Category: Short Film

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Bernice Bobs Her Hair (1976)/Tulips Shall Grow (1942)

Adapted from a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Shelley Duvall’s Bernice visits her more sophisticated relatives and is shunned for not being as socially adept as her beautiful cousin Veronica Cartwright. Duvall is delightful as Bernice going from an awkward city mouse to surpassing the lessons given by her snobby cousin. Reading a synopsis of the actual story, the script ignores Bernice’s mixed-race heritage which would give more poignancy to the ending, but the whole production is so entertaining that I’m wanting to check out more of these American Short Story collection films.

Equally delightful are the Puppetoons featured in Tulips Shall Grow. Obviously referencing the Nazis’ aggressive occupation campaign, a Dutch boy and girl fall in love in their idyllic tulip-filled countryside only to have their happiness destroyed by an invasion by the mechanical Screwballs. The aesthetics of George Pal’s Puppetoons are so my bag that I could watch this film repeatedly for days despite its depressing subject matter. It’s impressive that it’s able to distill the horrors of war in such a cute six and a half minutes.   War

Oscar Nomination: Best Short Subject, Cartoons (Tulips Shall Grow)

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Batgirl (1967)/Red Nightmare (1962)

It was just recently that I learned a Yvonne Craig Batgirl short was produced to introduce the character to the Adam West Batman television series. At only 8 minutes, it doesn’t offer a whole lot, but what it does give a small view into Batgirl’s personal life. It’s entirely filmed inside the Gotham City Library and shows Craig transforming into her Batgirl persona, primly hanging up her librarian clothes after discreetly changing in a closet. Fantastically, her hat flips to her mask and her reversible skirt becomes her cape.  Action

Awhile ago I had gotten into watching old PSAs on YouTube. Red Nightmare was one I discovered at the end of that binge but I kept it aside as one I’d like to watch. A truly ridiculous piece of Cold War propaganda produced in part by the Department of Defense, everyday joe Jack Kelly, after spending a day avoiding the commitments placed on him by his idyllic capitalistic society, dreams that his town has become overrun by communism. It’s weirdly not the nightmare the title leads one to expect. His teenaged daughter decides to join a work collective instead of marrying a drip. His son gets to visit a museum celebrating Soviet inventions instead of being forced to attend Sunday school indoctrination. Jack is punished at work for not meeting his quotas. So yeah, it looks different, but plays out pretty much just like capitalism.

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The Perils of Pauline (1914)

After watching the biographical film about Pearl White, I was curious in exploring the series that made her famous. What I managed to find was an hour long film combining the first chapter in the series where Pauline first embarks on her adventurous lifestyle with boyfriend and nefarious guardian in tow and the last where Pauline is rescued by her brave puppy and decides to finally settle down. While I can see how they certainly offered an exciting series for early movie viewers to get behind, the parts I saw unfortunately did not have nearly enough examples of Pauline showing off her spunky spirit and Pearl’s impressive stunt work. Included on the DVD was a short called Katchem Kate about a young woman who decides to become a detective. Kate, like Pauline, is a plucky heroine which makes me wonder if roles for women might have been better in very early films compared to many of the decades that followed.  Action  Adventure

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Swing High (1932)/ Sacheen: Breaking the Silence (2019)

One of the many short films narrated by Pete Smith, Swing High features stunts performed by a family of trapeze artists, The Flying Codonas. Many of the acrobatics are shot either from above or in slow motion which gives a close view to the action and maneuvers that the troupe goes through. The result is a lot more thrilling than the typical short I’ve seen from this era.

At the 1973 Oscars, which were being aired while the Wounded Knee Occupation was occurring, Marlon Brando appointed Native American actress Sacheen Littlefeather to decline his Best Actor award in protest of Native American portrayal in films and treatment throughout the country. I had only been vaguely aware of the event before, but this documentary offers Sacheen a chance to give her take on the experience in her own words. It’s particularly interesting that not long after I watched the film, it became public that the Academy had issued an apology to Sacheen for what she endured because of her speech.

Oscar Nomination: Best Short Subject, Novelty (Swing High)

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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)

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Whitewash (1994)/ The Box (1967)

Based on an actual incident, Whitewash tells the story of a young school girl who was attacked by a gang of thugs who painted her face white. This has been on my watchlist for so long that I don’t know where I originally encountered it. A somewhat rough looking piece of animation, it goes far to illustrate the terrorizing aspect of mindless racism and the benefits of supportive allies.

In The Box, a short bearded man goes into a bar and places a small box on the counter. What follows is a string of patrons who are all nosily curious as to what is in the box. The premise is not much, but the animation is cute with a pleasant simplicity and some interesting changes in perspective.

Oscar Win: Best Short Subject, Cartoons (The Box)

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Farewell Meu Amor (2016)/The Market King (2014)/Suspense (2011)

Included on the DVD for Farewell Amor were these three earlier shorts from director Ekwa Msangi. Farewell Meu Amor could be considered a prequel to the feature film where a man is preparing to reunite with his family while also having to say goodbye to the life he has built without them. The Market King is the sole comedy of the set where a well-intended father takes his daughter to get her hair done for school while his wife is sick. Set against the upheaval of the 2007-2008 Kenyan crisis, Suspense is a brutal portrayal of the tough choices that must be made at such times and the consequences that ripple afterward. As varied as the films are, taken as a whole they showcase a bold voice representing new takes on African stories.

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Overture to the Merry Wives of Windsor (1953)

Johnny Green, who also produced the short, conducts the MGM orchestra in performing the titular musical composition. Not quite as creatively filmed as the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra’s Bolero , I appreciate that it gives the behind the scenes artists a moment to shine. Filmed in my beloved Cinemascope, the process allows the entire orchestra to be captured while also accentuating the brightly colored set.   Music

Oscar Win: Best Short Subject, One-reel

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Stairway to Light (1945)/Quiet Please! (1945)

Part of John Nesbit’s Passing Parade series, Stairway to Light brings to the forefront the work of Dr. Philippe Pinel, a French pioneer in treating mental illness. His work led to more humane ways of caring for patients and also classifying their illnesses. The short is a bit simplistic and hokey, but useful in teaching the work of a lesser known influencer.

Quiet Please! has Spike threatening Tom not to wake him up from his nap, a situation Jerry of course takes advantage of. It’s a pretty standard Tom & Jerry short with a plot that’s so typical for the duo that this particular short does not stand out on its own, though I do generally enjoy when the duo becomes a trio with the addition of Spike and how that changes the dynamic.   Animals

Oscar Win: Best Short Subject, One-reel (Stairway to Light); Best Short Subject, Cartoons (Quiet Please!)

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The Absent-Minded Waiter (1977)/The Big Story (1994)/The Fly (1980)

Buck Henry takes his date Teri Garr to a high class restaurant with the express intent of sitting at a table attended by The Absent-Minded Professor, played by Steve Martin. An enjoyable short with a surprising punchline pay-off, it is also well acted by all three of the actors playing especially on Martin’s strengths.

The Big Story is gratefully a very short bit that has three animated characters each representing Kirk Douglas at different parts of his career. The characters are really well done, but the short doesn’t add anything beyond that concept.

The Fly finds himself stuck inside a house to disastrous consequences. It’s a very simple, monochromatic animation that really conveys the frenetic energy and apparent bewilderedness of a fly’s existence.

Oscar Win: Best Short Film, Animated (The Fly)

Oscar Nomination: Best Short Film, Live Action (The Absent-Minded Waiter); Best Short Film, Animated (The Big Story)

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