Mostly short films, a single feature film, and some television. Heck, even some theatrical advertisements, a classroom film, a police recruitment film, and other varied stuff.
FILM:European Rest Cure (1904, USA, 13 minutes) - 7.5/10. Amusing little comedy at a time when comedies were still relatively uncommon. I did laugh several times. It helped that I ate two Bacon-and-egg-McMuffins and drank a can of Coca-Cola while watching the film. I find that junk food always improves silent comedies.
This Is York (1953, UK, 20 minutes) - 8/10. Despite the name, this is not a travelogue, but a look into the operations of a train station. I love the B&W photography in this....it doesn't try to be artistic, but it still looks great. From the DVD collection "British Transport Films Collection Volume 1"
How a French Nobleman Got a Wife Through the 'New York Herald' Personal Columns (1904, USA, 8 minutes) - 7.5/10. An entertaining comedy. I was in a good mood when I watched it, and it helped provide some laughs.
Nervy Nat Kisses the Bride (1904, USA, 2 minutes) - 6/10. A primitive attempt at comedy.
East Anglian Holiday (1954, UK, 19 minutes) - 7.5/10. A travelogue, in particular showing historic architecture. From the DVD collection "British Transport Films Collection Volume 1", although it doesn't have anything to do with transport.
Challenge for a Lifetime (1975, UK, 24 minutes) - 7.5/10. Exactly how does one rate this, a police recruitment film? I think it should be rated for its historical value, and it has a good deal of that. From the DVD set "The COI Collection Volume One: Police and Thieves".
Scarecrow Pump (1904, USA, slightly over 1 minute) - 7/10. Simple little comedy film. Might have proven more effective with a longer running time.
The Strenuous Life; or, Anti-Race Suicide (1904, USA, 5 minutes) - 6/10. Dull comedy with no laughs.
E for Experimental (1975, UK, 19 minutes) - 7.5/10. A documentary about an experimental train, APT-E, which was seen as the next big thing. It wasn't. Still, an entertaining look into the development of this train. From the DVD collection "British Transport Films Collection Volume 1".
Bunny Mooning (1937, USA, 6 minutes) - 8/10. Cute little cartoon featuring the animals getting ready for the wedding of two rabbits. This is the kind of cartoon I remember watching on TV as a child (along with more contemporary fare like "Dragon Ball Z" and "Cow and Chicken"....I had varied taste even back then), and I like this kind of cartoon very much.
A Car-Tune Portrait (1937, USA, 7 minutes) - 7/10. A Technicolor cartoon short.
This Year-London (1951, UK, 24 minutes) - 8/10. A documentary showing a bunch of factory workers on their trip to London. Filmed in unintentionally beautiful black-and-white (seriously, for some reason outdoor scenes in 1950s UK always look fabulous in B&W). From the DVD collection "British Transport Films Collection Volume 1".
Peeping Penguins (1937, USA, 6 minutes) - 6.5/10. A dull cartoon of little note, although it is entertaining.
A Day of One's Own (1956, UK, 20 minutes) - 8/10. This film features various women. One women takes a trip to the country to escape her dull daily routine. Another group of women enjoy an outing together. Another women, old and lonely, enjoys her visit to an art gallery. From the DVD collection "British Transport Films Collection Volume 1". The films produced by "British Transport" weren't obscure by any means, they often had theatrical releases and were also shown on television.
Oranges and Lemons (1923, USA, 12 minutes) - 7/10. A routine comedy short, but it amused me. Sometimes it is refreshing to watch an ordinary silent comedy instead of a classic one.
Lunch Hour (1961, UK, 64 minutes) - 7.5/10. A rather odd film, about two people on the verge of an affair, but the woman is a nutcase who can't tell the difference between real-life and fiction.
Pencil Mania (1932, USA, 7 minutes) - 8/10. This cartoon is very weird....but in a good way! This was part of the infamous "Tom and Jerry" series...no, not the cat and mouse, but two humans (one tall, one short) who had their own cartoon series in the early 1930s.
Those Love Pangs (1914, USA, 12 minutes) - 7.5/10. Amusing little Charlie Chaplin comedy for Keystone. Worth 7/10, but given an extra .5 because I enjoyed seeing Charlie Chaplin getting kicked in the ass by a cop....yeah, I'm weird.
Painting People (1965, Australia, 27 minutes) - 8/10. An excellent documentary about portrait paintings. Several artists are interviewed. This is one of many short documentaries produced by the Australian Commonwealth Film Unit during the 1960s.
I watched a number of newsreel items from the "British Pathe" series. These included: "America Comments On The Second Russian Satellite Carrying A Dog" (1957), "News From USA Gas Main Explosion & Vanguard Blows Up" (1957), "Moon Rocket" (1958), "After Sputnik The Moon" (1957), "Florida - Explorer Takes Off" (1958), "Rocket Away!" (1958), "Space Mouse" (1958), "Vanguard Rocket Is Weather Man" (1959), "Moon Picture" (1959), and "Who'll Go To Moon Aka The Rocket Story" (1959).
Time for Love (1935, USA, 7 minutes) - 8/10. A lovely two-colour Technicolor cartoon film.
The Coasts of Clyde (1959, UK, 21 minutes) - 8/10. A charming travelogue, filmed in colour. From the DVD collection "British Transport Films Collection Volume 1", and featuring many scenes on a steamboat.
Cinderella's Love Lesson (1953, USA, 8 minutes) - 7/10. A sort of cheesecake short, no real nudity, but it's sexy in its own way.
Just a shame it doesn't have a happy ending.
Sixpenny Telegram (1935, UK, 5 minutes) - 7.5/10. This is really a theatrical advertisement for the sixpenny telegram, hence the name of the film. It's rather artsy as advertisements go. It notes that the telegram can be sent by making a 1-penny telephone call, which is interesting. With telegrams no longer existing, this advertisement is rather historic. From the DVD collection "The GPO Film Unit Collection, Volume One".
Will the Great Barrier Reef Cure Claude Clough? (1967, Australia, 14 minutes) - 6/10. A good example of how artificial and phony the late 1960s could be. I realise this was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but it still seems forced to me.
Musical Memories (1935, USA, 7 minutes) - 8/10. This is a cartoon short filmed in two-colour Technicolor, and featuring songs of the late-19th-century and early 20th century.
Weather Forecast (1934, UK, 18 minutes) - 7.5/10. A semi-documentary about weather forecasting. From the DVD collection "The GPO Film Unit Collection, Volume One".
The Ex-Convict (1904, USA, 10 minutes) - 8/10. An excellent drama for its era. Admittedly, the storytelling technique is dated, but somehow it still works. The storyline is interesting, and still relevant today.
The Home-Made Car (1963, UK, 28 minutes) - 8/10. An excellent comedy, done entirely without dialogue, about a man restoring an old car. A very classy film. This was originally released theatrically, but actually became better known through heavy TV exposure, being shown many times on BBC2 during the late-1960s/early-1970s. It was actually produced by oil company BP, who had their own film unit in those days, although I wouldn't call it an advertisement.
The Fiberglass Chairs: Something of How They Get the Way They Are (1970, USA, 9 minutes) - 8/10. A documentary about the making of (what else) fiberglass chairs. It shows them being designed and also shows them being manufactured. There's no narration, but the visuals tell the story quite clearly. It's really a lot more interesting than it sounds.
Rail Report 13: On Track for the Eighties (1980, UK, 12 minutes) - 7/10. Back in the 1950s it was common for the ourput of "British Transport Films" to get wide theatrical release. By 1980 this was no longer the case, and the production company ceased operations not long afterwards. In this short, we are shown new trains, old trains, and future trains. There's simply too much material here for 12 minutes. From the DVD collection "British Transport Films Collection Volume 1".
Jolly Fish (1932, USA, 5 minutes or so) - 7.5/10. Amusing cartoon with some clever gags.
Air Post (1935, UK, 11 minutes) - 7.5/10. A short documentary about how air mail works. This must have seemed to ultra-modern at the time. Very interesting to watch. From the DVD collection "The GPO Film Unit Collection, Volume One".
Educated Fish (1937, USA, 8 minutes) - 7.5/10. Cute little cartoon in glorious Technicolor.
Groundwork for Progress (1959, UK, 28 minutes) - 8/10. Interesting documentary, showing the importance of civil engineering, as new train tracks are laid, and new tunnels are built. From the DVD collection "British Transport Films Collection Volume 1".
Timber Town (1972, Australia, 12 minutes) - 7/10. Cutting down trees, planting new trees, and bad hair styles all feature in this short film from the prolific Commonwealth Film Unit. It is interesting but somehow seems more dated than the older shorts I watched.
Kaleidoscope Jazz Chair (1960, USA, 7 minutes) - 7.5/10. I have no idea what this is, how this is, or why this is, but I enjoyed watching it. It consists mainly of a colourful kaleidoscope, and some stop-motion footage of some fiberglass chairs. Fun!
Bullocky (1969, Australia, 13 minutes) - 8/10. Interesting documentary about a "bushman". Another short documentary by the Commonwealth Film Unit. They made a lot of shorts from the late-1940s-onwards, but many aren't listed on IMDb.
The Black Ships (1970, USA, 8 minutes) - 7.5/10. A simple documentary about the first meeting of the Japanese and some Americans, back in the 1850s, as depicted in Japanese drawings of the period.
Atlas (1976, USA, 5 minutes) - 8/10. A very simple educational short, showing how the Roman Empire expanded, and then fell. It it done simply by showing a map with outlines of the different empires, with the outlines expanding and contracting. It sounds boring, but it's really fascinating.
Life In Australia: Hobart (1966, Australia, 20 minutes) - 7.5/10. A documentary, without narration nor dialogue, showing scenes of life in the city of Hobart in the state of Tasmania. Filmed in Eastmancolor, which in a refreshing change of pace hasn't faded. This short was produced to be shown exclusively outside of Australia, to attract people to move there. Once again, by the Commonwealth Film Unit.
The Derwent Valley (1953, Australia, 10 minutes) - 7/10. There's a YouTube channel dedicated to Tasmanian films. This one is the first that I viewed. This is a travelogue. Very low-budget (note the lack of music), yet filmed in colour. Crappy colour film, admittedly, but still colour! The narration isn't much, script is mediocre, and the editing is rough. But, I don't know, I rather enjoyed this short. I look forward to watching additional films from that YouTube channel.
1955 Chevrolet: Rx for Travel--See New Places (1954 though IMDb says 1955, USA, 50 seconds) - 7.5/10. To me, anything shown in cinemas is a film. This commercial was shown in cinemas. Hence I included it in the film list. It is a short 50-second theatrical commercial, filmed in colour, and quite watchable, if only to see the classic car in the ad. This is perfect for use as stock footage.
TELEVISION:Snatch of the Day (1975, UK, 1 minute) - 7/10. A public service announcement about pickpocketers, done in an amusing and light-hearted way that would have grabbed the viewers interest. I'm amazed this is listed on IMDb. I'd like to see more of these. From the DVD set "The COI Collection Volume One: Police and Thieves".
"The Fosters" - Episode titled "The Family Business" (Telecast 21 May 1977, UK, 24 minutes) - 7.5/10. Enjoyable episode of this series, which was the first UK sitcom with an all-Black cast. The series was in fact a remake of the U.S. series "Good Times". From what I've heard, the UK series is lighter, less controversial than the U.S. original (which is a reverse of the usual situation).
A Chance for Brian (1977, UK, 6 minutes) - 7/10. A television short, something you don't see anymore these days, which is a shame. In this short (which looks like a documentary, but it isn't), a teenager named Brian has run away from home, and is suspended at school for stealing. He ends up at a youth club, where he is helped at his education and has positive recreational activities (including a disco!). From the DVD set "The COI Collection Volume One: Police and Thieves".
"The Fosters" - Episode titled "The Bargain" (telecast 28 May 1977, UK, 24 minutes) - 8/10. An early example of British television's fondness for destroying cars. In this case, it is a 1964 Ford Zephyr, which goes over a cliff. Hilarity ensues.
"The Fosters" - Episode titled "The Diet" (telecast 4 June 1977, UK, 25 minutes) - 7.5/10. Funny episode, but too many fat jokes. I'm often amazed by how sitcom writers can produce a show with very few sets; the only sets in this episode are a living room, a kitchen, and a hallway featuring a crappy lift (the characters live in a tower block).
"That's My Boy" - Episode titled "Strictly for the Birds" (telecast: 10 November 1963, UK, 24 minutes) - 7.5/10. This was a sitcom which lasted 7 episodes, produced by commercial TV in the UK, but aired only in the Midlands and Northern England. I don't know why it didn't get shown nationally, as it isn't that bad of a show. It does have a very odd thing about it, in that the lead character is a child, but he's played by a dwarf. This looks very odd to modern viewers, although it was common in British music hall which is where the performer (Jimmy Clitheroe" began his career. I'm actually rather surprised this series has survived, since most shows by the production company were destroyed. Given the obscurity of the series, it's also surprising that it is on DVD, but I'm not complaining. I'd like to see more UK sitcoms of this period on DVD.
"Parkin's Patch" - Episode titled "Hoof Nor Horn" (telecast 19 September 1969, UK, 24 minutes) - 7.5/10. First episode of this short-lived half-hour crime drama. In this episode, some sheep have been stolen.
"Eye on Research" - Episode titled "Test Flight" (originally telecast 12 May 1959, UK, 30 minutes) - 8/10. Interesting live-on-tape broadcast showing the test flight of an experimental airplane. Surprisingly easy to understand despite the complex subject matter. From the DVD set "Visions of Change - Volume 1: BBC 1951-1967".
