Still image from Land Snakes Alive! in Movie Makers, Dec. 1945, 474.
English
800 ft
16mm
Kodachrome
Silent
"Few individuals make so bold as to approach a snake either in a cage or its natural habitat. Leo J. Heffernan, however, not only approached a large number, but he has made a brilliant record of them in their natural surroundings and normal pursuits. No mere collection of harmless grass, garter and black snakes, this film of the field shows rattlesnakes, copperheads and coral snakes in their deadly dangerousness. Land Snakes Alive! is a comprehensive record of a series of field trips made by a group of amateur herpetologists, specialists in the study of reptilian life. An effective sequence deals with milking a rattlesnake of its venom; here, unusual and intelligent use is made of a split screen which shows simultaneously a medium shot of the subject and a closeup of the detailed action. Although the film is popular in style, it is highly informative. Even persons who shudder at reptiles will find amusement in the scenes of the common hog nose, or puff adder, playing dead when it believes itself in danger. Mr. Heffernan lets snakes put their best coils forward." Movie Makers, Dec. 1945, 494.
Discussed by Heffernan in "Land Snakes Alive!" (Movie Makers, March 1946, 100-101, 113-115). The article extensively describes the background and production and of the film. Film stills are shown.
The film won first award in a Metropolitan Motion Picture Club members' film contest in 1945 (Movie Makers, Jan. 1946, 24).
Do you know where this film is? Get in touch with us at amdb@ucalgary.ca.
Amateur Cinema