An MGM MINIATURE Short Subject.
THE JONKER DIAMOND, a marvelous 726-caret crystal discovered in the Transvaal in 1934, brings happiness to all those associated with it.
This quickly paced little film is both informative & entertaining to watch, as it succinctly unfolds the history of the fabulous gemstone (although why it states the Jonker was cut into twenty smaller jewels, when the correct amount is twelve, is something of a mystery). It is also a good example of the early American work of director Jacques Tourneur, who would gain fame in the 1940's with his horror films at RKO.
Movie mavens should recognize an unbilled Hugh Marlowe, in his film debut, as the younger Jonker.
Often overlooked or neglected today, the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents, both in front & behind the camera. The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film, something like writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel. Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material, short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios' feature films.
THE JONKER DIAMOND, a marvelous 726-caret crystal discovered in the Transvaal in 1934, brings happiness to all those associated with it.
This quickly paced little film is both informative & entertaining to watch, as it succinctly unfolds the history of the fabulous gemstone (although why it states the Jonker was cut into twenty smaller jewels, when the correct amount is twelve, is something of a mystery). It is also a good example of the early American work of director Jacques Tourneur, who would gain fame in the 1940's with his horror films at RKO.
Movie mavens should recognize an unbilled Hugh Marlowe, in his film debut, as the younger Jonker.
Often overlooked or neglected today, the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents, both in front & behind the camera. The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film, something like writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel. Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material, short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios' feature films.