"With While the Earth Remaineth, Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award winner for 1945, Frank E. Gunnell crowns a long and distinguished career in the history of personal motion pictures. Beginning ten years ago with Adirondack Adventure, a Ten Best winner on 400 feet of black and white film, this career now embraces no less than ten award winners in nearly every category of amateur movies. Mr. Gunnell's chef d'oeuvre is a stirring and splendid climax to these efforts. The film is based upon the twenty second verse of the eighth chapter of Genesis, wherein the Lord pledges that He shall never again smite the earth, as He had done in the recent Deluge: For while the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heal, and summer and ivinter, and day and night. shall not cease. Beginning with this great and noble theme, Mr. Gunnell doubles back in his production to show the creation of this Earth which the Lord has blessed. Here, used interpretively rather than for itself alone, Mr. Gunnell's superb craftsmanship with the camera rises to new heights of power and dignity. His sequences suggesting the formation of the cosmos and the first coming of light to the new planet are among the most stirring and purely creative passages in the history of amateur movies. His use of already existing scenes — a geyser or boiling springs of mud — to suggest the primordial genesis are imaginative editing at its highest plane. Flowers, fruits and the fowls of the air take on new beauty in Mr. Gunnell's moving testament to God's handiwork. As befits such a splendid theme, While the Earth Remaineth is scored with music of great stature. Presented with the picture are passages from Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony; the Symphony in D Minor, by Cesar Franck; Robert Schumann's Third Symphony; Harold in Italy, by Berlioz; the Deems Taylor suite, Through the Looking Glass; Omphale's Spinning Wheel, by Saint-Saens. and the Symphony in D Major, by Haydn." Movie Makers, Dec. 1945, 477, 494.
"Kyle Holmes has also turned his camera toward the recording of Shifting Whispering Sands and has used scenes of the desert country to blend with the old desert character. This film is less critical in the use of scenes, leaving to the imagination the privilege of filling in some of the details. It is most unusual that two almost identical films are entered in the same contest. It happened here and the two films were rated as almost equal" PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 53.
"Members of the Morley family are seen walking through the countryside and a forest area. They are seen relaxing on a beach. Includes shots of the children paddling in the sea; making sand castles and watching a Punch and Judy Show. Continues with various activities talking place around a harbour. A group of fishermen are seen standing on the quayside - smoking, talking and securing their boats. Also features scenes of the countryside around Whitby and the lakes. Concludes with footage of a little girl playing on a homemade swing hanging from a tree; stroking a donkey in a field; playing pitch and putt golf and dancing around in circles with a woman; as they walk along a country lane" (NWFA Online Database).
"The solid splendor of Dutch colonial existence in South Africa is attractively recreated in White Gables, by G. Brian McIntosh. Moving out from Capetown, the film carries one swiftly over the barrier crags of Table Mountain into the fertile valley beyond. Here, surrounded by its flowers and fields of grape, stands Groot Constantia, the great and graceful manor house built by Governor Simon van der Stel in 1685. Mr. Mcintosh presents it with sympathy, imagination and skill. Scene flows into scene, sequence into sequence, with a suave progression which could have been achieved only by the most cunning advanced plan. A gracious lady in 17th Century dress moves through the terraced grounds on the gentle errands of that leisured age. White Gables is a bright and glowing evocation of mood and manner which now are history." Movie Makers, Dec. 1946, 489.
"White Hearts, filmed by William R. Hutchinson, whose Blossom Forth the Fruit placed in Ten Best last year, presents further evidence of Mr. Hutchinson's understanding of the treatment necessary in handling progressive developments in nature when it is used for educational subjects. This story of celery raising begins with shots of farmers preparing the rich black soil and concludes with sequences showing the produce, packaged, ready for shipment. One of the difficulties overcome was the achievement of variety of value in the scenes showing the white celery stalks in contrast with extremely dark earth. Human interest is introduced by including intimate shots of the workers. Logical progression, interesting compositional effects and a genuine feeling for texture and tactile values make this a fine study picture." Movie Makers, Dec. 1942, 508.
"Myron F. Pettengill was awarded the trophy for Scenario pictures. This is a 16mm film of about 400 ft. It is a story of the Northwest Mounted. Pettingill is to be commended for his direction, his types, and the way in which he costumed his people. He injected little touches in his characters that left no doubt as to what they represented. He costumed them convincingly. It had many indoor scenes and of course a large amount of outdoor snow scenes. There was a fine handling of the camera." American Cinematographer, Jan. 1937, 25.
"a dialogue story written specially to suit synchronised disc recording" (HMHT 1933: 197).
"Using black and white film, Carl D. Frazier has produced a tightly knit and well paced farce of a married couple and a burglar. Excellent lighting of wholly interior settings shows study of the monochrome medium and, properly exploited, how it can result in sparkling results. The acting is adequate for the simple plot, but it is the camera work and editing that make the film above average." Movie Makers, Dec. 1949, 472.
"Who's Got the Bucket? is a color cartoon that is funny enough to win the Humorous Award. This year's 3-minute entry by John Guirk of Brooklyn is so different in its art technique that it could almost be classified as an experimental or an abstract film. It's fast moving and holds audience interest to the very end" PSA Journal, Nov. 1969, 56.
"Amateur filmmaker, cinema historian and railway engineer H.A.V. Bulleid presents a comedy of manners featuring a mysterious arrival from a distant land. A family endure a group photograph, taken by their maid, but are interrupted by the arrival of a letter announcing the imminent visit of an Australian cousin named Kit, and his companion, named only as 'Pilkington'. The daughter speculates over the identity of Pilkington, hoping for a notorious Australian bushranger, but Cousin Kit arrives accompanied only by a large cardboard box. Inside is the answer to all their questions - a dog - the very same Mr. Pilkington. But will Kit and Pilkington upset the normal balance of the family? Or will the family only upset their Antipodean cousins? And will Kit achieve his aim of finding an English wife?" (EAFA Database)
Total Pages: 203
Amateur Cinema