[Gertrude Jane Hay Eustis--home movies] Reel 54

Date1945 – 1946

Viewing NotesNHF Cataloguer's notes for reel 54:36:01. CU Christmas wreath with large pink bow on door of home. Man hangs wash on lines hung between two trees. He pins black trousers to line. Wind rises, causing washing to waft in breeze. Woman standing by porch.(This part of reel is faded, barely discernible. Younger girl joins woman. (Photography now normal.) Two men saw wood while women watch. One man holds tree trunk steady while the other manually saws it. 37:08. Siamese cat on lawn. Cat is washing self. Cat walks over to where men are sawing wood. Man places ladder adjacent to window. Other man looks on as he climbs in window. Woman by garage door. 38:08. Girl pours milk in cat's dish. Girl and man walk in abundantly-foliaged area. Vines, bushes copiously leafed. Woman joins man in this location. Girl stands beside woman. CU of the two. Pov. car ride. We view mansion through windshield. Woman emerges from home. Man, woman follow her. 39:04. Girl, carrying suitcase approaches car. Girl, two women walk down exterior staircase. Girl holds notebook. Woman writes on it, signs it. Man at right watches. Church. Bare trees on grounds before it. Abundant foliage, bushes. Leaves are dark green. Profuse pink flowers in bloom. Right-tracking pan. of area. We go past columned portico of home. Trees of verdant beauty. Pink flowering trees visible. Well-kept hedge. Pan. of scenic area tracks to the left. Girl stands in front of well-trimmed hedge. She walks on sidewalk in area, adjusts her stocking. 40:05. She walks forward smiling. Sailor with two suitcases climbs steps. Woman joyfully hugs him. Two sailors in their white uniforms stand by tree. One sailor adjusts black tie. Third sailor, wearing navy blue uniform, joins the other two. Soldier, sailor shake hands while standing by garage door. Soldier touches sailor's shoulder. They smile for buddy shot. Girl, woman, sailor stand at side of house. 41:02. Sailor walks away. Older man replaces him. Sailor returns. Shot of older man, sailor, and girl. Girl walks away. The two men stand side by side. Woman now stands at sailor's left side. Girl, formally-clad. She wears a white cape over her gown. She stands near bushes. She removes her cloak to reveal wide-collared gown. Smiling, she walks forward. Girl standing by bushes. This is the girl in the gown. She waves as she enters home. Shadowy shot. Appears to be sailor ascending steps. 42:09. Sailor standing by bushes at side of home. He removes navy blue shirt of uniform. The shirt is difficult to remove. He wiggles about trying to get it over his head. Success at last! He folds shirt, walks away. Man in suit. He smokes a pipe. This is sailor in his 'civies'. He stands by shrubbery. Girl joins him, gently touches his pipe. CU of right side of suit coat this man is wearing. Girl walking on lawn. She carries small black book with her. She smiles. She has yellow rose on her dress. 43:02. Window of home. Two people peer out. Small flag has been placed in center of window. This flag means that there is a serviceman in the family. Flag has red border with dark star against white background. Woman smiles. Pulls down window shade. (Following shot very faded.) Appears to be woman carrying items with man walking behind her. (Photography is back to normal.) Man walks along carrying paper bags that he has removed from car. He sets bag down where luggage is lying on ground with coats draped over it. Young man sets down cardboard box containing papers. Harbor, pier. Mostly rowboats docked at pier. Rubble, debris. Looks to be remains of razed or demolished house. Pan. of area. 44:03. Small segment of house remains. Exterior of tower, just the frame remaining, that was once part of house. Car on path amongst trees. Young man sits in heavily-loaded truck bed. He removes carton as other man arrives to help. Man in shorts peers at barbecue flame. This bald man, smoking cigarette smiles. Woman emerges from home. She carries item to be barbecued. This is a device, a small rack where food item is placed to be cooked over flame. She carries sheet of paper in other hand. Two men sitting on porch. Older gent and younger man. They drink soda or beer from tin can. Young man ascends ladder and arrives at sloping roof beneath a higher one. He has small bag. Older man, on ground, holds ladder steady. 45:05. Jerky vertical pan. of home. Older man now walks on this lower roof. As young man watches, older man crawls through open window. Copious trees. Just beyond two men play tennis on tennis court. Shot tree tops, sky. Young man ascends ladder to highest roof. Ladder rests on lower roof. Man works under roof peak. He is painting the house. Pleasure boat moored to pier. 46:04. Man helps woman into boat. Young man removes rope. Pov. boat ride over water surface. We're traveling to the right. Trees, buildings of shoreline. Horizon, clouds. Pov. boat ride continues. People watch from pier. Rear shot woman with unruly hair. Pan. to right, copiously-treed shoreline. Long building on shore, water surface. We now go left. Larger pleasure boat adjacent to shore. Man gets in boat where another man is waiting. First man pushes boat away from pier. Two women walk up gangway. 47:02. Wooden tables on wharf. Seaplane has just landed, its propeller still spinning. It moves toward the dock. Clambake in progress. Steam emanating. Man uses pitchfork to place seaweed on fire. Group of people. Some stand and some sit. Group shot of people gathered at picnic table. They're eating their clams. Young man places item on table. Dark shot. Porch of home. Two men descend steps. Older man has suitcase. He waves. Goes forward. Girl sitting near barbecue fire. She is barbecuing meat on rack. Tennis court. Man 'lobs' ball to woman on same side of fence with him. 48:02. Younger man and the older one spar. Game continues. Man and woman are painting frame of lower portion of porch. Man holds frame aside so that woman can paint portion near it. Young man with paint brush on lower roof of home. Woman playing tennis on court adjacent to home. Trees surround fence. Woman expertly exchanges ball with partner. 49:01. Lake with foamy surface. Trees of shoreline. Woman emerges from small boat. Woman on shore takes her purse or white bag. Girl weeding, tending vegetable patch. She carries beets in her hands. Tall foliage. Vegetables of some kind, corn or beans. Girl tries to touch top of one of the plants. Tops of tall plants silhouetted through upstairs window. Exterior of home. Trees in yard. Woman stands under portico. Men fell a tree. Large mechanical saw divides the trunk into smaller portions of wood. 50:02. Men position the saw. Man chops with axe at tree in yard. Exterior of home. People behind foliage opposite home are watching. Another tree is felled. Mechanical saw dividing trunk into smaller portions. Cat sniffs 'Jack O Lantern' lying on ground. On front steps of home, woman turns tray of fruit around. 51:00. She is in a quandary about which position it would look best in. Commercial truck with lettering on side. Man in company uniform emerges from truck. He removes Christmas wreath from the back. Winter. Trees around home snow-covered. Right tracking pan. of trees, exterior of home. 52:03. Two women emerge from home, Christmas presents under their arms. They descend two sets of steps. Door with Christmas wreath attached. Wreath is not circular, but several evergreen boughs clustered together and tied with large scarlet ribbon. Snow pan. Trees, roofs of houses covered with snow. Pan. tracks to right. Snow-laden foliage, woodpile. Man on ladder working on roof of home. Pan. of home exterior with two other ladders propped against side of home. It is spring now. Someone emerges from upstairs window. 53:05. Cars parked on street. Mailman with his pack, delivering mail. He ascends steps of home. Man handling hose on street. Side door of pickup truck with company name inscribed. Two men walk along. Two women emerge from home. They descend steps. (End of Reel 54.)