Cinematic Era: 1944 Vintage

Brian Michie introduces various musical and comedy acts in the form of a dress rehearsal for a stage review, interspersed with comedy routines featuring Bonar Colleano.

Lulu had a indoor picnic because of the bad weather. The old house was haunted by two ghosts. But the ghosts were mean or scary...

A man discovers that the second child he is expecting is the product of his wife's infidelity, who dies in childbirth. The boy, named Alberto, is treated as if he were a servant. His brother José Manuel, on the other hand, is treated well and all his whims are fulfilled and therefore he becomes lazy and irresponsible.

Lieutenant General T.J.A. Heikkilä travels to the Republic of Sierranueva together with his military servant Tlaca and Captain Silvio. The trio uncovers political machinations and helps the righteous marquis don Ramiro. Women can't resist the handsome Heikkilä, who takes the heart of even the beautiful Camilla.

Jasper goes to heaven in this George Pal Puppetoon.

Popeye and Shorty help Olive move. Unfortunately, they start by running into a police car, and keep running afoul of the officer.

Tweety is set upon by a fat, jowly cat, who winds up with, among other things, a dozen eggs and a gallon of gasoline in his mouth instead of the little bird.

A crowd gathers at the beach to witness vacationer Wally Walrus thrashing Woody Woodpecker. Wally explains, in flashback, why he is trying to rid himself of Woody.

a movie by Heinz Paul

On the banks of the Otava River stands a manor house that a group of boys find very mysterious. After visiting it, the boys discover that there is nothing there but an old lady and her granddaughter. The group splits into two camps and a "pitched" fight ensues, but it doesn't last long.

Arturo Salazar is a powerful businessman who wants to be related to the nobility, so he asks an aristocratic friend to find him a blue-blooded bride.

Two young pilot trainees arrive for primary flight training and meet their instructor, Navy pilot Lt. Taylor. Lt. Taylor talks to the men about the necessity of becoming practiced in the way of the aircraft in such a way as to enable them to rely on their senses much of their time in the air, as reliance on instruments can be confusing for beginning pilots. He explains that, at first, flying will be like walking or riding a bicycle were first learned -- by trial and error and following strict instructions. But with practice, eventually the pilot's senses will take over and much of the process of flying will rely more on his feel for the plane and less on rote following of instructions.

A young sculptor presides over the destinies of a student club where a miserable young girl ends up one evening. The treasurer of the association falls in love with the young girl who returns the favor. The war. The sculptor comes back blind. Out of gratitude, the young girl marries him and restores his confidence in his talent; out of discretion, the treasurer steps aside.

Wartime housekeeping tips by a home-economics pro who comes to the aid of a bumbling, vertically challenged husband and his statuesque bride.

When Bigshot Jones gives his unnamed dog to the All-For-One Club, Buckwheat quickly names the canine "Smallpox", inadvertently causing a city-wide panic.

An elderly Jewish man from Manchester, travels to Nazi Germany to seek the mother of a young German refugee that has attempted suicide. In Germany, Mr. Emmanuel’s efforts to seek out Hertha Rosenhein are greeted by a wall of silence from the scared Jewish community and anti-Semitic hatred from many Germans.

Documentary feature film depicting the training of young Lieutenant Jim Anthony as a pilot of the B-26 Marauder bomber. Dick, the captain charged with pilot instruction, leads Jim through every aspect of preparation to fly the bomber, going through a detailed checklist of pre-flight procedures, long before he allows Jim to turn an engine over. Once preparations are completed, Dick shows Jim the process of starting the engines, followed by take-off. In the air, further instruction helps Jim understand the various limits and capabilities of the aircraft. When one engine fails, Dick must simultaneously guide the limping plane back to a safe landing and explain to Jim each step of the procedure.

This is the story of a convict fellow whose brother is a bright scientist that discovers a vaccine against a deadly infection. The clash between good and evil moves the convict to search into his soul and find the goodness that will lead him to the ultimate sacrifice.

A romantic comedy about a writer coming back to Finland is bored with the High Society life and starts a modeling job for a young and beautiful painter Ilona. Dressed as a vagabond, he soon starts to please Ilona and her many lady friends as shows quick learning skills and soon shows great knowledge of history, art, and literature.

A full-blown re-election piece for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt at the expense of Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey. Roosevelt is depicted as a streamlined diesel express train in a race against Dewey, a worn-out steam train. The public is admonished to "get behind the president and stay the course to victory."

Illustrates table 30 of the board of Education Syllabus (1933) and draws attention to certain main points essential to the correct performance of the exercises.

On July 13, 1944, Vilnius was completely liberated from the Nazi invaders.

Commissioned by the U.S. Office of War Information, this short film features conductor Arturo Toscanini leading the NBC Symphony Orchestra, tenor Jan Peerce, and the Westminster Choir in Verdi’s Inno delle nazioni. Originally composed in the 1860s as a musical tribute to Europe, Toscanini expanded the score to include The Star-Spangled Banner and The Internationale in honor of the Allied struggle and Italian partisans. Filmed in NBC’s Studio 8H, the documentary interweaves performance with scenes of Toscanini at home, emphasizing his anti-fascist stance and celebrating the liberation of Italy. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.

Pvt. Snafu's unit suffers the consequences of blabbing military secrets while on leave at home.

A lonely child, neglected by her parents, encounters and befriends a German Shepherd, but she's unaware the animal is a military dog being trained for service in WW2.

A newspaper columnist and host of his own national network radio program, interviewing more film personalities on his show than any other commentator, is searching for a story for a Sunday column carried by newspaper from coast to coast. Hanging out in Hollywood's famed Trocadero restaurant and night-spot, he gets his story when "Troc" owner and band-leader Eddie LeBaron, relates to him the sage of the famed screenland nitery. And hears plenty of music furnished by four of the top name-bands in the land, including that of Bob Chester, who formed his own swing band in 1935 after being top saxophonist with the bands of Ben Pollack and Ben Bernie. Singer Ida James and the Chester band led off with "Shoo Shoo Baby" in their screen debut.

Silva Varescu, a self-sufficient and professionally successful cabaret performer from Budapest, is about to embark on a tour of America. Three of her aristocratic admirers, named Edwin, Feri and Boni, prefer her to stay. Edwin, unaware that his parents have already arranged a marriage for him back home in Vienna, orders a notary to prepare a promissory note of his expected marriage to Silva within ten weeks.

The Eighth Army famously adopted a German song in the Western Desert. The Crown Film Unit traces the journey of Lili Marlene from its composition in post-WW1 Hamburg, via Radio Belgrade and the Afrika Korps, through victory in Tunisia and Sicily, to an imagined post-war East End, full of light, music and bananas for sale.

Inger lives at home with his parents. She suspects that she is pregnant. A doctor notes her pregnancy and urge her to seek the child's father. The doctor offers her an abortion, but she refuses.

A musical film based on biographical facts about Clara Wieck's love for composer Robert Schumann (1810-1856), her marriage against her will, Schumann's triumph, and his tragic end due to mental illness. The film is beautiful and entertaining, full of noble spirit and beautiful words about art and love, which only conflict in a theoretical context; not least thanks to its solid cast, this film is quite serious and far from kitsch. Completed in 1944, during World War II, the film was rejected by the Nazi leadership, but was eventually released and enjoyed success with an audience already weary of war.

Once a naïve, love-struck girl now forsaken by her lover, Maija leaves her island home to work as a housemaid in the city, only to be seduced by her employer's son Erkki, then forced to leave the household in order to avoid the scandal of a pregnancy. With few prospects for a decent job, Maija is reduced to working as a bar hostess to make ends meet, ever fending off the advances of disreputable clients, even as she continues to hold out hope for an enduring love that will redeem her from her fate.

A lost Private Snafu short in the "A Few Quick Facts," series of shorts that was meant to educate soldiers over sexually transmitted diseases during WWII. It is now considered lost.

Professional bullfighter pretends to his girlfriend that he's a doctor, because her father hates bullfighters and would never let her marry one. Meanwhile...

Billy Carson arrives in King City looking for two men and kills them both. Caught by the Marshal he tells his story.

Donald is listening to a radio program that tells how to build an airplane from plastic, in a process much like baking a cake, cookies, and making toast. He takes it out for a test flight, still guided by the radio, and it works wonderfully. Until the radio interviewer asks if there's any problems: yes, it melts when it gets wet. Of course, Donald instantly flies into a rain cloud, and has to battle his plane as it disintegrates.

It is approaching mid-November in Dogpatch and this his bad news for all the bachelors, including Li'l Abner, as "Sadie Hawkins Day" is nearing. That is the day that all the bachelors in Dogpatch have to run in the race in which all the unmarried homely gals---which is all of them except Daisy Mae Scragg and Moonbeam McSwine--and old maids and grass widows then chase the bachelors and can marry the one they catch before sundown. Confirmed-bachelor Li'l Abner, as always, is the prime-target as the prize catch and Daisy Mae, as always, has a new plan that will ensure she catches him.

Filmmaker Pete Smith is very protective of the trophies and other mementos associated with his films that are located in his office at the studio, but knows that Joe Funk, the studio custodian who cleans his office, is the one who is always fussing around with those mementos. As Joe fiddles around with those mementos on this specific occasion, Pete recalls the films and incidents associated with those items, most which are related to sporting events.

The Nazis seize power and occupies a country. A celebrated pianist returns home from abroad during this time of national crisis and reconnects with Major von Ritter who leads the occupation and whom she had a passionate love affair in the past.

Farmhand moves to the city to be with his mother. He falls in love with the daughter of the rich family for whom she works as housekeeper, and decides to take advantage of his skill as a bullfighter to earn money and status enough to be able to court her.

Private Snafu wants to tell his sweetheart, Sally Lou, that he thinks his unit will be sent to the South Pacific. But every effort he makes to get his letter through uncensored is thwarted by a resourceful (and unseen) censor with an array of contraptions and booby traps. Not even Snafu's carrier pigeon can avoid the censor -- not when he has a hawk for an assistant. Technical Fairy, First Class, comes to the rescue and agrees to deliver the letter -- but he has good reason to say that he'll hate himself in the morning.

A Terrytoons cartoon released 1 September 1944. All is peaceful and quiet in the town of Terrytown. There's a butcher, a baker and a candlestick maker. The town also happily supports two barber shops, a big one for men and a little one under the floor for mice. All is cheerful until the appearance of a very mean, hungry old cat with big teeth and sharp claws! When one of the mice clips his whiskers, the cat runs back to the alley and gets more cats to come with him to clean out Terrytown. All looks doomed. The battles are furious. The mice are losing. Then a call goes out for the Champion of Justice. Mighty Mouse bounds to the rescue.

Honeymooners find a dead radio producer in their suite.

A Soundie with Bob Howard.

Luscious colour photography of the Taj Mahal and a Mediterranean cruise to Port Said.

A duck struggles mightily and finally hatches her eggs in the bitter cold. All but one, that is: poor little Robespierre. Mama doesn't notice him missing until after he has sprouted legs and run off in search of warmth.

Barstow and Stevens are forcing the local printer to print fake silver certificates which they then sell. Treasury Agents Chick Weaver and Throckmorton Snodgrass arrive working under cover. But when Chick's true identity as an Agent is revealed, Barstow sends his henchmen to finish him off.

An encounter on a rooftop between two policemen and a thief who specializes in lightning conductors.

After being harassed at the office by her boss, Eila gets sacked and tries to find a new job. After difficulties, she eventually begins to work as a model to a sculptor.

An animated film showing how Victory bonds are a good way to save money for the post-war period.

In the Stockholm archipelago in the 1880s, Carlsson move out to an isolated farmstead to help the widow Flood with the farm. Carlsson has big plans for the island, including having paying guests in the summer but Gusten, the son of the widow, is negative. Plot by Mattias Thuresson.

Private Snafu learns about inflation

To prove he's a true Indian Brave, Big Heel-Watha decides to catch a squirrel - but wouldn't you know it; Screwy Squirrel is the first one he sees...

It's Thanksgiving, and Tom Turk is trying to avoid become the main attraction on Porky Pig's dinner table. Fellow bird Daffy Duck is willing to help him, until he realizes that he'll miss out on a delicious meal. Hilarity ensues as each tries to get the other caught by Porky.

"Spare me!" pleads the mouse to the dumb lion who just caught him, "And some day I'll save your life." Once out of the lion's clutches, though, the mouse taunts, "Sucker!"

Expeditions to parts of North and South America, India and Burma (Myanmar). Record of a journey to illustrate the life of countries in which allied servicemen are stationed.