[Gertrude Jane Hay Eustis--home movies] Reel 53

Date1943

Viewing NotesNHF Cataloguer's notes for reel 53: 17:33. Young woman standing by tree. Two girls astride their bicycles. Baskets on their bikes, they pedal forward. Ribbons on handlebars. 18:00. The girls pause. Wheels of bike are decorated with tissue or crepe paper. Young man in graduation gown. He has diploma in hand. He turns proudly around. He walks forward. He pulls sleeve of gown aside to reveal wristwatch. CU graduate as he smiles, says a few words. He walks backward toward foliage-tree area. He holds diploma aloft. 19:04. Two girls. They wear shorts. Girl on left waves. Friend places hands behind back. Young man observes long wooden stakes in garden. These stakes are for vegetable vines. Man gestures with his hands. He places his hand between two stakes. The garden later, more shadowed. Girl pats cat, who is feeding from dish in garden area. Cat feeds, walks away. 20:00. Girl approaches black coup'e car. Girl opens door of car, places picnic jug inside. Standing by car, girl holds cat in arms. Girl puts cat down, waves. Young man opens garage door. He secures tennis racquet and suitcase in his hands. He places them in car parked outside. Young man with suitcase in hand. Older man follows him as he walks along. Soldier in uniform, girl, woman. Girl, at foot of steps, smiles. Waves, walks away. 21:01. Man emerges from car and presents watermelon to girl. Cradling watermelon in her arms, she walks forward. Ladies walking single file down path beside of lake. They are reflected in tranquil lake surface. Girls are in shorts. Most ensembles are white, but some are green. Cataloguer deems these to be scout uniforms. Three chairs in yard. Man and girl sit opposite each other in two of them. Girl takes papers from tin box. Grove of tall evergreens. Adjacent building has columned porch. Upper building has narrow, vertical windows. Porch of building. Extensive evergreen grove. Tranquil lakeside scene. Trees of shoreline lucidly mirrored in lake surface. Right-tracking pan. of scenic area with well-kept grounds. 22:00. Lake surface. Woman and sailor standing side by side. Two men walk on grounds of military academy. They are sailor and civilian. Trees, well-kept grounds of academy. Side by side, the two men walk on grounds. Exterior of academy building with its gray facade and narrow windows. Sailor, woman stand beside of each other in garden area. Together, they walk along. Flower patch comprising section of garden. We see more of landscape, bushes surrounding building. 23:00. Slanting roof of academy with row of small windows above. Home with trees in yard. Upper porch with short-slatted railing. Washing hung out across upper story gives the building a tenement appearance. Shot tracks upward to top of building. Third story has short-posted porch. Man enters this house. Sailor emerges from building. He stands between man and woman. The three walk forward. Woman holds cigarette between her fingers. Sailor stands against wooden building. Sailor and woman stand side by side. They stand at left of famed 'Liberty Bell', located in Philadelphia, Pa. Classical brick building. Portico supported by Doric columns is above doorway. Glassed in bulletin board is at front of portico. Shot tracks upward. We arrive at pinnacled belfrey. This is a famous church associated with patroism. 24:12. Shot tracks downward. Lamppost of another day graces street. Pinnacle of church against cloudy blue sky. Girl sitting on steps of home. She wears costume. She grasps 'Jack O Lantern' sitting beside of her. She rises to display her costume. With her beribboned hat and long skirt, she is dressed like a colonial dame. Lifting her black apron, she dances around a bit. She curtseys. She removes lid of 'Jack O Lantern.' Replaces it, points to pumpkin's nose. 25:01. She enters home. Carrying suitcase and in navy-blue uniform, sailor emerges from behind garage door. He stands beside of garage window. He removes jacket. He strikes pose while smoking cigarette. He redons jacket and stands by window of home. He smiles, says a few words. Two men place ladder in position at home exterior. 26:01. Long instrument in hand, young man ascends ladder. Cat on railing of home. Girl, sailor dismount from car. Girl carries briefcase. She pauses at side of garage. Sailor pats cat standing on hood of car. Girl ducks down as cat jumps off of car. Girl stands beside of sailor. Sailor opens car door. Christmas wreath on door of home. 27:01. Girl emerges with arms folded as if she were cold. She walks behind column and points off to side. She waves, enters house. Door with its wreath. Girl hurls snowballs. Woman wearing fur coat, emerges from home. Young woman joins her at side of building. Young woman bows. She points upward and then, points down. She now stands by very high snowbank at side of garage. 28:01. She smiles, walks away. Girl is trying to affix American flag in snowy ground. American flag waves from pole which is tied to right column of portico. Man places small barrel on dolley. He wheels it into street. He places it beside of other barrel already on street. 29:01. Cat sitting on porch railing. Cat blinks eyes. Two women standing in front of home. Woman on right gestures toward woman on left. Ladies walk forward. Woman on right is really girl often referred to on this reel. CU girl, woman. Man, young woman stand by bush in front of home. Young woman points. Man removes his hat. They walk side by side. Young woman places American flag on its pole in soil of lawn. 30:04. She lowers flag, adjusts it. Flag on lawn, home exterior. Young woman in gown stands at side of garage. She turns to show back of gown. Now standing on sidewalk, she walks forward. Same young woman in ordinary dress stands by bushes near home. 31:02. Young woman wearing 'Devil' hat with horns protruding from each side. She grasps tail and twists it around to show tip. She turns around. She walks away. Two men, one a sailor, and woman emerging from awninged restaurant called 'The Allaire'. Sailor, woman both wear sunglasses. Exterior of restaurant. Lone woman emerges therefrom. Resort beach with number of beach umbrellas raised. Foamy waves are coming in. Bathers walking, standing on beach. Boat skimming water surface. Pan. of beach with its residents. 32:00. Sailor removes his sunglasses, smiles. He has red cross on side of uniform sleeve. Pan. of beach with residents resting on blankets, beneath umbrellas,etc. Building in background opposite. Pan. tracks to right. Man at side of garage. He has white pants in hand. He pins them to clothesline beside of his white shorts. He pins shirt to line. 33:00. He wears white hat. He has white pail. Young woman with small cloth animal in hand. Another item under opposite arm. Three young women in shorts walk along. Forest, trees. Washing strung up on lines between trees. Young woman by building. She enters building. Appears to be large camp structure. Grove evergreen trees. Beach. Swimmers, bathers standing about. Man in black trunks looks out over water. 34:00. Swimmers enter water. Woman practicing tennis on court set up in beach area. Man joins her to play. Girls walk toward building. Some are in uniform. Pan. of copious trees in wooded area. This girls' camp. The girls walk along, single file. 35:01. Young woman at edge of beach. She wears black bathing suit. Raised platform extends out into water. Man in costume, waving wand or scepter, walks down beach. Girls follow. Swimmers, small sailboats in water. Three girls on end of raised platform salute. (Cataloguer posits idea that this is some sort of Neptunian ceremony which honors the sea, Neptune being the mythological god of the sea.) Bathers sitting on beach. Line of sailboats with slim black sails and one with pink sail are moored on shoreline. Man sits on rock, two young women sit beside him on beach. They turn and smile. People on beach and in water in varied positions and activities. (End of Reel 53.)