All Films

The Frustrating Fours and the Fascinating Fives

1953 • 22 min • Canada

A study of the behavior of four and five year old children at home and at nursery school. At four the vacillation between infantile helplessness and vigorous self-assertion is seen, and at five the development of independence and the beginning of cooperation. Parents observe that, unpredictable as their behavior may be, it's fun to help in the development of the fours and the fives.

Baby Wants a Battle

1953 • 6 min • United States of America

Popeye and Bluto fight over taking Olive out; she decides they'll all stay home together. While looking over a family album, Popeye tells the story of a day-long fight he and Bluto had as infants.

Paul Tomkowicz: Street Railway Switchman

1953 • 9 min • Canada

In this film, Paul Tomkowicz, Polish-born Canadian, talks about his job and his life in Canada. He compares his new life in the city of Winnipeg to the life he knew in Poland, marvelling at the freedom Canadians enjoy. In winter the rail-switches on streetcar tracks in Winnipeg froze and jammed with freezing mud and snow. Keeping them clean, whatever the weather, was the job of the switchman.

Ant Pasted

1953 • 7 min • United States of America

Elmer Fudd, on a fourth of July picnic, throws some of his firecrackers into an ant colony, and the ants declare all-out war on him.

Spook No Evil

1953 • 7 min • United States of America

Casper the Friendly Ghost has been found guilty of being too friendly by the other ghosts and is sentenced to walk the plank off a pirate ship.

Border City Rustlers

1953 • 54 min • United States of America

Two episodes of "Wild Bill Hickok" edited together and released as a feature.

Cats A-Weigh!

1953 • 7 min • United States of America

Sylvester Cat accepts a position as mouse-catcher on a ship, and his son, Junior, accompanies him. They encounter baby kangaroo Hippety Hopper being shipped from Australia and, as usual, mistake Hippety for a giant mouse.

Things We Can Do Without

1953 • 9 min • United States of America

A Pete Smith Specialty shorts series entry. Dave demonstrates a variety of household items and furniture which, while modern, is much more trouble than the progress is worth.

The Hound Of Heaven

1953 • 12 min

Recently drowned Hyder Simpson refuses to pass through the Pearly Gates if it means leaving his beloved, possum hunting hound Rip behind.

Do or Diet

1953 • 7 min • United States of America

As usual, Casper, the Friendly Ghost, is out to make friends but the only creature willing to respond is a fat turkey worrying his wattles off about the upcoming Thanksgiving Day.

A Bedroom Fantasy

1953 • 18 min • United States of America

Lili St. Cyr is about ready for bedtime, which of course she does in the nude. Live stage performance includes chorus girl act, The Folliettes, and the dance team The Duponts.

Fire Proofs

1953 • 1 min • France

Something For An Empty Briefcase

1953 • 30 min

Joe wants a different future than one as a petty hoodlum and when he attempts to rob an aspiring dancer Noli, he glimpses the possibilities. He imagines purchasing a briefcase as a start but his crime partner is reluctant to let him go.

Nuestro hogar

1953 • 10 min • Argentina

Peronist docudrama for the diffusion of the Second Five-Year Plan.

Frightday the 13th

1953 • 7 min • United States of America

There's good boos tonight: Frightday the 13th. All the ghosts plan on going out to scare someone... except for Casper the Friendly Ghost, who goes out and makes friends with Lucky the black cat.

Popeye, the Ace of Space

1953 • 7 min • United States of America

Popeye is abducted by Martians who conduct a series of hideous experiments on him, but thanks to his copious spinach supply (4 cans), all the experiments fail.

Song of Toledo

1953 • 31 min • United Kingdom

This merrily musical short film takes a jovial trip across picturesque 1950s Spain aboard the Talgo Express.

A Is for Atom

1953 • 15 min • United States of America

General Electric sponsors this explanation of atomic energy, detailing some of its uses besides the bomb. Using animation and an off-screen narrator, the film describes the atom, elements and isotopes, the discovery of transmutation, experiments in artificial transmutation, and the reasons for the power of nuclear fission. The film argues that now, besides war, the atomic age holds promise for energy, farming, medicine, and research. The promise of the atomic age will depend on human wisdom.

Friday the 13th

1953 • 28 min

Hungarian short movie about superstitions.

Barney's Hungry Cousin

1953 • 7 min • United States of America

Barney Bear heads to Jellystone National Park for a vacation while another bear, native to the park, notices Barney's picnic lunch and makes various attempts to steal the food.

Goldtown Ghost Riders

1953 • 57 min • United States of America

A singing frontier judge (Gene Autry) dismisses a case of double jeopardy.

A String of Blue Beads

1953 • 30 min • United States of America

A STRING OF BLUE BEADS is a slight little Christmas tale that was a pilot for an anthology series of short stories that never came to be. What makes this little film fascinating is it was one of the earliest color broadcasts on television and happily is one of the few early color productions for TV that can be seen in color now. Early color television productions seem to have had a limited color capability much like the early 1930's attempts at Technicolor. This actually adds to the charm of this little Christmas story giving in an "old time" feel.

Wise Quacks

1953 • 6 min • United States of America

Dinky Duck can't sing, but sells his soul to become a success.

Winning of the West

1953 • 57 min • United States of America

A singing territorial ranger (Gene Autry) spots his younger brother in an outlaw gang.