"Night Call, made by Elizabeth Sansom, ACL, and Kenneth V. Bloomer, ACL, is noteworthy for its attention to exact detail in the portrayal of an event in the daily (and nightly) routine in the lives of two physicians who receive a "hurry call" to perform an appendicitis operation. Miss Sansom, in the course of the story, films an operation sequence that seems letter perfect, both from the point of view of the operation itself and of the lighting, closeup and photographic technique employed." Movie Makers, Dec. 1933, 523.
"A perfectly delightful holiday in personal filming, replete with humor, and imagination, is the comedy, Nite Life, produced by J. Kinney Moore, entirely in Kodachrome and, what is more, almost entirely in interior Kodachrome, by artificial light. Mr. Moore, in his work, refutes the contention, sometimes heard, that the amateur should be wary of film comedy. And, beside negotiating this pinnacle successfully, the producer has added an outstanding technical handling of Kodachrome, as well as a highly diverting and intelligent use of the various camera illusions it is possible to produce with the aid of modern 16mm. equipment. The obvious zest and pleasure with which the actor producer entered into the creation of this film add immeasurably to its value as a genuine document of personal filming achievement. Examples of carefully planned and executed trick photography follow one another in such rapid succession in the film that the spectator is left time only to gasp. However, these tricks are not executed simply for their own sake, but strictly in accordance with the furtherance of the plot. It must be said that, in the second part of the film, the author does yield slightly to the temptation of attenuating the action somewhat in order to spin out his bag of tricks. But the film as a whole is so delightful that any audience could easily forgive this small shortcoming." Movie Makers, Dec. 1936, 542.
"About two people who read an article on cancer being caused by smoking, and who decides to give it up. Neither does, but their evasions make many humorous situations. They finally catch each other sniping butts and call the whole thing off." PSA Journal, Nov. 1956, 45.
"Not One Word, by Kenneth F. Space, ACL, is an all around triumph of amateur photoplay production. It is a simple melodrama of the keeper of a lighthouse, his wife and the rejected suitor who returns. A wreck at sea (beautifully staged in miniature) is the complicating dramatic factor, and, with these ingredients, a dignified motion picture story of remarkable unity has been produced. In it, Mr. Space and his able staff have blended dramatic lighting, authentic settings and superb photography to achieve a distinguished whole. Under restrained but smoothly paced direction, the three leading players have enacted their roles with definite histrionic skill. If one were to try to select a single quality in the film which is outstandingly brilliant, the vote of this observer would be cast for the cutting. It is accurate and incisive, adding that last bit of dramatic "punch" which is perhaps the quality least often achieved by the amateur producer. Not One Word speaks for itself, but in the wordless and potent idiom of cinematic imagination." Movie Makers, Dec. 1934, 534.
The film chronicles the struggles of young medical interns who had to perform compulsory rural service as part of their medical training.
"Neither the lead title nor the unpretentious opening scenes — as a small boy is seen building a crude toy boat — prepares the spectator for the pure enchantment of One Summer Day. For, almost unrealized even as it happens, the film melts with incredible smoothness from live action into animation and make-believe. The toy boat becomes a pirate galleon of old, a flower a maiden in distress and a twig her gallant suitor, as there unfolds a tale of romantic derring-do. Under cover of darkness, the pirates plot to kidnap the lady, whose protector, a humble fisherman, is away at his nets. He returns, only to be bested in the ensuing sword play, yet, undaunted, he still gives chase. With the help of a friendly whale, he overtakes the pirates, frees his lady and, as the galleon goes down in flames, the lovers return to shore, to live happily ever after. Then, as quietly as it all began, we are back at the edge of the sunlit pond. The boy lifts his boat from the water and turns homeward. And yet, through the true magic of the movies, we have entered for a brief moment childhood's enchanted world. Highly imaginative camera handling, technical skill and a keen sense of cinematic values make this an outstanding example of personal filming. The musical accompaniment and sound effects (including the cling-clang-cling of clashing swords) complement the picture perfectly. Glen Turner has added a new dimension to amateur filming with this simple story so superbly told in its brief 350 feet of 8mm. film." Movie Makers, Dec. 1949, 452-453.
"Operation On The Brain, 300 ft., 16mm., made by Ernest Page and William Palmer, is a splendid record of a surgical operation. The film's most prominent quality is its fine definition. Correct exposure and careful lighting produced a clean cut and understandable scientific record. Closeups, made with a telephoto lens, were correctly interspersed with the longer shots to emphasize the important details. Variation in camera position is as important in films of operations as in other types of subject matter. Continuous closeups, often used in films of this nature, may be as unsatisfactory as would be continuous medium shots. Although not planned from the viewpoint of instruction, this picture is probably as satisfactory a surgical record as is possible to make under amateur conditions." Movie Makers, Dec. 1930, 759.
"doc. scientifico"/scientific documentary
"doc. scientifico"/scientific documentary
"Operazioni, III, realizzato da Gian Luigi Dorigo, nella Sala Operatoria della Divisione Chirurgica Ortopedica del prof. Francesco Delitala, Ospedale Civile di Venezia. Il film fa parte della Serie delle Operazioni che Gian Luigi Dorigo sta realizzando con l'intento di interpretare gli interventi chirurgici in forma non inespressiva, come fino ad oggi i documentarii scientifici, ma valendosi dei mezzi precipi del cinematografo, e in una parola, del montaggio, per la più chiara ed evidente dimostrazione dell'assunto. La pellicola col titolo Una Mattina di Operazione ha partecipato ai Littoriali riscuotendo vivo interessamento. Gian Luigi Dorigo descrive in un articolo su questo numero le sue opinioni nei riguardi del film scientifico."
"Operations, III, made by Gian Luigi Dorigo, in the Operating Room of the Orthopedic Surgery Division of Prof. Francesco Delitala, Civil Hospital of Venice. The film is part of the Series of Operations that Gian Luigi Dorigo is making with the intent to represent the surgical interventions in an expressive way, as up to now the scientific documentaries, but availing himself of the specific means of cinema, and in a word, the montage, for the clearest and most obvious demonstration of the thesis. The film with the title Una Mattina di Operazione (A Morning of Operation) participated in the Littoriali, attracting great interest. Gian Luigi Dorigo describes his opinions on scientific films in an article in this issue."
—Il ventuno 28 (Review of the G.U.F. of Venice), May 1935, p. 16"
Total Pages: 10
Amateur Cinema