Anyone of a certain age can certainly recall being dropped off at the movies or gathered together on a Sunday evening at 7:00 to watch "Disney" on NBC TV, and often, they would show one of these engaging documentaries that got children interested in the world around them. I recall sitting in the theater watching "The Living Desert" years ago and then later seeing it on TV, and the thrill it gave me. As an adult, I was upset by the lack of these types of films, although "Animals are Beautiful People" is one that came out that was worth seeing over and over again. On home video, many of these films made their way out, and the most recent of these that caught my attention was Warner Brothers' 1954 3-D "Animal World" that gave a quick overview of the history of evolution and how animals and man came to be based on scientific research, in a way that made it both educational and fun, and certainly films that in the right schools can be shown today to engage the students to want to learn more.
This rather short documentary doesn't overstay its welcome, but I would certainly have welcomed another 10-20 minutes based on how entertained and interested I was in the areas this did cover, mainly the insect world and the goings on in the bottom of the beautiful briny sea. Using a combination of animation and live action footage (sped up through photographic special effects), the audience gets to see the worlds of vegetation, how alive and animal like they almost are, moving much slower than insects, but often seeming to be much more than just your every day ordinary plant. This shows the various vegetations at their stages of life, showing how forest fires can actually bring about new life, how seedlings move to create new plants and trees, and the impact of natural events on everything around them. The world of the insects are fascinating, from the bees who instinctively know exactly what their life will consist of and how to go about it, to the ants who become very territorial, even facing a large snake like worm that invades their lair. Along with the underwater segment, these scenes almost make these creatures to become monster like, something which obviously influenced film makers of the 1950's with the enormous number of "creature features" that came out during this time. I hope never to come across the notorious "cobra plant" that attracts bees and never lets them out, although a bee eating its way out of a closing flower at night is fascinating to watch in the sped up motion of the photography.
Under the water, there are some other deliciously monster like animals: fish who use a worm like appendage to fool unsuspecting passerby smaller fish (swallowing them whole then burbing after gorging), fish who spawn on the beach and must get back into the water before the tide goes away, male crabs with one huge claw used to attract a mate, and the decorator crab who pulls leaves off of ocean vegetation to disguise itself in order to catch a meal. The funniest is the footage of the spitting fish who shoots water from underneath the ocean at insects resting above then gobbles em' up the minute they hit the water. This shows how entire continents are changed simply through evolution, the impact of volcanoes and how nature often will re-invent itself, yet how much it will stay the same. That makes this fascinating viewing for "children of every age". It is an absolute must see, one that will keep your kids or students transfixed and want to see more of these true-life adventures that stand the test of time more than 60 years after being made. Unlike Godzilla or other movie monsters, these aren't men in rubber suits: these are the real deal.
This rather short documentary doesn't overstay its welcome, but I would certainly have welcomed another 10-20 minutes based on how entertained and interested I was in the areas this did cover, mainly the insect world and the goings on in the bottom of the beautiful briny sea. Using a combination of animation and live action footage (sped up through photographic special effects), the audience gets to see the worlds of vegetation, how alive and animal like they almost are, moving much slower than insects, but often seeming to be much more than just your every day ordinary plant. This shows the various vegetations at their stages of life, showing how forest fires can actually bring about new life, how seedlings move to create new plants and trees, and the impact of natural events on everything around them. The world of the insects are fascinating, from the bees who instinctively know exactly what their life will consist of and how to go about it, to the ants who become very territorial, even facing a large snake like worm that invades their lair. Along with the underwater segment, these scenes almost make these creatures to become monster like, something which obviously influenced film makers of the 1950's with the enormous number of "creature features" that came out during this time. I hope never to come across the notorious "cobra plant" that attracts bees and never lets them out, although a bee eating its way out of a closing flower at night is fascinating to watch in the sped up motion of the photography.
Under the water, there are some other deliciously monster like animals: fish who use a worm like appendage to fool unsuspecting passerby smaller fish (swallowing them whole then burbing after gorging), fish who spawn on the beach and must get back into the water before the tide goes away, male crabs with one huge claw used to attract a mate, and the decorator crab who pulls leaves off of ocean vegetation to disguise itself in order to catch a meal. The funniest is the footage of the spitting fish who shoots water from underneath the ocean at insects resting above then gobbles em' up the minute they hit the water. This shows how entire continents are changed simply through evolution, the impact of volcanoes and how nature often will re-invent itself, yet how much it will stay the same. That makes this fascinating viewing for "children of every age". It is an absolute must see, one that will keep your kids or students transfixed and want to see more of these true-life adventures that stand the test of time more than 60 years after being made. Unlike Godzilla or other movie monsters, these aren't men in rubber suits: these are the real deal.