Just a Spark!
Just a Spark! is a short film from 1937 released on 35mm. It is held in the Prelinger Archives collection.
| Just a Spark! | |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Handy (Jam) Organization |
Production company | Handy (Jam) Organization |
| Distributed by | Handy (Jam) Organization |
Release date | 1937 |
Running time | 9:02 |
| Language | English |
- Thumbnail
Shot List
A careless fisherman drops a cigarette and starts a forest fire. Then it's to the rescue of a bedridden woman alone in a forest cabin, and the Chevrolet carries the firefighters through to save a life and a forest. (Producer's sales synopsis)
[timecodes below refer to PA-0792]
Great footage of forest fire and firefighters; great shot of Chevrolet driving through a smoky forest navigating over and around various obstacles through rugged forest terrain; lots of cuts adding to action-thriller quality of the film; comparative cross-cutting draws parallel between great tracking shots of man running through forest to save his sick wife with shots of the forest rangers hurrying to save the forest from the spreading forest fire.
04:09:22:27 Man toying with fishing rod in the woods says hello to a French man in fishing attire, good sound bites from dialogue:
Hello Pierre Bonjour Monsieur Hey you look worried
French man with thick accent Oh Mr. Smith my wife Marie she s more sick than ever
You better get a doctor Pierre I wanted to but she s so scared she say no no don t get the doctor Well if she s that sick don t pay any attention to her
American man leaves French man, shot dissolves to sick woman in log cabin, then back to worried French man who exclaims Must get the doctor and begins to run through the woods, great tracking shot man running through the woods.
04:09:56:28 VS man wearing fedora fly fishing in a stream, cigarette hanging from his mouth; man walks out of stream into the thicket alongside the stream, man throws his cigarette into brush; CU burning cigarette butt on top of dry leaves; CU cigarette butt breaks into flames spreading into the brush; great tracking shot man running through the woods; CU small fire in brush spreading; cut to tracking shot man running through the woods; cut to CU spreading fire; CU squirrel nestled in elbow of tree between limb and base, turns and runs up the tree; high-angle shot forest fire beginning to spread through the thicket; tracking shot man running through woods ducking under branches; forest fire spreading; CU fox ducks into a foxhole.
04:10:58:06 Park ranger in watchtower looks out through binoculars; great POV shot through binoculars of smoke rising from forest in the distance; park ranger walks over two desk beside antique 1930s phone and tries to locate fire on map; CU map of forest; VS park ranger calls other ranger on radio speaking into octagon shaped microphone hanging by wire from ceiling of watchtower; VS crosscutting between park rangers communicating by radio; POV through park rangers binoculars as he spots fire from watchtower.
04:11:35:02 Tracking shot man running through the forest; VS spreading forest fire shot from ground level; great shot of a moose climbing out of river; shot of spreading forest fire.
04:12:22:11 Tracking shot man running through forest; shot of forest ablaze.
04:12:28:19 Man on antique telephone in office, man hangs up phone and tells two other men in office there s a fire down in the valley get a hundred boys organized and get down there at once!
04:12:42:00 Ground level shot of forest fire; dozens of men running to style cars and trucks; cut to shot of forest fire; mechanic wearing cap and jean overalls answers antique phone and says Ok I ll have a tractor there in 15 minutes!
04:12:56:06 Tracking shot of man running through the woods; cuts to huge flames of forest fire shot from ground level.
04:13:38:12 Chevrolet car turns off highway onto dirt road leading into the forest; CU front tire of car with Chevrolet hubcap driving over rugged terrain; cut to forest fire; cut to truck turning off highway onto dirt road leading into forest; VS cross cutting between Chevrolet cars and work trucks speeding on dirt road through forest with shots of the forest fire.
04:14:13:16 MS sick woman lying in bed smells smoke creeping into the cabin through her window; cuts to raging forest fire; cuts to shot from back seat of Chevrolet with two men in front seat driving down dirt road through forest, man in heavy French accent says to driver panicked Fire Doctor! ; cuts to car turning off road onto smaller dirt road cutting through forest; cuts to VS raging forest fire.
04:14:35:20 Great shot late Chevrolet driving through smoky forest ablaze; great shot of wood bridge up in flames; great shot car turns away from bridge and drives through the stream instead of over the bridge, VS car tearing through rugged terrain advertising the Chevrolets spectacular durability.
04:15:52:16 Man drives tractor down ramp out of back of pickup truck.
04:15:56:05 Three men, one in uniform, run into smoky log cabin with sick woman in bed, men carry woman out of the cabin; VS men fighting the forest fire; woman is carried into the Chevrolet; Lincoln log cabin ablaze; great footage VS Chevrolet automobile driving through smoky forest, car turns onto long dirt road cut out of the forest and drive off into the distance.
[timecodes below probably refer to PA-0112]
00:10:58:00 Just a Spark! 07847
- 00:11:52:00 med shot of man fishing - knee deep in river - smoking (00:11:54:00)
- 00:11:55:00 med shot of man fishing - coming out of river onto bank -throws away cigarette (00:12:17:00)
- (00:12:18:00) MCU of cigarette butt on leaves - starting to smolder (00:12:20:00)
- 00:12:21:00 MCU of man walking away
- 00:12:24:00 MCU of fire starting in leaves (00:12:26:00)
- 00:12:29:00 MCU of fire starting to spread (00:12:31:00)
- 00:12:33:00 MCU of fire getting larger
- 00:12:34:00 CU of squirrel running away
- 00:12:36:00 med shot of smoke rising from underbrush (00:12:37:00)
- 00:12:40:00 med wide shot of trees with fire, smoke visible (00:12:44:00)
- 00:12:47:00 med shot of trees being engulfed by fire (00:12:50:00)
- 00:12:50:00 cross fade to wide shot of ranger station (00:12:52:00)
- 00:12:53:00 med shot of guy in ranger lookout - looks through binoculars (00:12:55:00)
- 00:12:56:00 POV through binoculars matte - smoke visible from center of forest (00:12:58:00)
- 00:12:59:00 MCU of ranger putting down binoculars, going to desk (00:13:04:00)
- 00:13:05:00 MCU of ranger looking at map
- 00:13:07:00 CU of weird map (00:13:09:00)
- 00:13:10:00 MCU of range reporting fire on radio (00:13:12:00)
- 00:13:13:00 cross fade to MCU of another ranger in lookout station- picks up radio (00:13:15:00)
- 00:13:16:00 MCU first ranger reports fire (00:13:18:00)
- 00:13:19:00 MCU second ranger - gets binoculars,goes to window (00:13:23:00)
- 00:13:24:00 POV through binoculars - pan of forest (00:13:27:00)
- 00:13:28:00 MCU of second ranger at lookout post (00:13:29:00)
- 00:13:33:00 med wide shot of fire spreading through trees
- 00:13:36:00 med shot of fire engulfing trees - lots of black smoke (00:13:38:00)
- 00:13:40:00 med wide shot of burning trees - slight pan (00:13:44:00)
- 00:14:20:00 med shot of huge fire
- 00:14:22:00 cross fade to med wide shot of isolated cabin in the woods (00:14:23:00)
- 00:14:38:00 med shot of trees - fire coming up from behind - engulfing them in seconds (00:14:41:00)
- 00:14:42:00 med shot of group of guys running for trucks
- 00:14:44:00 med wide shot of forest ravaged by fire (00:14:47:00)
- fire shots intercut with shots of various people responding to fire call
- 00:14:53:00 med wide shot of fire (00:14:58:00)
- more shots of various people responding to fire call
- 00:15:17:00 more med wide shots of fire (00:15:21:00)
- 00:15:22:00 CU of doctor s sign
- 00:15:23:00 med shot of man and doctor (with black bag) running to doctor s car (00:15:27:00)
- 00:15:28:00 med wide shot of blazing inferno (00:15:32:00)
- 00:15:33:00 med wide shot of car driving down road through forest - pulls off down dirt road (00:15:36:00)
- 00:15:37:00 MCU of wheel of car on dirt road (00:15:39:00)
- 00:15:40:00 med wide shot of blazing inferno (00:15:42:00)
- 00:15:43:00 med wide shot - truck pulls off road onto dirt road (00:15:45:00)
- 00:15:46:00 more fire
- 00:15:48:00 med wide shot of truck driving down dirt road
- 00:15:51:00 more fire (00:15:57:00)
- 00:15:58:00 wide shot of car barreling down dirt road (00:16:00:00)
- 00:16:01:00 more fire
- 00:16:03:00 more fire
- 00:16:05:00 med wide shot of car speeding down dirt road
- 00:16:07:00 cross fade to MCU of sick wife in bed next to window
- 00:16:10:0 med shot of forest fire
- 00:16:12:00 MCU - doctor and husband of sick lady in car
- husband (with ridiculous French accent) - Fire, Docteur!
- 00:16:14:00 med shot - car on road toward forest fire - pulls off into woods (00:16:17:00)
- 00:16:18:00 more fire
- 00:16:20:00 more fire
- 00:16:23:00 more fire
- 00:16:26:00 med wide shot - truck driving through forest
- 00:16:29:00 more fire
- 00:16:30:00 med shot of doctor s car driving through forest - dark with smoke
- 00:16:33:00 med wide shot of charred bridge - fire beyond it
- 00:16:35:00 med wide shot of doctor s car driving through fire
- 00:16:38:00 med wide shot of bridge burned out by fire
- 00:16:40:00 MCU - doctor and husband inside car
- 00:16:41:00 wide shot of doctor s car going off-road
- 00:16:42:00 MCU of front wheel of doctor s car driving over rocks 00:16:45:00 med shot of doctor s car driving through shallow river 00:16:47:00 MCU of front wheel going through water
- 00:16:49:00 med wide shot of car driving up opposite bank of river
- 00:16:51:00 MCU of front wheel
- 00:16:54:00 med shot of front of car driving through burning forest
- 00:16:55:00 MCU of front wheel
- 00:16:56:00 cross fade to med wide shot of cabin in the woods 00:16:59:00 cross fade back to front wheel (00:17:01:00)
- 00:17:02:00 more burning forest
- 00:17:04:00 MCU of front wheel
- 00:17:07:00 MCU of fire
- 00:17:08:00 med wide shot of truck driving through forest
- 00:17:10:00 med shot of doctor s car driving through smoke-filled forest (00:17:14:00)
- 00:17:15:00 med wide shot of forest - sky black with smoke
- 00:17:19:00 MCU of front of doctor s car driving over rocks, mud (00:17:21:00)
- 00:17:22:00 med shot of burning forest
- 00:17:25:00 med wide shot of car driving through forest
- 00:17:26:00 med wide shot of burning forest
- 00:17:28:00 med shot of truck with tractor on flatbed
- 00:17:29:00 more burning forest
- 00:17:31:00 med wide shot of doctor s car driving through smoke-filled forest
- 00:17:33:00 more fire
- 00:17:35:00 med wide shot of truck
- 00:17:37:00 med shot of sick wife by window
- 00:17:39:00 med wide shot of cabin - fire burning behind it - truck stopped out front
- 00:17:40:00 med shot of doctor s car surrounded by smoke (husband and doctor get out
- 00:17:42:00 med shot of ranger yelling something, gesturing (00:17:44:00)
- 00:17:45:00 med wide shot of cabin with burning forest behind it, truck parked in front
- 00:17:45:00 med shot of man driving tractor off back of truck
- 00:17:50:00 med shot - inside cabin - husband rushes in - smoke filling room - ranger and doctor follow him (00:17:55:00)
- 00:17:56:00 med wide shot of fire
- 00:17:57:00 med shot of men running past smoking forest
- 00:17:59:00 med shot - inside cabin - ranger and doctor help man wrap wife in blanket, carry her out of cabin (00:18:05:00)
- 00:18:06:00 med wide shot of fire
- 00:18:09:00 med shot of men working to clear fire break area
- 00:18:11:00 med shot of men working to clear fire break area
- 00:18:12:00 med shot of massive fire
- 00:18:14:00 med wide shot of fire sweeping through trees
- 00:18:17:00 med shot - man running across clearing with wife in arms, doctor following - sky black with smoke - they get in car with fire very near (00:18:21:00)
- 00:18:22:00 med shot of tree falling
- 00:18:23:00 med shot - burning tree falls in front of doctor s car where husband, doctor, and ranger are putting wife inside - tons of smoke (00:18:26:00)
- 00:18:27:00 med shot - men working to clear fire break silhouetted against fire
- 00:18:29:00 med shot of workers - burned area below them
- 00:18:31:00 med shot - line of workers in silhouette against fire
- 00:18:33:00 med wide shot - more workers
- 00:18:36:00 med wide shot - more workers
- 00:18:38:00 med wide shot - more workers
- 00:18:40:00 med shot of man on tractor clearing fire break
- 00:18:43:00 med wide shot - more workers
- 00:18:45:00 med shot - two workers, tons of smoke
- 00:18:47:00 med wide shot - workers shoveling near smoking forest
- 00:18:49:00 wide shot - workers silhouetted against huge cloud of smoke
- 00:18:51:00 med shot - two workers with hose - huge cloud of smoke
- 00:18:53:00 med shot of doctor s car driving through smoky forest
- 00:18:55:00 med wide shot of cabin on fire
- 00:18:57:00 med wide shot of doctor s car driving through forest (00:19:00:00)
- 00:19:01:00 another med wide shot of cabin on fire
- 00:19:03:00 med wide shot of doctor s car driving over ground with huge cloud of smoke behind it - camera pulls back as car pulls onto dirt road (00:19:06:00)
- 00:19:07:00 med shot of doctor s car pulling onto main road through forest - no sign of fire - camera turns as car drives away down long road (fadeout 00:19:20:00)