1952: Grandma's Birthday, McHenry, Don's Graduation
Identifier
F.2017-02-0042
Date Of Production
1952
Abstract
Home movie of a family gathering in the summertime to celebrate grandma's birthday. Features candid shots of adults conversing and a small child playing, and a dimly lit shot of the presentation of a birthday cake.
Description
Severely underexposed shots of family congregated on an outdoor porch in a house surrounded in a rural area during summer. A woman and a child present "Grandma" with presents, which she unwraps. People converse over drinks; a woman smokes a cigarette. Wide shot of the family, as an older man collects empty bottles from a table and takes them inside. A shot from the second story of the house looking almost directly below at the child we saw earlier, noticing the cameraperson, laughing, and alerting grandma and a few others to the cameraperson's presence. We then see the family members from a bird's eye view. A little boy runs around on a lawn, shirtless, in overalls. Later, near dusk, the outlines of figures are barely visible, and we see nine lit candles adorning a birthday cake. Grandma leans in to blow out the candles, blows out one, and takes another breath to blow out the rest, and while she does so, the camera comes out of focus and the shot ends.
Run Time
1 min 26 sec
Format
16mm
Extent
50 feet
Color
Color
Sound
Silent
Reel/Tape Number
1/1
Has Been Digitized?
Yes
Language Of Materials
English
Element
Reversal Positives
Genre
Form
Subject
Related Collections
Related Places
Main Credits
Armstrong, John O. (is filmmaker)
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