All Films

The Fire Monsters

1959 • 3 min

Emerging from the Chicago River, two giant prehistoric dinosaurs enter Chicago, where they battle each to the death, causing great destruction in their wrath. The victorious behemoth scales the tallest building, but in doing so, plummets to its death on the streets below.

Madeline and the Gypsies

1959 • 8 min • United States of America

Pepito, the son of the Spanish Ambassador, invites Madeline and her fellow students to a Gypsy carnival. However, in the chaos caused by a sudden rainstorm, Miss Clavel and the other girls lose sight of Madeline and Pepito, who are unintentionally left behind on the Ferris wheel. The two children find themselves guests of the gypsies, and soon wind up part of the carnival themselves.

Wild Life

1959 • 7 min • United States of America

A cameraman on an assignment to Darkest Africa to film wild life finds into the top of the species in Heckel and Jeckel, and they foil all of his efforts and ruin his film.

Dinosaur Destroyer

1959 • 4 min

After a spaceship crashes on Earth, a giant egg rolls from the wreckage. The egg quickly hatches to reveal an alien dinosaur. Due to the Earth's atmosphere, the newly hatched alien dinosaur rapidly increases in size. The dinosaur turns its attention towards a railway township, which it attacks, causing great destruction. The alien dinosaur sees a water tower, which it commences to climb. The continued affect of Earth's atmosphere on the alien dinosaur makes the creature burn, destroying it.

The Story of Vlas the Lazy One

1959 • 11 min • Soviet Union

A satirical Soviet puppet animation film from 1959. Based on the poem of the same name (1926) by Vladimir Mayakovsky.

Short and Suite

1959 • 5 min • Canada

A color cocktail by Norman McLaren and Evelyn Lambart, translating into moving patterns of color and light the moods of music written for a jazz ensemble by Eldon Rathburn. Inscribed and colored directly on film.

Madeline's Rescue

1959 • 7 min

When Madeline falls into the river Seine and nearly drowns, a courageous canine comes to her rescue. Now Genevieve the dog is Madeline's cherished pet, and the envy of all the other girls. What can be done when there's just not enough hound to go around?

The Birth of a City

1959 • 13 min • Poland

On the 10th anniversary of Nowa Huta, documentary filmmakers go back to the beginnings of the town's construction and the conglomerate, using archival footage from the Polish Film Chronicle. The city is born to the rhythm of seven days of creation, and the jubilee is celebrated by children - its peers and former builders.

Kitty's Studio

1959 • 16 min • Japan

The kitten from Yasuji Mori's earlier "Koneko no Rakugaki" returns, this time putting his talents toward directing a samurai film starring his mouse friends.

Liberal

1959 • 19 min • Soviet Union

Humanity presented a beautiful and touching picture on the first day of the new year. Everyone was happy, rejoicing, congratulating each other. The air was filled with the most sincere and heartfelt wishes. Everyone was happy and satisfied... Only the provincial secretary Ponimaev was dissatisfied. On New Year's afternoon, he stood on one of the capital's streets and protested. Hugging a lamppost with his right hand and waving away who knows what with his left, he muttered unforgivable and intended things...

Little Bo Bopped

1959 • 7 min • United States of America

Loopy tries to recover Little Bo Peep's lost sheep lost in a large flock guarded by a sheepdog. Then it is the sheepdog that returns the lost sheep instead.

This Is Our Land

1959 • 19 min • Cuba

The unfair distribution of land in Cuba encourages the support of the peasants to the revolution.

Canberra Today and Tomorrow

1959 • 10 min • Australia

Canberra, the National Capital of Australia, is a city which has been planned; a place where modern living is enriched by a lovely setting. But the hustling young city of today is expanding and developing, and there is emerging the pattern of the proud city of tomorrow.

The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film

1959 • 11 min • United Kingdom

A short film without any direct action designed more as an experiment, with disjointed comic scenes with no common thread.

Lifeline

1959 • 28 min • United Kingdom

The story of the ship R.F.A. Tidereach on its journey from England to Norfolk Virginia, Boston and New York, featuring deliveries, the hardworking crew and great streets scenes of New York.

Sapovnela

1959 • 18 min • Soviet Union

Amidst the hills of the ancient city of Mtskheta, an aging man nearing his hundredth year is forced to make way for a new road being paved through the blossoming garden of floral delights that he loves and cares for.

The Forgotten

1959 • 21 min • Italy

Vittorio De Seta travels to Alessandria del Carretto, a small town in the province of Cosenza, to capture a unique celebration known as the “Feast of Silver.”

The Last Leaf

1959 • 10 min • Soviet Union

A film adaptation of a short story by O. Henry. In a small neighborhood in Greenwich Village, two young artists, Sue and Johnsy, live in a three-story building. Johnsy has contracted pneumonia and is on the verge of death. Outside her window, leaves are falling from the ivy. Johnsy is convinced that as soon as the last leaf falls, she will die. In the same building, on the ground floor, lives the unsuccessful artist Behrman, who year after year dreams of painting a masterpiece but never even attempts to realize his dream. Academic student film work of the Department of Cinematography at Vserossiyskiy gosudarstvyennyy institut kinematografii imyeni S. A. Gerasimova (VGIK).

An Artist Looks at Churches

1959 • 14 min • United Kingdom

On the shortest journey you pass a church or two. Out of the 20,000 churches in Britain, the artist, John Piper, whose work contributes to the glory of England's churches, selects and describes a church built in each of the last nine centuries, from Norman times to the present day. Accompanied by the music of Peter Racine Fricker, he reveals the beauty and riches of architecture, decoration, carving and sculpture aged in mellow stone and weathered glass; the art of the wood carver and the sculptor, and in doing so finds that through the centuries the portrayal of the human face and figure has been an unfailing source of inspiration to all who have brought their talents to the service of the Church.

John Gunther's High Road

1959 • 30 min • United States of America

John Gunther, a great traveler in many parts of the globe, presented on the American ABC channel the documentary program "John Gunther's High Road" from September 7, 1959 to October 1, 1960, namely 30 episodes. Two adventure trips filmed in distant places were broadcast: The first documentary film was shot exclusively for the show and the second film offered was a great classic adventure or exploit film by another director.

The Diary of an Unknown Soldier

1959 • 17 min • United Kingdom

A short story narrated by an unknown British soldier who reveals his hopes, fears, and disillusionment while heading into battle against the German army.

The Greedy Bee

1959 • 8 min • Hungary

A naughty worker bee goes against the hive's warnings.

Season of Strangers

1959 • 58 min

Unfinished, 16mm, b&w silent film directed by Maya Deren. No copy of this film exists

Really Scent

1959 • 6 min • United States of America

Pepe le Pew arrives in New Orleans, where Fabrette the black cat has been cursed with white stripes like a skunk, interfering with her chances to get married. Of course, a skunk is her perfect match... if she can stand the smell!