{"id":12744,"date":"2025-03-17T11:21:02","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T16:21:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wcftr.commarts.wisc.edu\/?p=12744"},"modified":"2025-03-18T16:13:16","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T21:13:16","slug":"revisiting-early-programming-at-cinema-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wcftr.commarts.wisc.edu\/index.php\/2025\/03\/17\/revisiting-early-programming-at-cinema-16\/","title":{"rendered":"Revisiting Early Programming at Cinema 16 with Viewing Notes and An Online Playlist!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tanya Goldman<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this blog post, Tanya Goldman continues to examine materials from WCFTR\u2019s Amos Vogel collection. Digitized materials discussed below \u2013 and many more! \u2013 are available on the Internet Archive thanks to a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). She previously wrote about using the Vogel papers <\/em>here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Among the Vogel papers at WCFTR are several undated informal summaries<\/a> and indexes<\/a> of Cinema 16\u2019s screenings and activities during its storied history from 1947 to 1963. Early in one particular dossier of materials is a four-page, double-columned typewritten<\/a> list titled \u201cAmong the Filmmakers Whose Work Was First Introduced to American Audiences at Cinema 16.\u201d The list contains more than 215 filmmakers purported to have had some of their earliest U.S. screenings at Cinema 16. The list reads as a who\u2019s who of luminaries now synonymous with mid-20th<\/sup> century foreign art, experimental, and independent cinema: from Michelangelo Antonioni to Fran\u00e7ois Truffaut, Jordan Belson to Marie Menken, John Cassavetes to Shirley Clarke, among many, many others. The list is also populated with scores of names comparatively less remembered, some even forgotten.<\/p>\n

As a tribute to the less remembered short films (and their filmmakers) showcased at Cinema 16, this post looks to Cinema 16\u2019s first three programs in 1947-48, all screened multiple times at the Provincetown Playhouse<\/a> in Manhattan\u2019s Greenwich Village. In what follows, I reproduce large swaths of Cinema 16\u2019s program notes distributed at (or, perhaps, prior to) Cinema 16 screenings, add my own additional production context (when applicable), and reflect on what types of works \u2013 particularly nonfiction \u2013 Vogel considered worthy of study in the years immediately following the Second World War.<\/p>\n

Should this blog post and excerpts from Vogel\u2019s program notes featured below pique your interest, you\u2019re in luck! You can watch virtually all of these works online at your leisure. Get your popcorn ready!<\/p>\n

In the spring of 1948, Amos Vogel published an explainer<\/a> about his recently launched film society in the quarterly periodical Film News<\/em><\/a>; two years later \u2013 with more screenings under his belt \u2013 he expanded upon these ideas in \u201cCinema 16: A Showcase for the Nonfiction Film\u201d in Hollywood Quarterly<\/em> (precursor to today\u2019s Film Quarterly<\/em><\/a>). In this latter essay, Vogel proclaimed that in less than three full years in operation, his humble \u201cdream to create a permanent showcase for 16-mm. documentary and experimental films [had become] very much a reality.\u201d He continued by noting that attendance at recent screenings \u2013 more than 3,000 viewers per show! \u2013 proved his original thesis: \u201cthat there were scores of superior nonfiction films gathering dust on film-library shelves\u201d and an untapped audience \u201ceager to see them.” Indeed, Cinema 16 quickly outgrew its original home, moving uptown to the Central Needle Trades Auditorium (today part of the High School of Fashion Industries). (Photocopies of both essays available here<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Amos Vogel circa 1948 soon after founding of Cinema 16<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Hollywood Quarterly <\/em>article continues with an outline of Cinema 16\u2019s approach to programming which centered \u201cfilms that comment on the state of man, his world, and his crises, either by means of realistic documentation or through experimental techniques. It \u2018glorifies\u2019 nonfiction\u2026[Cinema 16] hails a film that is a work of art, but will not hesitate to present a film that is important only because of its subject matter. Its avant-garde films comment on the tensions and psychological insecurity of modern existences or are significant expressions of modern art. Its social documentaries stimulate rather than stifle discussion and controversy.\u201d<\/p>\n

What I find particularly notable is how Vogel seems to elide \u201crealistic documentation\u201d (even at its most prosaic) and avant-garde\/experimental practices in ways that anticipate Scott MacDonald\u2019s formulation of the \u201cavant-doc<\/a>.\u201d (Vogel would later write more theoretically about relations between documentary, the avant-garde, and cinematic truth in an unpublished 1953 essay recently published here<\/a>). For my purposes here, suffice it to say, Vogel\u2019s capacious framework for finding nonfiction value in an eclectic mix of films is evident throughout Cinema 16\u2019s earliest program notes.<\/p>\n

Vogel\u2019s capacious framework for finding nonfiction value in an eclectic mix of films is evident throughout Cinema 16\u2019s earliest program notes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Program 1 (dated November 1947)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Screening Dates and Times: November 4, 5, 11, 12 at 7:45pm and 9:30pm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Extended excerpts and film credits as written in Vogel\u2019s program notes (with brief annotations)<\/p>\n

\"Cover<\/a><\/p>\n

Glen Falls Sequence<\/em> (Douglass Crockwell<\/a>, 1946)<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>A non-objective film, concerned primarily with the intuitive expression of the artist through the play and hazard of the medium. The fluid imagery is left for each of us to interpret in our own way\u2026\u201d Streaming via YouTube <\/em>here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Monkey Into Man<\/em> (Stuart Legg<\/a> for Strand Films in England, under supervisor of biologist Julian Huxley<\/a>, 1938)<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>Not by any means a truly comprehensive scientific study, this film nevertheless conveys in a popular fashion facts as to the development and habits of various types of apes. Skillful direction and entertaining comment almost succeed in transforming the film into an \u201centertainment\u201d piece.<\/p>\n

[TG: Billed as a \u201cCinema 16 favorite,\u201d Monkey Into Man<\/em> screened again in the mid-1950s due to popular demand from members]
\nStreaming via Internet Archive <\/em>here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Lamentation <\/em>(\u201cMr. and Mrs. Moselsio\u201d for the Harmon Foundation, 1943)<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>This masterpiece of interpretative dance is done entirely from a sitting position, with repeated close-ups, revealing Martha Graham\u2019s dance technique in great details. Because of its interesting movements and sculptural planes, the film should prove of interest not merely to students of the dance, but also to artists and sculptors.
\n[TG: Shot at Bennington College by Simon and Herta Moselsio of the Art Faculty. Film was released in 1943 though competing sources<\/a> suggest it was filmed in the 1930s]<\/p>\n

Streaming via Indiana University\u2019s Media Collections website <\/em>here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The Potted Psalm<\/em> (Written, produced, and directed by Sidney Peterson<\/a> and James Broughton<\/a>; photography by Sidney Peterson, 1946)<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>Shot in San Francisco during the summer of 1946, this film undertakes a visual penetration of the chaotic inner complexities of our post-war society, heretofore the preoccupation of serious modern writers. The film medium is potentially more natural one than literature in dealing with the sub-verbal realms of the subconscious since it is more analogous to the dream world and its imagery. But the contents of the dream world are divorced from rationality and possess a necessary ambiguity. Thus the only possible approach to a film of this sort \u2014 indeed, in a sense, any work of art \u2014 is to accept the ambiguity without interjection of the question: Why? Since we all possess an infinite university of ambiguity within us, these images are meant to play upon that world, and not our rational senses\u2026.
\n<\/em>[TG: Also billed as a \u201cCinema 16 favorite\u201d and would screen again in the mid-1950s due to popular demand!]<\/p>\n

Streaming via <\/em>YouTube<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Boundary Lines <\/em>(Animation by Philip Stapp<\/a>. Music by Gene Forrell, 1945)<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>This outstanding cartoon successfully combines a social message with unique color animation, provocative commentary, and a distinguished musical score.
\n<\/em>[TG: Produced by prolific documentary filmmaker and producer Julien Bryan<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Streaming via Indiana University\u2019s Media Collections website <\/em>here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Program 2 Notes (December 1947)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Screening Dates and Times: December 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17 at 7:45pm and 9:30pm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Extended excerpts and film credits as written in Vogel\u2019s program notes (with brief annotations where indicated)<\/p>\n

\"Cover<\/a><\/p>\n

Abstract Film Exercises<\/em><\/h3>\n

Produced 1943\/44 by John<\/a> and James Whitney<\/a> (Guggenheim fellowship).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The basic aim of the Whitney Brothers is to explore the possibilities of dynamic color relationships and sound production toward the development of an abstract film art form. Their brilliant color animations are created by a modified optical printer, paper cutouts, and filters. Much like a musical theme, a visual pattern is first stated and then \u201cdeveloped\u201d graphically by treating it to various moods of color and motion\u2026Their weird tonal patterns are created by no known instrument, but by a specifically designed machine which in itself is sound-less, and merely regulates the shape of a light ray. This light ray is then thrown directly onto the sound track, creating a distinct and \u201ctest tube\u201d originated sound pattern\u2026It is by virtue of this coldly scientific integration of sound and image that the film delivers their striking bi-sensory impact upon the observer.<\/p>\n

[TG: Cover of program indicates five abstract exercises. I have only been able to locate four online. Exercise 4<\/em> was another \u201cCinema 16 favorite\u201d that would screen again in the mid-1950s due to popular demand]<\/p>\n

Exercises 1-4 streaming on YouTube: <\/em>Exercise 1,<\/em><\/a> Exercises 2-3<\/em><\/a>, and <\/em>Exercise 4.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The Feeling of Rejection <\/em><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>The case history of a young women who learned in childhood not to risk disapproval by taking independent action. Childhood events that created a crippling fear of failure are recapitulated; the causes and harmful effects of her inability to engage in normal competition are then analyzed. Notwithstanding its seemingly unpretentiousness and use of non-professional actors, this film succeeds admirably in making a psychological program come alive. Mature commentary and skillful dramatization create an arresting visualization of adjustment problems. Produced 1947 by the Canadian Film Board.
\n[TG: Produced in 1947 by National Film Board of Canada on behalf of the Mental Health Division of the Department of National Health and Welfare in Ottawa; directed by Robert Anderson<\/a>. Number 1 in series on \u2018mental mechanisms\u2019]<\/p>\n

Streaming via National Film Board of Canada website <\/em>here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

And So They Live <\/em><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>Moving in its simplicity, yet filled with a certain poetic realism, this film by John Ferno is in the best documentary film tradition: to portray life truthfully and realistically, to use the actual locale rather than the studio, to use people engaged in their daily tasks instead of professional actors. The camera pierces their harsh and cheerless lives, condemns by mere portrayal antiquated farming methods, the overcrowded and understaffed school, and a curriculum divorced from the life of the children. Refreshing is also Mr. Ferno\u2019s refusal to end on an optimistic note or to provide an artificially contrived solution. Instead, the fade-out conveys at one time both the warmth of family relations as well as the unrelieved poverty of these people.<\/p>\n

Produced by the Educational Film Institute of New York University. Directed by John<\/p>\n

[TG: Shot in Kentucky in 1940, sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. John Ferno<\/a> was born John Fernhout in the Netherlands and previously worked with Joris Ivens; unclear why Vogel does not attribute film to co-director Julian Roffman<\/a> within his description.]<\/p>\n

Streaming via Film Preservation.org\u2019s Screening Room <\/em>here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Hen Hop
\nFive for Four<\/em><\/h3>\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Hen Hop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Five for Four<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

These unusual and captivating color animations by the Canadian artist Norman McLaren were made in 1945 as reminders of various war savings campaigns. While their message is dated, their artistry has remained vibrantly alive. Contrary to the usual animation techniques which call for the photographing of cut-outs or drawings, McLaren handpaints directly on the negative film, frame by frame. The result of his artistic ingenuity and painstaking labor has been an exuberant mixtures of color, sound, and images.<\/p>\n

Both<\/em> Hen Hop<\/a> and <\/em>Five for Four<\/a> (both released in 1942 according to NFBC) are streaming via the National Film Board of Canada website, as are dozens of other works by <\/em>Norman McLaren<\/em><\/a>! <\/em><\/p>\n

Program 3 Notes (January 1948)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Screening Dates and Times:
\nJanuary 12, 19, 21, 28 at 7:45pm and 9:30pm<\/strong><\/p>\n

January 24 and 25 at 2:00pm, 3:45pm, 5:30pm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Extended excerpts and film credits as written in Vogel\u2019s program notes (with brief annotations where indicated)<\/p>\n

\"Cover<\/a><\/p>\n

Your Children and You<\/em><\/h3>\n

(Produced by Alex Shaw<\/a> for Realist Film Unit, England. Camera: A.E. Jeakins. Music: William Alwyn<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Whether or not you have children you will chuckle when you see this film. Instead of assuming a dry textbook attitude, it utilizes imaginative photography, a crisp commentary and well-selected incidents to create an amusing \u201centertainment\u201d piece. Of interest is also its attempt to portray the subject as seen through the eyes of the child. While many suggestions offered in the film are genuinely helpful, others are not entirely in accordance with present day educational methods<\/p>\n

[TG: Produced by Central Office of Information Film for the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the Central Council for Health Education in 1946. Direction credited to Brian Smith].<\/p>\n

Streaming via London\u2019s Wellcome Collection online museum and library <\/em>here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Underground Farmers<\/em><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>This remarkable scientific film reveals by means of brilliant photography intimate details of the live and social organization of a unique ant society in Equatorial South America. Extreme close-ups and explicit commentary are effectively utilized to present the unusual underground mushroom plantations, methods of cultivation, division of labor, and finally, a battle between two warring ant colonies. A Van Beuren Production.<\/p>\n

[TG: Released in 1936 through RKO; perhaps the last production released by the Van Beuren Corporation, a cartoon and short film producer, prior to closure.]
\nStreaming via Internet Archive <\/em>here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Seeds of Destiny<\/em><\/h3>\n

Produced by U.S. Army Signal Corps for UNRRA<\/a><\/p>\n

A 1946 Academy Award Winner as \u201cbest documentary film of the year,\u201d this bitter and tragic film on the plight of children in Europe is a fitting counterpart to YOUR CHILDREN AND YOU; its harrowing scenes demonstrate that to raise children properly, proper conditions of existence are as much needed as \u201ccorrect\u201d educational methods. It is neither a refined nor a pretty picture; it graphically depicts a reality which is coarse and shocking. This film was originally rejected by the American Theatre Association as \u201ctoo gruesome and horrifying\u201d for theatrical showing. CINEMA 16 is proud to present it.<\/p>\n

Streaming via U.S. National Archives website <\/em>here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Fragment of Seeking<\/em><\/h3>\n

Conceived, directed, and photographed in 1946 by Curtis Harrington.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Interesting attempt at a quasi-poetical treatment of one boy\u2019s adolescent yearning. The seeming realism of the film is deceptive \u2013 only its generalized symbolism is real. An atmosphere of foreboding prevails throughout and mounts work at times unusual\u2026every aspiring amateur should note that this film was made with inexpensive 16mm \u201chome movie\u201d equipment and photographed in three days. Mr. Harrington, calling it a \u201cdocumentary of the soul,\u201d has provided an interesting note on the film which becomes fully intelligible only after one has seen it: \u201cThis is a cinematic portrait, a fragment of existence of the adolescent Narcissus. In reality of this true Narcissus we find not the arrogant, beautiful creature of the legend, but rather the questioning seeker, not wholly understanding the nature of his desire \u2013 until the final, overpowering revelation. The continuity of time reveals the image of desire, always there, just beyond. And then, in the moment of fulfillment, the image of death precipitates the truth.\u201d Streaming via YouTube <\/em>here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

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\u2026And There\u2019s More Short Films Awaiting Rediscovery!<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As Cinema 16 grew, the production value of its program schedules increased. 1947-48\u2019s simple flyers evolved into multi-page colorful trifolds and booklets with pleasing designs featuring 16mm reels and film strips. Cinema 16 also grew and expanded its programming. Special events became regular perks of membership. For example, the 1952\/53 season alone featured appearances by Jean Renoir (presenting his \u201cpanned by critics\u201d Rules of the Game<\/em>), film critic Archer Winsten (screening and discussing Dreyer\u2019s \u201cneglected\u201d Day of Wrath<\/em>) and documentarian Sidney Meyers (director-writer-editor of Academy Award-winning documentary The Quiet One<\/em><\/a> [1948]).<\/p>\n

\"Cinema<\/a><\/p>\n

Even as Cinema 16 grew in size and stature, its commitment to screening (and later distributing<\/a>)\u00a0eclectic moving image content remained constant. Its approach to nonfiction, in particular, stubbornly defies today\u2019s accepted documentary canon. A quick survey of Cinema 16\u2019s programs in the 1950s and early \u201860s certainly finds references to the expected \u2014\u00a0Flaherty, Franju\u2019s Blood of the Beasts<\/em> and several works in the Griersonian tradition \u2014\u00a0as well as acclaimed, yet less remembered, documentarians like Arne Sucksdorff<\/a>. At the same time, carefully examining programs also unearths additional medical films and numerous other modes and examples of useful cinema<\/a> awaiting further discovery. For those interested in diversifying their cinematic palate and broadening their understanding of film history, take inspiration from Cinema 16\u2019s programs, gifts from Amos Vogel that inspire discovery more than sixty years after Cinema 16 closed its doors.<\/p>\n

For more on programming at Cinema 16, I highly recommend Scott MacDonald\u2019s essay \u201cFilm Comes First,\u201d published in Be Sand, Not Oil: The Life and Work of Amos Vogel<\/em>,<\/a> edited by Paul Cronin.<\/p>\n

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Tanya Goldman<\/a> is a Research Fellow at the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research. She earned her Ph.D. in Cinema Studies in 2022 from New York University.<\/p>\n

WCFTR has recently processed the Amos Vogel papers as part of the project \u201cExpanding Film Culture\u2019s Field of Vision: Processing and Sharing the Collections of Amos Vogel,\u00a0Jump Cut<\/i>,\u00a0Angles<\/i>, and the Wisconsin Film Festival,\u201d funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.<\/p>\n