"A two-part lecture travelogue film on the state of Arizona. The film would have been originally presented with live narration by the filmmaker, Robert Davis. Part one includes footage of desert landscapes, ranches, pre-historic artifacts, Native American art production & industry (wigs, textiles, etc), saloons, regional industry (logging, agricultural, and dams). Part two also includes footage of desert landscapes, cacti and dams as well as scenes from Phoenix and the surrounding area. Highlights from part two include a tour of a trailer park and footage of people skiing and sledding down a snowy hill." Chicago Film Archives.
Chronicle of 1939 Banff Winter carnival, including views of Main Street of Banff, ice castle, carnival queen, figure skating, skiing and ski jumping.
"Film is made up of a variety of short segments. Included is clip of a man fishing in an old mill stream, a New Year's Eve party, people toboganning and skiing, a time lapse of a cigarette burning, the Toronto skyline, and Niagara Falls" Archives of Ontario.
"A family film with intertitles made for the Amateur Cinema League. The film follows the adventures of Herbert Miller, Jr., with his parents, his dog Chips, and his toys, including a pedal car and a teddy bear. Other segments show a ski trip to Mount Hood and a Miller's Paint store." Archives West.
"A down mountain ski run, etched against a filtered sky and set in a world of fantastic snow shapes and incredible beauty, is the theme of Mount Zao, which was filmed on the Japanese mountain of that name. Khoji Tsukamoto has mastered the technique of back lighting the dramatic turns, stems and jumps of a down mountain run so that they are framed against luminous clouds of powdered snow. The ski runners are always preceded by an ubiquitous cameraman who has invariably chosen the most effective angle for each scene of his closely knit sequences. The result is as smooth a picture of skiing as the screen has seen. In sequencing, editing and the nuances of tempo, this film is near the top. And particularly praiseworthy is the way in which the cameraman has involved backgrounds of astonishing natural beauty with foregrounds of interest compelling action." Movie Makers, Dec. 1937, 603, 626.
"In Ski Legs, the family filming team of Cinecoles has produced an able and amusing farce comedy on the perils of skiing for the novice. Spurred on by the waning love of his onetime sweetheart — newly devoted to the current ski champion — the hero risks life and limb on the snowy trails, to win out in the end through a series of adroitly conceived mishaps. The film is a pat illustration of the oft spoken truism that the best humor for amateur films is the humor of situation, not the "funny" acting of the actors. To Charles Coles goes the credit for crisp and competent photography, with Robert Coles responsible for the direction of a well developed plot and its genuinely amusing "gags." " Movie Makers, Dec. 1939, 635.
"A Ski Story, by Albert E. Sigal, has been two years in the making — but it has been well worth the effort. Laid against the scenic grandeur of Yosemite National Park, the picture is eloquent testimony both to the thrills and the dynamic beauty of the sport of skiing. Mr. Sigal begins his story slowly with an introductory sequence which sets the mood of the piece. Sequences then follow in leisurely progression of the activities of the ski school, the joys of a hot lunch served alfresco beside the clubhouse, down mountain racing and cross country rambling. Mr. Sigal's consistently good color cinematography benefits to a degree by the clarity of the Western air, a boon so often denied to skiing movie makers on Eastern slopes." Movie Makers, Dec. 1943, 477.
"Filmed by John C. Jay, Jr., ACL, of Williams College, Skis Over Skoki was shown recently at the Eleventh Annual Show of Amateur Motion Pictures, sponsored by Duncan MacD. Little, ACL. Mr. Jay's film, which is 400 feet of 16mm. Kodachrome, accompanied by sound on disc, was made for the Canadian Pacific Railway and will be shown by them to major ski clubs throughout the country. The film outlines a short story of a girl who, having grown bored with the usual mountain trails, leaves her guide during one of the downhill runs and starts over treacherous territory alone. How she ends her journey and what happens en route are shown by Mr. Jay in some of his finest pictures of skiing, a field in which he is an expert. He has made several films of skiing in the past" Movie Makers, June, 1940, 279.
"Telemark, filmed in the Swiss Alps by William G. McKelvy, ACL, is, as its name suggests, a skiing picture. However, it is more than that — it is also a very delightful and neatly plotted comedy that is the more convincing for being uncomplicated with the usual subsidiary plot and counter plot. Four or five youths who are expert skiers, one who is a novice, and a girl are at the beginning of a down mountain ski trail. The girl offers a kiss to the boy who can catch her. She tarts off, the able skiers follow hard on her trail, while the beginner stumbles and lags far behind. But the girl decides to trick her pursuers and hides on the way. The ending is obvious. The picture was exquisitely planned and sequenced for, as the camera follows the skiers down the mountain, there is complete smoothness in the shift of viewpoints. The action is made the occasion of splendid studies, as the boys on the run swerve and turn in stems, Christianias and Telemarks. Mr. McKelvy did not neglect to select charming compositions and to take full advantage of clear air and the contrast between the dark figures and trees and the white snow." Movie Makers, Dec. 1933, 500.
"Winged Hickory on the high snow-covered slopes in the area of Aspen, Colorado (not far from Denver) is a nostalgic piece of winter ski sports by Theodore H. Sarchin. Aspen is a famous old, deserted silver mining town that has been rejuvenated by ski enthusiasts taking advantage of the excellent slopes and weather conditions. The ski lift is the longest in the world. It requires 40 minutes to ride its full length, in two sections, to an elevation of 11,300 feet. There are beginner and novice trails and challenging slopes for the experienced skier. There are vistas of the towering snow-covered mountains as well as activities in camp. During one of the Gala Days, Mr. Sarchin photographed some unusually expert skiers, such as one on tall stilts, and four men on two long skis, sort of like four men on a horse. The beauty and grace of the skiers, speeding along with the snow feathering out behind, make the rugged beauty of the terrain an outstanding picture. The background music is well chosen and Mr. Sarchin's narration is adequate" PSA Journal, Nov. 1957, 53.
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Amateur Cinema