[Archie Stewart--home movies] Reel 031

Date1941

Can DescriptionsCan notes for Reel 31: Family to Maine. 1941. Good. Pictures OK. Sound very poor. Odds & ends but still valuable. SOUND NHF viewing notes, 6/96 for Reel 31: Synch, B&W. Dr Harold Snyder standing, describes scene. Wife Kay. Two women seated in chairs, reading, on either side. Experiments with different exposures, lenses; MS & WS. Archie in MS describes sound settings. WS Archie with daughter reclining on sofa; more exposure setting experiments. WS man stands with arms around two women lip-synching to recording of man singing 'Home on the Range.' Kay Snyder on left, Dr Snyder, mother. MS Three older men seated in chairs, talking about fishing and skunks (poor sound, room tone). Howard Kendall, Rob Golding, Grandfather Stewart. MS Two men and young girl seated, talking.Rob, Grandfather Warden. MS Two men with young boy (legs propped on man's lap), tells of 1918 trip to New York Museum of Natural History. Comic tale, nature calls and male friend is forced to use the Ladies Room. Brief moving shot from train window of what looks like Capitol Dome in Washington, DC. WS Two young girls seated cross-legged on floor, dressed as Indians. One clutches bow and arrow and whoops. Other beats on tom-tom drum. Both wrapped in Navajo blankets. Piano accompaniment in BG. WS of stout woman [Grandmother Stewart] seated on couch talks with Ann, dog at feet. Girl opens book and starts to read 'The Wizard of Oz' aloud, jumpy move to MCU. Jump cut to girl reading with head resting on woman's shoulder. Black, WS of same scene. Archie seated beside Mary (daughter), dog standing at feet. Archie looking through photo album, points out family and friends. Black, change camera angle. Daughter rests arm on Archie's shoulder as they look through album. WS mother (Mary Stewart) playing piano, shot from behind, music propped on stand. Sings sentimental song as plays (dark). Black, same scene continued, plays more jaunty tune without singing (lighting improved). Black, same scene continues. Mother singing and playing 'Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.' Fade out. Mary Stewart Hafer notes: Mother and Dr Snyder rehearsal for Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson scene in movie party.