film about a trip to the zoo.
The Face on the Barroom Floor (1914, USA, 12 minutes) - 7/10. Not a particularly funny film, but I found it amusing.
Aircraft at Work (1966, Australia, 17 minutes) - 7.5/10. A documentary about aviation. A short history is given, but most of the running time focuses on the then-present day. We are shown how airplanes help provide contact between the big cities and the small rural towns. We are also shown how doctors visit remote areas via aeroplane. This was intended as a classroom film, but it doesn't "feel" like one. There's none of the condescending narration or "prim and proper" casts that I've come to associate with classroom films.
Recreation (1914, USA, 6 minutes) - 7/10. Some of the worst picture quality I've ever seen. I've seen Mutoscopes that looked better than this! But hey, any comedy featuring brick throwing is fine with me.
The Lovers! (1973, UK, 85 minutes) - 7.5/10. This is a feature film adaptation of the hit sitcom. I've always liked Paula Wilcox as an actress, and Richard Beckinsale is also a good actor, and they help the film overcome its not-very-funny script. It was also interesting to see Manchester in the early 1970s.
The Expanding Airport (1958, USA, 9 minutes) - 7.5/10. A mix of drawings in this film, which proposes a new sort of airport with lounges that move to the plane. I love these 1950s films with failed never-going-to-go-anywhere technology.
Mooching Through Georgia (1939, USA, 19 minutes) - 7/10. Decent comedy short starring Buster Keaton.
Australia at School (1947, Australia, 19 minutes) - 7/10. A rather dry non-theatrical film intended to be shown to British people intending to move to Australia. Historically interesting, sure, but rather dull.
Parade, or Here They Come Down Our Street (1952, USA, 6 minutes) - 7.5/10. A very much WTF-worthy short film, depicting a parade of toys going down a street. Another fascinating film by Charles Eames & Ray Eames.
TELEVISION:
"Mary, Mungo & Midge" - Episode titled "Automatic Machines" (telecast 18 November 1969, UK, 15 minutes) - 7.5/10. This was a cartoon series for children which used to air on the BBC. The series featured a child, a dog and a mouse. They live in one of those "modern" housing developments of the period. The child (Mary) is usually only seen at the start and end of each episode, with the plot usually featuring the dog (Mungo) and the mouse (Midge). Although this isn't a realistic series in the strict sense (the mouse plays the flute, for example), the series is set in the "real world". The series had a contemporary, urban setting, which is unusual for a BBC children's series of the period.
“What’s My Line?” - Episode telecast 24 June 1962 (USA, 25 minutes) - 8/10. In this episode of the long-running game show, the guest panelist is Dave Garroway, and the mystery guest is Jerry Lewis. Jerry Lewis is quickly identified by panelist Bennett Cerf, which is not a surprise since Lewis does a poor job of disguising his voice. The regular contestants include a boomerang maker, a judo instructor, and a female captain of a fishing boat.
"What's My Line?" - Episode telecast 1 July 1962 (USA, 25 minutes) - 7.5/10. Guest panelist is Allen Ludden, mystery guest is Anne Bancroft. Regular contestants include a crab fisherwoman and a "human bomb" act.
"The Fosters" - Episode titled "That Lovely Weekend" (relecast 14 May 1977, UK, 25 minutes) - 7.5/10. This was the first UK sitcom with an all-Black cast. It lasted two seasons, both of which were longer than the usual UK TV season.