Swing High (1932)

The usually lightly sarcastic Pete Smith narrates this short documentary looking at the acrobatic Codona family. We start with a little bit of Vera's practice session before Alfredo tests the apparatus before a live show with a packed audience below. He flies through the air with the greatest of ease (at up to 60mph) with pirouettes and turns before being caught by his brother Lalo. There's quite an interesting perspective from a top-down slo-motion camera that gives some indication of the perilous nature of their routines. Despite an early visit to the safety net, Alfredo manages the first ever airborne double somersault ever, anywhere... then a triple pirouette. Can he manage a triple somersault? Blindfolds - well a pillowcase? It's fascinating to watch this, and though I would have liked some natural sound with some crowd oohs and ahhs, the use of the slow motion imagery does work well and Smith's on quite good form, too. I did enjoy this.