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Eye Witness No. 601953 11 minTomorrow's Officers: At Le Collège Militaire Royal de St-Jean, young recruits become mentally and physically equipped to assume future military leadership. This Unseen World: Photomicrography and time-lapse sequences reveal some of the strange growth processes under the water and soil surface. Scientists Uncover Prehistoric Alberta: In the Badlands of Alberta, paleontologists dig for the fossilized remains of prehistoric monsters that once roamed this area. -
Let's Talk About FilmsJulian Biggs 1953 18 minAn approach-to-film discussion showing some of the problems encountered and how they may be overcome. A group of leaders tries to recognize the factors leading to successful film discussion by observing an audience actively discussing a familiar film. In retrospect one of the group recalls being unable to arouse any response whatever with the same film. Why did one effort fail and the other succeed? These questions are closely examined by the group leaders in a workshop meeting; the centring of discussion in the group rather than in the leader is seen to be an effective technique.
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Eye Witness No. 501953 11 minThe Glass Makers: One of the most exacting jobs in glass manufacture, the production of sheet glass, is shown in various stages from the pouring of raw materials to the slicing of three-storey-high sheets in a Toronto factory. Return of the Beaver: A government-inspired conservation project pays off for the Indigenous Peoples (Amos, James Bay area), who can again trap the once-depleted beaver population. Uranium City: A "uranium rush," reminiscent of the Trail of Ninety-Eight, is changing a wilderness area of northern Saskatchewan into a mushrooming industrial development.
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Winter in CanadaGuy L. Coté 1953 18 minThis film shows the influence of winter on the lives of Canadian people generally and, in particular, on the varied activities and experiences of two boys residing in widely separated localities, one in a Québec Laurentian town and the other on a ranch in the Alberta foothills.
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RehearsalRoger Blais 1953 12 minMuch of the work of an orchestra and its conductor is done in shirt sleeves, in an empty hall. In this film we go behind the scenes with conductor Paul Scherman as he prepares a Montréal orchestra for a performance of a new composition by Canadian composer Harry Somers. Mr. Somers himself is on hand to hear this rehearsal of his Suite for Harp and Chamber Orchestra.
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News of the World "A"1953 8 minIn this film the camera travels far afield to present happenings of interest around the world.
Marsh Bounty: Spain reclaims Seville marshlands for rice production.
Royal Review: Prince Charles and Princess Anne attract bystanders as they watch the Changing of the Guard.
Locust Plague: India uses every means to destroy great swarms of locusts.
Watchmakers' Show: In Stockholm the Swedish Watchmakers' Association celebrates its sixtieth anniversary.
Salt Harvest: At Barletta, Italy, the sea yields thousands of tons of salt for export. Gondola Regatta: On her ancient waterways, the city of Venice relives past glories. -
Eye Witness No. 53Grant McLean 1953 11 minEvery year thousands of immigrants enter Canada. But what of their homelands and the ties they leave behind? This film visits Holland to tell that human story--the story of the Boelhauers, farm folk who choose emigration as the best means of one day owning their own land. Arriving in Canada, they are given hope by what they see around them. At the same time, Canada has acquired a fine family of the land.
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The HarbourErnest Kirkpatrick 1953 9 minHalifax, in winter as in summer, plays host to ships from all parts of the world--freighters, tankers, and luxury liners. To keep the procession moving is a tremendous job requiring modern facilities, scientific aids, and constant direction by the harbourmaster. The coordination required is shown with the piloting and berthing of a Swedish freighter.
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The Shop StewardMorten Parker 1953 21 minA dramatized presentation of the role of the shop steward in the effective day-to-day functioning of free trade unionism, the film begins with the election of machinist Johnny Walachuk as shop steward for the men in his section of a large industrial plant. Continuing, it shows the part the shop steward plays in carrying out the grievance procedures set up by company and union. How Johnny fulfills his responsibility to protect the men who elected him from infractions of the agreement is told in his own words and typifies the function of union shop stewards generally in Canada. Number one of the series.
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Dues and the UnionDavid Bairstow 1953 16 minThe importance of the regular payment of union dues and how they keep a union going is told through the story of a young pipefitter. New to the trade and to his responsibilities as a union member, Frank Weston found there was much to learn about both. Fortunately for him, his boss on the job--a skilled tradesman and a founder of the union--had the patience to teach him. Through him Frank learns the significance of prompt dues payment and the services provided by them, and comes to enjoy the satisfaction of active and interested union membership.
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The NewcomersDavid Bennett 1953 27 minAll across Canada, at every level, national life is being enriched and strengthened by the talents and skills, as diverse as the countries from which they come, which are being poured into their adopted land by immigrants from the British Isles and Europe. This film travels to many places from coast to coast to present a visual inventory of the many ways in which Canada's expansion is being helped by the newcomers, who see fresh opportunities to develop existing resources--both economically and culturally--and who also arrive as the purveyors of specialized knowledge from abroad.
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Country MagistrateRobert Anderson 1953 20 minThis film deals with the administration of justice on the local level in Canada, as seen in the activities of Roderick Haig-Brown, fisherman, writer and magistrate in rural British Columbia. A portrayal of a few of the typical cases on his roster indicates the variety of criminal offences which come under the jurisdiction of a country magistrate's court. In showing the discharge of his responsibilities the film reveals the magistrate's important position in the community, the constant demands on his time, and the integrity of judgment required to uphold the law on the one hand and to act in executive restraint of police powers on the other. Based on parts of the book Measure of the Year by Roderick Haig-Brown.
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The Frustrating Fours and the Fascinating FivesJudith Crawley 1953 21 minA study of the behaviour 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 behaviour may be, it's fun to help in the development of the fours and fives.
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Shadow on the Prairie (A Canadian Ballet)Roger Blais 1953 14 minThis is a screen presentation of a Canadian ballet created for and identified with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company. The theme centres around the settlement of the Canadian West and concerns the fate of a young wife who comes to the prairies with her pioneer husband to begin a new life. Ingeniously designed stage sets suggest a covered wagon and a rude homesteader's dwelling.
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Winnipeg Ballet1953 15 minFred Davis goes backstage at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
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Eye Witness No. 58Ronald Weyman & Grant McLean 1953 11 min
Eye Witness was a series of short monthly newsreels produced by the NFB during the post-war period. Each installment included several short reports on issues of interest to Canadians. Episode No. 58 includes Canadian Works with U.N.’s Problem Refugees, in which Dr. Robert Westwater, an Ottawa educator, helps UNESCO deal with problems precipitated by the dislocation of Arab populations following the 1948 war in Palestine, and Tractor Train Pushes through Northern Wilderness, which shows how supplies needed to build the Ungava railway and hydro project are transported by tractor trains through snow-bound roads and rough country. -
Radar StationAllen Stark 1953 15 minThis short from 1953 takes us on a guided tour of a northern Canadian radar defense post. There, Squadron Leader Bill Lee of the Royal Canadian Air Force discusses the station’s operations, revealing the little-known role of these isolated posts scattered across Canada’s Arctic.
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Herring HuntJulian Biggs 1953 10 minThis short sea-faring documentary follows the operations of a herring boat and her crew in the coastal waters of British Columbia. The Western Girl trawler, her skipper, and his men race to get their catch before the quota is taken and the fishing area closed. Teamwork is paramount in an enterprise that has a great element of risk; competition is keen and one man's mistake may mean severe loss, so that a year of plenty may be followed by a year of famine.
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The World at Your FeetLarry Gosnell 1953 22 minThis short, downward-gazing documentary presents the soil in a new light. Man's inevitable and invaluable associate, the soil is a veritable thriving community in miniature, populated by living things of the animal, plant and insect worlds. Using highly magnified sequences, the film shows how this complex universe maintains a harmonious balance.
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Eye Witness No. 54Daryl Duke , Felix Lazarus , … 1953 11 minThese vignettes from 1954 cover various aspects of life in Canada and were shown in theatres across the country. Subjects included here are: Ball Stars Start Young: In Vancouver's Little League, baseball players, diamond and equipment are junior size, but not the boys' coaches or the eagerness of teams and fans. An Auto a Minute: This is just about the rate of output seen in one of Ontario's automobile assembly plants. A Railroad Goes to Sea: Swapping steel rails for ocean waves is routine for British Columbia's Pacific Great Eastern Railway, travelling the forty-mile leg between Vancouver and Squamish by railway barge.
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The Story of Peter and the PotterDonald Peters 1953 19 minIn this short drama, Peter accidentally breaks a glass bowl intended as a birthday gift for his mother. Mr. and Mrs. Deichmann and their daughter Anneke, all artisans in clay, come to the rescue and make him one of their designs while Peter watches. Every stage, from the first turn of the potter's wheel to the final glazing and baking, is shown.
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Canada at the CoronationAllen Stark 1953 51 minThis documentary depicts the colour and pageantry of the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as well as Canada's participation in this momentous event.
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Highlights from Royal JourneyDavid Bairstow , Gudrun Parker , … 1953 22 minHighlights of the 1951 visit of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh to Canada and the United States.
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The Zoo in Stanley ParkBernard Devlin 1953 14 minIn this documentary short, a superintendent at Vancouver's Stanley Park Zoo discusses issues related to feeding and acclimatization of birds and animals from other zones.
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Transpacific Flight1953 15 minThis short documentary from the On the Spot series—“the National Film Board’s up-to-the-minute report of what’s happening somewhere in Canada”—invites us aboard a transpacific flight. Host Fred Davis, on his way to shoot stories in Japan and Korea, interviews the pilot, navigator and flight attendants.
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Football Story1953 15 minThis short documentary from the On the Spot series - “National Film Board’s up-to-the-minute report of what’s happening somewhere in Canada” – invites us to visit the Edmonton Eskimos football team on their home ground. Host Fred Davis introduce us to some of the team’s key players and interviews its 28-year-old coach, Darrell Royal, a firm believer in the use of moving pictures in the coaching of modern football.
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Ti-Jean Goes LumberingJean Palardy 1953 15 minTen-year-old Ti-Jean's feats dwarf those of even the strongest lumberjack as he fells timber, cuts, carries and piles heavy logs, and comes out the victor in every contest. This short French-Canadian folk tale portrays typical life and work in a winter logging camp.
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Angotee: Story of an Eskimo BoyDouglas Wilkinson 1953 31 minA short film featuring an Inuk man from the Eastern Arctic. Made in 1953, it recounts his life from birth to maturity and marriage. Screened widely in Canadian schools, the film is now dated but accurately depicts aspects of Inuit culture of the time.
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Farewell Oak StreetGrant McLean 1953 17 minThis documentary presents a before-and-after picture of people in a large-scale public housing project in Toronto. Due to a housing shortage, they were forced to live in squalid, dingy flats and ramshackle dwellings on a crowded street in Regent Park North; now they have access to new, modern housing developments designed to offer them privacy, light and space.
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Here's Hockey!Leslie McFarlane 1953 10 minFeaturing Jean Beliveau, this short film focuses on hockey from the inside out. Known as Canada's national pastime, this film demonstrates why hockey is such an exciting spectator sport. From east to west, the connection between fans and players is evident in the excited cries of "we've won!" From Pee-Wee to Bantam, from the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association to the big league pros, Here's Hockey! shows what it takes to make a great hockey player.
