Film society? I have always wondered how that works? Getting permission to screen?
'A film society is a
membership-based club where people can watch screenings of films
which would otherwise not be shown in mainstreamcinemas.' ( From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia ).
No admittance is allowed to charged at the door. Season membership has to be canvassed, which isn't an easy task. The money collected covers the hire of 16mm films from major and minor distributors. To keep the running of the society afloat a good deal of product screened was supplied free of charge from the then National Library Of Australia, who supplied 16mm films to film societies.
Film societies were low on the totem pole though with the major 16mm silm distributors. If a film was found to have been double booked and the other organisation turned out to be a RSL club or like, guess who ended up receiving the film and who received a last minute, often inferior substitute film?
We screened silent films, such as The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari. Battleship Potemkin and The Big Parade and classic sound comedies included I'm No Angel and Never Give A Sucker An Even Break and numerous Laurel and Hady sound shorts such as Tit For Tat and silent Buster Keaton shorts. There were many foreign language films screened including Seven Samurai,The World Of Apu and The Blue Angel. Titles from MGM that had once been television prints, completre with short black bars placed to indicate where commercials were to have been inserted. There were hundreds and hundreds to chose from going right back to the early days of sound. A good deal of the main films we screened though were modern films of the day that were neglected titles that had not been screened at the local cinema, or were never likely to have been due to little box office appeal. Of course to be a film society a certain amount of paperwork was required to be filled out, and you then had to be approved to qualify. Fondly remembered films than I selected and were screened include a very short 5 minute film from The National Film Board Of Canada titled Matrioska and a hilarious 21 minute comey short featuring W.C. Fields titled The Destist. .
( 1970 ) ( 1932 )
Some of the silent films we screened were supplied to us without a music track. My friend the projectionist went to great effort to select appropriate music to accompany the films. Sometimes this worked, in the case of The Cabinet Of Dr, Caligari brilliantly, but occassionly very badly ( sleep inducing ) with Battleship Potemkin. I have since seen a Battleship Potemkin 35mm print with an original music written for the film and some added sound effects on the film's soundtrack, and wow what a different film experience was delivered.
I probably need to finish up, but seeing this is a War movies thread I thought it would be approprate to end with mentioning more about a war film listed earlier. This film was The Big Parade ( 1925 ), The print we received was the 1930 re-release version, with music and synchronized sound errects added. A big film production from MGM in its day which was interesting viewing.
The non answering of the remaining two unanswered film titles isn't turning out as I had expected. They apparently appear to be more difficult to answer that I had envisaged they would be.
I will leave it a little longer before I give out some clues.
The Rats Of Tobruk is an Australian film released here in 1944.
Released in the U.S.A. in 1951 with the alternative title of The Fighting Rats Of Tobruk. This version was abridged, and was cut to 68 minutes only when screened there by a very minor independent film distributor. The original Australian running time was 95 minutes, and 27 minutes remained on the cutting roon floor.
Interestingly the female German sioldier in the helmet image is instantly recognisable to me as being from Downfall. Excellent film with a brilliant portrayal of Adolph Hitler by the late Bruno Ganz who died in 2019.
Comments
'A film society is a membership-based club where people can watch screenings of films which would otherwise not be shown in mainstream cinemas.' ( From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ).
No admittance is allowed to charged at the door. Season membership has to be canvassed, which isn't an easy task. The money collected covers the hire of 16mm films from major and minor distributors. To keep the running of the society afloat a good deal of product screened was supplied free of charge from the then National Library Of Australia, who supplied 16mm films to film societies.
Film societies were low on the totem pole though with the major 16mm silm distributors. If a film was found to have been double booked and the other organisation turned out to be a RSL club or like, guess who ended up receiving the film and who received a last minute, often inferior substitute film?
We screened silent films, such as The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari. Battleship Potemkin and The Big Parade and classic sound comedies included I'm No Angel and Never Give A Sucker An Even Break and numerous Laurel and Hady sound shorts such as Tit For Tat and silent Buster Keaton shorts. There were many foreign language films screened including Seven Samurai,The World Of Apu and The Blue Angel. Titles from MGM that had once been television prints, completre with short black bars placed to indicate where commercials were to have been inserted. There were hundreds and hundreds to chose from going right back to the early days of sound. A good deal of the main films we screened though were modern films of the day that were neglected titles that had not been screened at the local cinema, or were never likely to have been due to little box office appeal. Of course to be a film society a certain amount of paperwork was required to be filled out, and you then had to be approved to qualify. Fondly remembered films than I selected and were screened include a very short 5 minute film from The National Film Board Of Canada titled Matrioska and a hilarious 21 minute comey short featuring W.C. Fields titled The Destist. .
( 1970 ) ( 1932 )
Some of the silent films we screened were supplied to us without a music track. My friend the projectionist went to great effort to select appropriate music to accompany the films. Sometimes this worked, in the case of The Cabinet Of Dr, Caligari brilliantly, but occassionly very badly ( sleep inducing ) with Battleship Potemkin. I have since seen a Battleship Potemkin 35mm print with an original music written for the film and some added sound effects on the film's soundtrack, and wow what a different film experience was delivered.
I probably need to finish up, but seeing this is a War movies thread I thought it would be approprate to end with mentioning more about a war film listed earlier. This film was The Big Parade ( 1925 ), The print we received was the 1930 re-release version, with music and synchronized sound errects added. A big film production from MGM in its day which was interesting viewing.
Have often thought a film society or club would be a great thing to kick off, but I am too lazy!
ON THE MOVE.
The Musical Film Quiz appears to be currently stalled, but hopefully some answers will be forthcoming with this popular quiz revival?
319 320 321
Now back to war business with three more images for all to have a think about, and hopefully answers will be forthcoming..
Well done.
The non answering of the remaining two unanswered film titles isn't turning out as I had expected. They apparently appear to be more difficult to answer that I had envisaged they would be.
I will leave it a little longer before I give out some clues.
( Chris )
The Rats Of Tobruk is an Australian film released here in 1944.
Released in the U.S.A. in 1951 with the alternative title of The Fighting Rats Of Tobruk. This version was abridged, and was cut to 68 minutes only when screened there by a very minor independent film distributor. The original Australian running time was 95 minutes, and 27 minutes remained on the cutting roon floor.
The Sea Shall Not Have Them ( U.K. 1954 / U.S.A. 1955 ).
322 323
324
Film images of films produced by three different countries that had a major participation in World War 11.
Interestingly the female German sioldier in the helmet image is instantly recognisable to me as being from Downfall. Excellent film with a brilliant portrayal of Adolph Hitler by the late Bruno Ganz who died in 2019.
Final clue for #324 is not a ghoul in sight.
A couple more images from World War11films..
325
326
#324 The Steel Bayonet (1957)
327
328
Plus let's not forget this yet unanswered image.
325
Clue for this one is biblical.
I do my best. Hopefully the following clues may help.
327 clue. Based on a true incident that took place during World War 11.
328 clue. A major hollywood star appears in this scene.
325 clue. Biblical. ( A repeat of this earlier clue ).
# 327. This film includes a shocking true incident that took place towards the end of World War 11.