Other Videos

Country Auction

1963, 10 mins, documentary, b&w. For those who sell, the auction block often marks the end of a way of life, but for all the others who come to look, to listen, to gossip, or even to buy, the auction sale has a strange fascination.

This was the first film. that I produced, scripted, directed, photographed and edited with the help of some of my colleagues. It is a National Film Board of Canada production.

Crazy Clown

1965, 10 mins, theatrical short, color. Sutro’s Mechanical Museum was a San Francisco historical establishment that was started in the 1920’s. Situated next to the old baths on the San Francisco ocean front, they both burned down in the late 1960’s and most of the mechanical treasures were lost forever.

In this film, Cindy, a curious youngster passing by, meets Crazy Clown and he quickly draws her into the magical world of spinning dancers, dancing bears and flying acrobats along with many other sights, sounds and characters in this delightful childhood adventure. A rare treat for children and playful adults.

Fidelissimo, a Return to Havana

1966, 20 mins, documentary, color. In 1966, a Cuban expat revisited her homeland and shared her experience with us. Not long after the Bay of Pigs American invasion, Havana was an armed camp; Russian ships filled the harbor, everything was rationed and Castro was in full control but the joyful spirit of the Cubans ruled the day. Even the annual Mardi Gras was a cause to celebrate and they did, with a parade that rivaled New Orleans or Rio de Janeiro. Step back for a moment and relive this historic moment in time.

Cabbages and Kings

1967, 18 mins, theatrical short, color. A montage of self-exploration through which Roy Nolan, a 35-year old commercial film producer portrays his feelings and thoughts about his life and the psychedelic experience that helped him to gain a new self-perspective. Nolan has taken images and sounds from his earlier works, combined them with new footage and edited them to fit in his new consciousness — created in part by this very editing process. The result is a dazzling, thoroughly entertaining array of contemporary images and forces, filtered through a psychedelic awareness. Interpretations may vary greatly, but the inner search itself is certainly universal.

Renaissance Pleasure Faire

1967, 20 mins, documentary, color. The Renaissance Pleasure Faire was an annual “theme” event that re-created the spirit and atmosphere of “pleasure fairs” of medieval and Renaissance England. Participants and visitors alike don the colorful apparel of those times, bringing to life an entire village at the time of festive celebration. Shows the viewpoint of a visitor to the faire–strolling along “ye potters market” approached by food mongers and a wide assortment of street characters from beggars to minstrels. It is a time for the appreciation of handcrafted wares sold by their makers, for theater, for music and for living in this spirited and romantic period of history, if only for a day. The film beautifully captures a uniquely individualized experience not common in today’s mass-audience, mass-production society.

You Can’t Grow a Green Plant in a Closet

1968, 54 mins, educational, color. In late 1968, a group of experts – physicians, psychiatrists, and students – gathered at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco for the first National Marijuana Symposium. This film presents excerpts from that conference. In addition to a wealth of specific information about the properties and effects of the drug, the film examines the history of marijuana, its role in this and other cultures, legal penalties placed on its use, the campaign waged on behalf of and against such laws, research findings, drug terminology, the relationship between marijuana and heroin and the impact of marijuana prohibition on youth and, by extension, American Society as a whole. Nearly all of the facts presented run counter to popular myth. Moreover, the consensus of those addressing the cameras is that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol, it is non-addictive and non-narcotic, and the present criminal laws against it are at best useless and at worst a threat to the future survival of the Republic.

Authentic Interview

1968, 9 mins, documentary. An ad agency making a car commercial hits upon the idea of doing a truly authentic interview. The plan is simply to allow an actual new car owner to speak candidly. The film follows this spontaneous interview as the cast members – the car, the proud owner, a happy kid and an off-camera interviewer – unknowingly conspire to create a hilarious expose of American values and absurdity of the American dream.

GI Joe meets Barbie Doll

1968, 7 mins, theatrical short, color. A comedy satire using the two dolls as symbols of American standards. Their love encounter is set to early rock n’ roll and patriotic music. G.I. Joe represents the American macho man and Barbie doll, the American ideal of womanhood [Miss America]. An animated pixilation technique is used to bring the dolls to life.

Seashell

1970, 9 mins, theatrical short, color. Awareness of our environment comes in varying degrees at any time in our lifetime. Through the experiences of an aging businessperson on deserted seashore, we are exposed to new discoveries in sights and sounds tuning us into the beauty and grandeur, which surrounds us. Filmed on the beautiful shores of the Pacific Ocean at Big Sur, California with an original electronic music track. A filmic poem of discovery.

Yanko’s Last Hurrah

1970, 10 mins, theatrical short, color. Revered Local artist Jean “Yanko” Varda lived a good life, reflecting his love of life and Greek heritage. He lived in Sausalito, on the “Vallejo” an old recovered ferryboat which he shared with Alan Watts. During his stay here in the 60’s, his home became a waterfront cultural gathering place. Artists, writers and musicians came from all over the world to visit him. Yanko liked parties and pretty women and there always seemed to be an abundance of both. This video depicts his farewell sail on his beloved San Francisco Bay in the “Cythera”, a boat he built with his own hands. His ashes are thrown to the wind and spread across the water under the Golden Gate Bridge. Meanwhile, back on shore, his friends send him on his salty journey with lots of food, music and revelry in a celebration of life, just as he would have liked. The party went on all night and into the next day.

Gestalt Art Experience with Janie Rhyne

1971, 27 mins, educational, color. Gestalt Art Experience with Janie Rhyne presents a dynamic and affecting experience in group art therapy led with great insight and vitality by the noted Gestalt art therapist. The members of the group are healthy people interested in furthering their own creative growth. Rhyne is nonjudgmental, non-threatening, and understanding; she leads the participants to experience a variety of art materials directly and to respond with sensitivity to their inner feelings. Her approach encourages natural expressiveness, group interaction and more perceptive recognition of the participant’s personality.

Junkies are People

1970, 26 mins, educational, color. [A film on Heroin treatment modalities]

“Our Country is in the midst of a nationwide heroin epidemic and the public is slowly realizing – pharmacologists, chemists, criminologists, sociologists, law enforcement personnel, and writers – that this problem cannot be eliminated merely by ruling it illegal.”

JUNKIES ARE PEOPLE shows four distinct heroin treatment programs for the care and rehabilitation of the drug abusers. The principles demonstrated in this film can be used in any community with many different types of addicts. For those that are seriously interested in finding solutions to this grave problem.

A Review of the National Commission’s Report on Marijuana

1972, 28 mins, educational, color. “It is estimated that 24 million people in the United States have smoked marijuana. But how much do we really know about the drug?”

In 1970 President Nixon appointed a commission to study marijuana. It is the most comprehensive study ever made in the United States, a landmark report that cannot be ignored. Based upon the findings of that commission, this film answers those questions most often asked about marijuana.

Painting the Town

1974, 30 mins, documentary, color. It all started in Mexico from the 1920’s to the 1960’s with Rivera, Orozco and Siqueiros, Murals were a way for them to express their philosophies while depicting the history of Mexico and social consciousness of the time. Murals are public art, they cannot be bought and sold, no one owns them. They are for the people, the perfect socialist promotional tool. Many years later they inspired local artists in San Francisco to begin painting the town. This film captures the re-emergence of this mural movement, beginning in the Mission district (the Latino section) and then spreading throughout the rest of the town. This also inspired other communities across the country to follow suit.

Generations

1978, 13 mins, documentary, color. 91-year-old Salome Booth recites her poem, “Generations,” from her recently published book of poetry, “Rare Moments That Were Mine,” in this beautifully illustrated film made for the United Way of San Francisco.

A poetic gem.

“To bask in the sunshine, to race with the wind
To work, with the hands, to plan with the mind.
To bite a red apple, to savor a cake.
To ski down a mountain, to sail on a lake –
These are the things that youth likes to do.
How well I remember! Once I was young too.”