Roger Youngson shorts (1949-1956)

Looking for some Oscar nominated short films, I ran across a handful directed by Youngson on youtube. Almost universally they are edited together bits of old film footage around a singular theme: Spills and Chills (1949, early daredevils), Cavalcade of Girls (1950, accomplishments of 20th century women), Blaze Busters (1950, firefighters), World of Kids (1950, cute kids), This Mechanical Age (1954, early aviation), Gadgets Galore (1955, early automobile driving), and I Never Forget a Face (1956, earliest footage of famous people). They’re relatively amusing and slightly educational, though watching them in sequence makes it obvious that the footage is often reused from film to film. Despite its obvious era-related sexism, my favorite of the group was the only unnominated one from the group, Cavalcade of Girls, as it offers more educational opportunities though I Never Forget a Face is interesting in noting the begins of celebrity film coverage.

Oscar Wins: Best Short Subject, One-reel (World of Kids; This Mechanical Age)

Oscar Nominations: Best Short Subject, One-reel (Spills and Chills; Blaze Busters; Gadgets Galore; I Never Forget a Face)