The Glorious Flight of the Aviators Barberan and Collar

The Americans were not alone in having a great aviation hero, Lindbergh. Spain had Barberan and Collar. That would make a good title for this documentary filmed in 1933, recently discovered at UNAM, which is interesting for several reasons.

Stock shots from Cuban newsreels were used in the making of the film, and probably Spanish and American footage too. The crème de la crème of Mexican photographers worked on this film: Gabriel Figueroa, Alex Philips, Jack Draper, all of whom were to participate in the very best of Mexican cinema very shortly thereafter. Although this may not be the first footage shot with "live" sound in México, this was apparently the first film to use real sounds of real daily life, recorded in the street: car klaxons, shouts of protest from pedestrians, the sounds of the big city which México City had already become.

This film contains the only documentation of the legendary "armoured sound van" (belonging to the Rodriguez Brothers, who had recently arrived from Hollywood and who made the first Mexican sound movie in 1931) in action. Unusual as it may seem, all the sound used on the film is truly "environmental," including the voice of a radio speaker and the speech of thanks given by the Spanish Ambassador from the National Palace. It is disconcerting at first, to see that René Cardona, also just back from Hollywood, still did not understand the possibilities of sound in movies. In order to tell us the story of the flyers he still uses captions on the screen as though it were a silent movie.

Unfortunately the original negative which we found is incomplete. One reel of image is missing, as well as one reel of sound. As on other occasions we prefer to present this film just as it is, hoping that with luck we may find those missing reels. Meanwhile the cellulose nitrate reels which already show a good deal of shrinkage have been successfully transferred to safety material.

Francisco Gaytan

- Il a été réalisé en utilisant des extraits d'actualités provenant de Cuba et, probablement, d'Espagne et des Etats -Unis.
- Des photographes Mexicains devenus célèbres par la suite y ont travaillé (notamment Gabriel Figueroa, Jack Draper, Alex Philips).
- Il contient probablement les premiers enregistrements sonores d'extérieurs.
- On y voit le mythique fourgon de son blindé appartenant aux frères Rodriguez qui avait servi à réaliser le premier film sonore Mexicain.

Les responsables de la Filmoteca de la UNAM espèrent retrouver les parties manquantes de ce film. En attendant, les bobines nitrate retrouvées on été transférées sur film “safety”.

El glorioso vuelo de los aviadores Barberán y Collar

El documental de René Cardona realizado en 1933 ofrece varios aspectos de interés:

- Contiene material proveniente de noticiosos cubanos, españoles y, quizás, estadounidenses,
- Participaron en su elaboración fotógrafos que se hicieron célebres más tarde (Gabriel Figueroa, Jack Draper, Alex Philips).
- Contiene probabélemente las primeras grabaciones de sonido directo exterior.
- Se divisa en él al mítico furgón de sonido blindado importado por los hermanos Rodríguez y utilizado en la realización del primer film sonoro mexicano.

Los responsables de la Filmoteca de la UNAM esperan encontrar a los fragmentos faltantes de este film. Enretanto, las bobinas de nitrato halladas ya han sido transferidas a película "safety".