Cave Explorers

Cave Explorers (1957)

** (out of 4)

Another entry in RKO's Screenliner series, which is slowly becoming one of my least favorite series. This time out we visit Austria where some "cave divers" have just discovered a new cave and they're about to explore it. Sound like an interesting topic? It is but like so many other Screenliner entries, the director (and perhaps studio) do very little with it. It's no secret that shorts were pretty much coming to an end during this late period of the 1950s so perhaps that's why the studio just didn't do too much with the material. I think one of the biggest problems is the narration because some of the things we're told is just downright silly. It seems the writers must have thought that the people watching would be complete idiots because when we enter the cave we're told "this is a cave." Really? The idea of people searching out new caves is an interesting idea for a documentary but this film here does nothing with it and in the end it's yet another lackluster short.

This RKO-Pathe Screenliner short explores the cave explorers. This follows a group of explorers going into a cave in Austria. They literally squeeze into a hole in the ground lowering themselves down with rope. It's interesting to see the old equipment and it's a compelling wait to see inside the caves. The issue is that the limited black and white cinematography is not kind to the cave visuals. They don't have enough light to illuminate the entire scene. It looks interesting but better filming will make it even better. It was probably entrancing for young boys of its times.

Here's an RKO Screenliner about caving: spelunking as those in the know call it. It's shot and directed by Heinz Scheiderbauer, who made three shorts for RKO and eventually went on to become a producer for Austrian TV. Well, the caves were shot in Austria, so that makes sense.

The narration seems a little elementary, but this was produced for a general audience. The caves are carefully lighted and look interesting, which is the main purpose in a short subject like this.

The topic of cave exploring is an interesting one, and there was good photography of a group of Austrian spelunkers. The sappy narration was a drawback with inane speculation about the life and religious practices of ancient cavemen.