Gizmo! (1977)

Compilation of man inventing strange contraptions in the 30's through 50's.

Director:

Howard Smith

Writers:

Kathleen Cox (narration written by), Nicholas Hollander (narration written by),

Stars:

Milt Moss

Cast

Credited cast:
Milt Moss	...	Narrator

Storyline

A documentary about some of the thousands of inventions that did things we never thought needed doing, or in ways we never considered doing them. A respectful, yet humorous tribute to the inventors whose vision, however far-reaching, was just a little off the mark.

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Plot Keywords:

invention | new york city | skyscraper | archival footage | manhattan new york city | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Documentary

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 February 1979 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Gizmo

Company Credits

Production Co:

High Wire Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Much of the newsreel footage, originally shot without sound, has dialogue dubbed in. A lip reader was hired to figure out what the people were saying in the newsreels, and actors lip-synched the lines.

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Quotes

Narrator: [Epilogue] Maybe there are three kinds of people in this world, those who make it, those who don't, and those who criminate in this movie. They believe in the impossible, and they try to make it chorus in. Because in the heart, when you want to trade in life, you find the mountain, in the failure of triumph. Because in the heart, people see air and I know, if you have the thing to go, reason hard to see, the corona star, the spirit, the mountain, and man's Rex afore. Or to say it another way, ...

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Connections

Referenced in Filmens vidundelige verden (1978)

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Soundtracks

"Lonely At The Top"
Written by Randy Newman
Arranged by Jane Meryll

User Reviews

A comedic look into the world of invention

Gizmo is a tribute to humankind's pursuit of progress and the inventive spirit. "Invention" in this film is a pretty loose term - you see strange contraptions, and you also see people doing amazing (and odd) things with their bodies. Most of the footage is in black and white and looks like it was gathered from old newsreels. Unforgettable sequences include flying machines complete with flapping wings, "human flies" climbing skyscrapers without ropes, a whiskey distillery that ages whiskey "100 million times faster than nature", and the topper is a woman who has rediscovered what she calls the "ancient greek cosmic laws of flight". This film is pure magic - I have watched it countless times and I laugh just thinking about some of the scenes. So many of the people in this film should have tried their inventions out before calling the newspaper out to film them. Some of the failures are just spectacular! Also definitely worth mentioning is the soundtrack which is fantastic. Almost every segment of the film is accompanied by a great song which helps to set the mood and really adds to its replay value. If you come across a copy of Gizmo, definitely check it out - adults and children will both really enjoy it.