The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)
So I just caught another great PDX film op., though this one through less conventional sources. Norge’s girlfirend Summer is part of a PDX German society and they screen films outdoors on Sunday nights. Johnny Berlin passed word on to me, sort of, and I was able to decifer his cryptic email non-sequiters enough to figure out where I needed to be. The Adventures of Prince Achmed was completely amazing! The first animated feature, made by the great Lotte Reiniger and her husband. Turned out I also knew the projectionist, artist Dan Ness, who told me he got it from netflicks, so if you’re willing to queue, you too can get your chance to see this gem - but you’ll have to supply your own brats and Grolsh. I found this sample of a screening, not the best audience video or sound, but I happen to also be a fan of the Friends of Dean Martinez who are playing the soundtrack, and it’s clear enough to get a sample of the intricate, spindley style animation, actually more like photographed shadow puppets than drawings. By chance it’s includes the cool part when the evil African magician turns into a bat.
