Gene Siskel Film Center - Sunday, 5:15pm
Watching this collection of amateur and industrial films, one can't
help but get nostalgic for a time when "road trip" referred to wholesome
family fun, and the cost of gas wasn't an issue. Although most of the
pieces included in this archival screening, curated by former Chicagoan
KJ Mohr, are technically home movies, they were chosen because they
show a love for the landscapes they capture. Of particular note is the
excerpt of GLACIER PARK #1, shot in 1954. The mountains, vistas, and
fall colors are gorgeous, but the more interesting part is the portraits
that visitors to the park take with headdress wearing Indians. As much
a piece of history, and with the most charming hand-drawn intertitles
this reviewer has ever seen, is GYPSYMANIA. This rambling road movie,
shot in both the US and Mexico, catalogs one families' vacation in the
early 1940s and, while watching it, you can almost picture the church
basement where this adventure was shared with the whole town. The industrials
from Ford Motor Company and Castle Films have a sense of purpose that
is admirable. They work as the travel shows of their day, selling destinations
like Bryce Canyon (along with a shiny new automobile...travel wherever
you want..."with reliability, safety, and economy!") and Banff/Lake
Louise (apparently a country club in the Canadian Rockies). Watching
these commercial productions is a healthy reminder that not all corporate
endeavors are bad. The cherry on top of this show is the final amateur
film, SUNNY CUBA. In lush color, it depicts the island nation in 1946.
In a beautiful night sequence that lasts almost a minute, the neon signs
of Havana dissolve from one to the next, almost as if the corporate
logos were etched on a black background. Rural life is also shown, with
oxen plowing fields and farmers working the land with hand-powered tools.
Although most of the films included were originally silent, the screening
will be accompanied by a live electronic score by local musician and
videomaker Kent Lambert, and selections from the audio archive of LA
based filmmaker Timoleon Wilkins. The screening will be hosted by WBEZ's
Allison Cuddy and introduced by curator Mohr. (1937-1954, 89 min total,
various formats) JH - Cine-File.info
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