SECRETS OF NATURE - PHANTOMS

Secrets Of Nature : Secrets Of Nature - Phantoms 1930

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Description

A Pro Patria presentation produced by British Instructional Films Ltd. Secrets of Nature - Phantoms.

Shot of a pond then a close up of what looks like a leaf on the water's surface. It is a cluster of gnat eggs. Underwater shot of the eggs hatching downwards into the water. Spiral of eggs in a disc of jelly - this is the home of the gnat's cousin, the "Phantom gnat". Phantom gnats have a much harder job hatching than other gnats as they have to work their way through the jelly. The small creatures in extreme C/U under microscope. The creatures are transparent so internal organs are visible. They balance themselves in the water with the aid of three bubbles inside them. They move around under the microscope. C/U of the Phantom's tail. We see it moving around contrasted with its "cousin" - the real gnat. Extreme C/Us of heads of creatures. Larvae take in air from the surface of the pond. Gnat blows bubbles when it is deprived of air. "The gnat is more heavily moustached than even Old Bill" jokes the narrator. Underwater shot of creatures feeding. The action of its moustache is compared to a vacuum cleaner "It beats, as it sweeps, as it cleans..." C/U of heads of gnats compared to heads of "Phantoms." Food travelling through parts of the transparent body is shown. The "False Phantom" is featured. Shots of gnat larvae hatching. The Phantom sheds its skin. The Phantom hatches as it emerges from the water - looks like a grasshopper. Another Phantom hatches then stands on the water. Real gnats hatch - seen from various angles. A bizarre shot of a model of a gnat stinging an unidentified object. (Looks like a modified "Bertie the bee" seen in various "Secrets of Nature" films.) Posh, jokey commentary throughout and jaunty music.

Note: according to Secrets of Nature filmography there were two films called "Phantoms", one about Gnats (1926) and the other about Gnats and Mosquitoes (1930). I would predict that a soundtrack was added to the earlier silent film and it was re-released in 1930 with sound.
Small section of the neg has been removed due to decomposition (approx 20 ft). Use print if possible.

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Data

Cataloguer:: Jenny
Stock:: Black & White
Sound:: Mute
Media URN:: 70618
Sort Number:: DOCS

Time in/Out:: 01:00:02:00 / 01:08:39:00
Canister:: DOCS
Film ID:: 1399.01
Issue Date:: 1930

Appears in...

Collections: Documentaries
Categories: Science & Technology Science & Technology
WorkSpaces: Secrets Of Nature
Programmes: Secrets Of Nature

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: Secrets Of Nature - Where Flies Go In The Winter-Time; Tinted print of an educational film about the life of flies.

: Secrets Of Nature - Seed-Time; Educational film showing various ways in which plant seeds are dispersed in nature.

: Secrets Of Nature - Down Under; Educational film showing how roots grow underground.

: Secrets Of Nature - The Raiders Of The Fens; Nature film about the birds of the fens, the Harriers and Bearded Tits.

: Secrets Of Nature - Springtime At The Zoo; Educational film showing various animals at the zoo.

: Secrets Of Nature - Safety In Hiding; Educational film about camouflage in the animal kingdom - various species featured.

: Secrets Of Nature - Sea Level; Quirky educational film comparing the sea bed with a busy traffic system - pile ups, crashes and jams.

: Secrets Of Nature - Peas And Cues; Educational film showing how pea plants grow and how pollination occurs.

: Secrets Of Nature - Plants Of The Underworld; Educational film showing how plants grow - lots of lovely time lapse photography.

: Secrets Of Nature - Mighty Atoms; Weird educational film about cheese mites and other assorted creatures.

: Secrets Of Nature - The Flight Machine; Educational film about the mechanics of flight - birds in flight compared to aircraft.

: Secrets Of Nature - The Frog; Educational film showing how frog spawn turns into tadpoles turn into frogs.

: Secrets Of Nature - Special Messengers; Educational film about messenger pigeons.

: Secrets Of Nature - Abnormal Methods Of Nutrition; Educational film showing various unusual plants detailing how they grow and "eat".

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: Secrets Of Nature - Marine Models; Funny educational film comparing sea creatures to fashion items.

: Secrets Of Nature - Starting In Life - Version 1; Educational film all about how different plants disperse their seeds.

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: Secrets Of Nature - Phantoms; Microscopic look at gnat and mosquito larvae.

: Secrets Of Nature - The Daily Dozen At The Zoo; Footage of animals at London zoo edited to music to comic effect.

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: Secrets Of Nature - Magic Myxies; Wonderful educational film about a strange entity - sometimes vegetable, sometimes animal!

: Secrets Of Nature - In All His Glory; Educational film about the process of pollination - time lapse photography and an animated bee feature.

: Secrets Of Nature - Great Crested Grebe; Educational film showing the Great Crested Grebe nesting, taking care of baby birds, swimming etc.

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: Secrets Of Nature - The World In A Wineglass; Educational film showing the hundreds of microscopic creatures found in a glass of pond water.

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: Secrets Of Nature - The Two Pounder; Educational film about fish - how they grow and how they are caught.

: Secrets Of Nature - Water Folk; Educational film about water fleas.

: Secrets Of Nature - The Nightingale; Educational film about the life of a nightingale.

: Secrets Of Nature - Orphans Of The Woods; Educational film about various types of pheasant.

: Secrets Of Nature - The Frothblower AKA Froth Blower; Educational film about cuckoo spit and froghoppers.

: Secrets Of Nature - Springtime In The Scillies; Educational film showing bird life of the Scilly Isles.

: Secrets Of Nature - Amazing Maize; Educational film showing how maize grows - some time lapse photography and animations.

: Secrets Of Nature - Brewster's Magic; Educational film all about hops - from seed to beer.

: Some Flowering Plants; Various footage of Dicotyledons showing growth processes in lapsed time

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: Secrets Of Nature - Pilot; Pilot film for a series of nature films - birds, insects and badgers are featured.

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