"Leo Caloia unlimbered his new Auricon sound camera to produce much of this picture and all of its sound track, but tighter editing as well as better direction would have greatly inproved the result. The continuity has to do with a couple, seen washing the supper dishes, discussing a proposed vacation, for which they have been putting money in a joint bank account. As they discuss the various places they would like to visit, there follow a number of scenes of each, then the camera cuts back to the discussion. The wife is summoned to the door by the mailman, receives a bill from a sporting goods store. She questions her husband about it and he confesses to having spent the proceeds of their bank account for a new set of golf clubs." American Cinematographer, May. 1951, 192.
"Nancy tells and shows in a series of five flashbacks what impressed 12 year old Nancy most during her summer vacation. Many a family vacation film ends with the unpacking of the car and bringing in the suitcases. That is where this little vacation film begins. As Nancy unpacks her bag she looks at the things she has brought home and they remind her of her summer's events–boating, woodgathering and the removal of a splinter from grandfather's hand, the milkweed plants and the monarch caterpillar, swimming, a picnic, feeding the birds, and playing with other girls her own age. This is decidedly different from the ordinary travel film, and much of its charm comes from the voice of a young Nancy as she narrates the film. It won the MPD Travel Film Award" PSA Journal, Sept. 1965, 50-51.
"Land of My Dreams, Joseph J. Harley, ACL, will tell you, is a simple record of fun and friends. As such, it is an attractive piece of Kodachrome, colorful in its camera work, leisurely in its pace (400 feet, 8mm.) and frankly sentimental in its outlook. Lake Saranac and the Harley summer cottage comprise the land of Joe Harley 's dreams, although his myriad friends of ten years' standing play a large part in that Elysium. You see them throughout the film, going about their fishing and boating, picnics and swimming with an infectious zest and good humor. The record is climaxed with a detailed presentation of a grand communal party, at which each of the guests is required to put on some sort of skit or bit of entertainment." Movie Makers, June 1944, 246.
Note of warning: the "communal party" referenced in the description above includes a performance in blackface.
"Manos: The Hands of Fate is a 1966 low-budget horror film written, directed, and produced by El Paso native Harold P. Warren, who also starred in the picture. In the film, a vacationing family gets lost while driving through the Texas desert. Stopping at a mysterious lodge for the night, the family finds themselves captives of a polygamous pagan cult. Shot in Warren’s home town and cast locally, the film premiered at the Capri Theater in downtown El Paso on November 15, 1966, and received largely negative reviews. As Betty Pierce of the El Paso Herald-Post wrote, “A real high point came when the wife, Diane Rystad, was compelled to deliver the line, ‘It’s getting dark,’ at the moment when the El Paso sunshine was glowing its brightest.” Widely recognized as one of the worst films ever made, the movie nevertheless achieved cult status after its appearance on the television comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000 in 1993" Texas Archive of the Moving Image.
"A vacation to Cedar Breaks, Bryce, Zion, and Grand Canyon of the Colorado." American Cinematographer, June 1938, 257.
"Made by F. D. Koehler, jr., ACL, The Mississauga Canoe Trip is a fine example of what the movie maker can accomplish on a hunting trip in capturing a picture that has both good photography and an interesting story presentation. The fact that a tripod was added to the duffel did not daunt this cinematic hunter, and the result is refreshingly rock steady pictures that leave nothing to be desired. Perfect exposure, for the most part, and some excellent lighting show that the maker had an eye for the essentials of good picture making. A knowledge of what makes a good screen picture is demonstrated in the many effective closeups throughout the film. An excellent job of amateur titling is another feature that places this film in a high category for vacation films." Movie Makers, Dec. 1934, 534.
"Frank E. Gunnell has used a novel continuity motif in Mohawk Pals that ties together what otherwise would be a rambling film story. Two boys are shown doing their "homework," and the final assignment is to write a composition on vacations. The film then pictures the summer adventures at Lake Mohawk of the two boys and a girl of similar age. From time to time, there are inserted shots of the boys writing, and sentences from their compositions are cleverly double exposed at the bottom of the frame, to serve as subtitles for the film. The cinematography is immaculate, and the youngsters appear without self consciousness in their various pursuits of fun on a summer vacation." Movie Makers, Dec. 1944, 496.
"Take a man who wants to play golf and his wife who wishes to see the sights on a family vacation and you have the simple plot of Nantucket Turnabout. Richard Elms treats the idea with a freshness, however, that lifts it from the usual vacation film class. Through the mechanism of the wife's desire to visit historical places, some lovely views of Nantucket are logically inserted in the film, while the husband wearily tags after her as his prepayment for a chance to play golf. The eventual golf game ends with the wife, fresh after her sight seeing, winning easily, while the exhausted husband repeatedly drives to the rough, far into the final sunset." Movie Makers, Dec. 1945, 496.
"New Zealand's South Island is the one treated in this production, one of two which Ernest H. Scott made during a prolonged visit Down Under. The awe inspiring Southern Alps have been recorded here with expert camera work and pleasant composition, and the whole impressive terrain of this part of New Zealand is appealingly set forth. The musical scoring, while standard, is adequate to the purpose. The narration is capably written and professionally delivered. If a need for more closeups is felt occasionally, it should be remembered that the large land itself is the star in New Zealand Holiday." Movie Makers, Dec. 1951, 412.
Total Pages: 8
Amateur Cinema