All Films

Under the Libertarian Sign

1936 • 15 min • Spain

Bajo el signo libertario is a propaganda documentary, with the script and direction of Les (known for his articles in Solidaridad Obrera and the magazine Espectáculo) whose central theme is the reconstruction of the development of life in a libertarian community in the Aragonese town of Pina de Ebro.

Foolproof

1936 • 20 min • United States of America

Starts with "Anderson Family" court trial where wife testifies on the murder of her husband, while the police investigation finds some interesting twists to the crime. Part of the Crime Does Not Pay series

The Little Stranger

1936 • 8 min • United States of America

A stranger deposits an egg in a duck's nest; it hatches as a baby chicken. It doesn't fit in well with its three duckling nestmates, particularly when it comes to swimming. Momma tries to solve the swimming problem with a couple of leaves, but sends the chick home when that fails.

Cats, Birds and Fishes

1936 • 20 min • United Kingdom

Some champion exhibits from the National Cat Club Show and the Combined Bird and Aquaria Show, described by W. Cox-Ife, F. Hopkins, and L.C. Mandeville.

Puppet Show

1936 • 8 min • United States of America

Cartoon rabbit Oswald puts on a live-action puppet show.

Allegretto

1936 • 3 min • United States of America

In the 1936 short Allegretto, diamond and oval shapes in primary colors perform a sensual, upbeat ballet to the music of composer Ralph Rainger. The geometric dance is set against a background of expanding circles that suggest radio waves. [Early Version and Late Version preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 1999].

The Mysterious Avenger

1936 • 54 min

Texas Ranger Ranny Maitland's father is feuding with his neighbor Lockhart. Pretending to be on Lockhart's side in the feud, Ranny goes to investigate. Meanwhile is father is murdered and Lockhart arrested.

Oz University

1936 • 13 min • United States of America

This two-strip Technicolor record of the 1936 freshman pageant, acted out entirely by women, begins with Dorothy escorting the Wizard to the throne, assisted by Ojo, whereupon he looks in the Magic Picture on the University of Michigan, and the typed students complaining about school. The Wizard decides to bring them all to Oz, transforming them into Oz celebrities: Tippetarius, the Scarecrow, Nick Chopper, Tik-Tok, Old Mombi, Jinjur, Scraps, The Shaggy Man, Betsy Bobbin, and Jack Pumpkinhead. After a party and registration, it's on to class with Professor Wogglebug. When Tip and Jack carry him out of the classroom, he subjects them to a blue book exam, after which they wish to return to the U of M. The equivalent characters are not played by the same people, so there transformation, their "true self" appears behind them in the early scenes.

Cocky Chick

1936 • 11 min • Soviet Union

A chick lives behind a fence in a farm and conducts a choir of the other chicks. After meeting a self-important turkey, the chick also becomes conceited and decides to make his name in the world outside the chicken coop. After being nearly killed by birds, fish and a cat, he returns home chastened and decides to stay where he is.

I Feel Like a Feather in the Breeze

1936 • 7 min • United States of America

The title song is sung with the Bouncing Ball, plus animated sequence.

Ambush Valley

1936 • 57 min • United States of America

Clay Morgan kills Joel Potter and Marshal Manning has to arrest the brother of the girl he plans to marry.

The Cattle Thief

1936 • 58 min • United States of America

Ken, sent to investigate cattle rustlers, poses as a peddler during the day but the Masked Rider at night.

Betty Boop and Little Jimmy

1936 • 6 min • United States of America

Betty tries a regime of exercise, but her weight loss gets out of hand. She sings "Keep Your Girlish Figure".

St. Helena and Its 'Man of Destiny'

1936 • 8 min • United States of America

The remote island of St. Helena, a British possession located in the south Atlantic, is perhaps best known as where Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled/imprisoned for the final six years of his life and where he died in 1821. His legacy on the island remains today, despite his body being disinterred and moved back to France in 1840. His home was at Longwood, one area of the island now ceded to the French in respect of its former resident. The island was discovered and named by the Portuguese in 1502. Until the British took over, many other European countries had or wanted possession of the island because of its location along natural trade routes. Jamestown is the island's only port, named after King James. With 4,000 inhabitants, St. Helena is self supporting, growing primarily potatoes and flax. However, its primary economic generator is the sale of the rare St. Helena postage stamp.

Youth of the World

1936 • 38 min • Germany

This Nazi propaganda film covers the 1936 Winter Olympics that were held in Germany.

Counterfeit Lady

1936 • 58 min • United States of America

Phyllis Fowler claims to be just a "simple little country girl" trying to get by in the wicked big-city, and she takes a big getting-by step when she pulls a scam that gains her a $17,000 diamond from an exclusive jewelry store. Soon, a private-detective, who has a dupe gem matching the stolen one, the police, and two gangster buddies of the jeweler are all racing each other to get the diamond back from Phyllis. The country-girl provides them all with a wild chase.

Hawaiian Birds

1936 • 9 min • United States of America

When the lady bird leaves her lover to join a performing group, he goes to try to win her back.

The Cowboy and the Kid

1936 • 58 min • United States of America

Penniless drifter Steve Davis finds young Jimmy Thomas just after his father is killed. The two become friends and Steve looks for work. This brings him to town where teacher June Caldwell has lent money from the school fund to the dishonest Jess Watson, She now desperately needs it back and Steve soon finds himself in the middle of the conflict.

The Fugitive Sheriff

1936 • 58 min • United States of America

Hoping to rid a small western community of its corrupt political machine, Ken Marshall (Ken Maynard) runs for sheriff against the bad guys' candidate and wins the election. Dissatisfied with this, the villains contrive to frame Ken on a murder charge. He breaks out of jail and tracks down the genuine culprit,

Avenging Waters

1936 • 56 min • United States of America

Mortimer builds a fence for the cattle brought by Ken Morley. To retaliate, Slater who wants access to the land, builds a dam cutting off Mortimer's water supply. When Ken confronts Slater, he is captured. Then lightning destroys the dam and Ken, imprisoned in a shack, is in the path of the oncoming water.

London Visitors

1936 • 10 min • United Kingdom

The film takes us to the North of England to follow the migration of the black-headed gull down to London. There, the narrator asks viewers to "listen to their gossip", before demonstrating the bird’s flight in slow motion. We see a polecat feasting on gull eggs, and then a man collecting the eggs for human consumption, with the film telling us that they are considered a “delicacy” in London. Indeed, according to the British Trust for Ornithology, around 300,000 gull’s eggs were sold every year in Leadenhall Market in London during the 1930s, when London Visitors was made.

The Aguiluchos of the FAI in the Land of Aragon Report 2

1936 • 7 min • Spain

Militiamen fighting for Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War.

Shanghaied Shipmates

1936 • 7 min • United States of America

Porky and some of his fellow sailors are on shore leave in a bar. A pirate captain discovers that his own crew has jumped ship and forces everyone in the bar to become his crew. The captain treats the crew badly, particularly denying them food (eating the meat off bones, then passing them only the bones). The crew mutinies after a week; the captain tries to fend them off with a cannon, but ends up sending himself into the explosives stores.

Desert Justice

1936 • 58 min • United States of America

A gang of bank robbers holes up at a cowboy's ranch. One of the robbers turns out to be his brother. After the brother is killed by the gang, the cowboy tracks them across the desert.