Oddball Films Media
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Dec 10, 2015
Ski Whiz (Color, 1972)
Kooky skiing and winter sport short by the great Warren Miller, features brisk editing and styles from the era when cigarette pants and wrap-around shades were still the rage.
The Fatal Glass of Beer (B+W, 1933)
Set in the frozen north of the Yukon territories, where a prospector, Mr. Snavely (Fields), prepares to return home. Before Snavely is able to depart, he receives a visit from an officer of the Mounties, who requests that the prospector sing him a morally instructional song that Snavely has written about his son Chester. Mr. Snavely obliges the officer with a temperance ballad detailing how drinking a single glass of beer led to Chester’s downfall and eventual imprisonment. The plot of The Fatal Glass of Beer (what little there is of one) hardly matters, because all of the humor lies on the surface. Field’s artificial, mannered line readings and off-key warbling of the temperance song are hilarious. Even funnier are the many jabs the film takes at studio moviemaking, including Field’s attempts to interact with bad back-projection, cheap props, and the obviously artificial snow that is thrown in his puss each time he declares, “It ain’t a fit night out for man nor beast.” Ironically, although The Fatal Glass of Beer poked fun at temperance sermonizing and wooden theater of past decades, the short turned out to be ahead of its time. The audiences and critics of the day complained about the poor production values of the short, not understanding the self-referential humor.
"Snowflakes" (1956, Color) "Snow, given to us by the hand of god" Brilliant Kodachrome snowflake crystals. God made these!
Snow Capers 1948
The Test (B+W, 1935, condensed version)
"Snowflakes" (1956, Color) "Snow, given to us by the hand of god" Brilliant Kodachrome snowflake crystals. God made these!
Snow Capers 1948
Huge showy mountain top, small parade of mountees, one dressed as a giant snowman. Carnival queen in her fringed jacket. Ski jumper in the air wipes out. Numerous shots of ski jumpers wiping out. Toboggan slides down the snow track. Ice skaters on ice palace spinning with skirts. Cross country skiing. Lake Louise. Beautiful snow tree landscape shots. Feeding deer by hand; perhaps reindeer? They gallop on a road. A horse drawn sleigh carries a dozen women as they’re chased by the family dog. Shots of women in 1940s bathing suits at Banff Upper Hot Springs. Woman dives into steamy pool. Snowball fight on the deck. Nighttime skiers hike, ski with lit torches. Mother teaches child to ski, children fall on slopes. Clumsy man reads “Anyone Can Ski” article. Shots of slalom skiers. Clumsy man falls, hits each flag. Shot of ski instructor hiking with students up mountain. Sequence of steeplechase down slopes.
A crime-solving, canoeing pooch tracks down a thief in the Yukon in highlights from The Test (1935) starring wondermutt Rin Tin Tin Jr.
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A condensed highlight reel from the short feature starring wondermutt German Shepherd Rin Tin Tin Jr. Rinty is on the case when a thief has been stealing furs from the local fur trappers. Watch him flex his poochy prowess as he tracks down the thief and saves the day! Co-starring Grant Withers and Grace Ford and directed by Bernard B. Ray.
Merrie Melodies: Mouse Mazurka 1948 freleng
In a snowy village in eastern Europe (Poland or Russia or the like), a mouse decides to help himself to some of the food on the dining table. Sylvester spoils his plans, however, and chases him into the hole. The mouse is very worried and Sylvester tries to lure him out with cheese. A failed plan with hand puppets makes Sylvester end up chasing the mouse to a cabinet where he accidentally drinks nitro glycerine, thinking it is water. Sylvester then tries to prevent the mouse from exploding as the mouse thinks that he is tricking Sylvester, when really he is in danger. As the mouse continues to taunt Sylvester, he suddenly explodes, and his angel is seen confused. Sylvester then drinks nitro glycerine and makes himself explode, so he can continue to chase the mouse.
The Snowman's Dilemma (Color, 1960)
A sweet mid-century styled cartoon from Bulgaria directed by Radka Bachvarova.
Here’s Peggy Fleming (Color, 1968, excerpt)
The Snowman's Dilemma (Color, 1960)
A sweet mid-century styled cartoon from Bulgaria directed by Radka Bachvarova.
Here’s Peggy Fleming (Color, 1968, excerpt)
This bizarre, quasi-psychedelic holiday TV special has famed Olympic skater Peggy Fleming skating through fantasy sets as a princess, a go-godancer, and Gene Kelly’s best bud. Also, we get to see her ham it up for Kodak home movie film! Olympic skater, Peggy Fleming, holds the distinction of being one ofthe few prominent athletes not to lose her shit after several decades in the public spotlight. But all the ingredients for a Grade-A nutter were in place: when she was 12, her personal coach (and the entire US figure skating team) was killed in a plane crash and by the time she turned 20, she became America’s sweetheart when she won the Olympic gold medal in figure skating.
White Magic- Skiing 1947
White Magic- Skiing 1947
1) Skiers wiping out. burly wipeouts even by today’s standards Skiers getting pulled by a horse. Skiers getting pulled by a car. Skiers doing stunts. Old fashioned ski jumpers.
2) Idilic alpine Idaho in winter. Sky lifts and skiers. Old fashioned ski lifts and ski lodges. Slalom skiing. Group skiing.
Rules of the slopes
Explains safe skiing practices and demonstrates a new skiing courtesy code adopted nationally by all formal skiing organizations.
Humble Oil and Refining
Ski the outer limits 1968 1200
Demonstrates the essential mechanics of skiing. Depicts the inner limits of the sport--the discipline which must be learned before the skier has the capability for freedom of expression.
Produced by Barry Corbet
1) Olympic Winter Thrills-Castle 1948
2) Let’s Go Skiing- United World Film 1960
All American News - Women in the News - Castle 1910s?
Shots of woman swimming the channel, woman does synchronized swimming in lake, international pistol tournament, line of men pointing guns, New Jersey police shoot, 2 women shoot, kids walking backwards in pool, boys do the same, horned toad races, kids receive awards, man puts engine on weird boat, surfing with no waves on motorized plank, early jet ski?, women golfing, women play baseball in skirts (like “A League of their Own”), men’s boxing match between Mike McCulloch and James Burrows (very clean print), more women’s golf, Patty Berg, men’s baseball, Chicago white sox, men’s football practice, men’s track, horse racing, axe contest, wood chopping, 84 year old woman constructs house, woman from India meets with white people, old woman sits near plants, woman signs autographs, SPCA, boys pet German Shepherd, dish washing contest, woman solves stuck glasses dilemma, kids make crafts, girls show off sewing designs, female jockey, women in cowboy clothes, water-skiing, India women show off fabrics, women show off Indian handbags-scarfs-statues, woman receives award, and more women’s golfing, woman puts mittens in jars for storage (household hint), women hold up white tarp, women smiling contest, pool synchronized swimming, more shooting contest for both sexes, women pose with babies, diaper derby contest, kids crawling,