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Call of the Open Road (1957)

1957 · Short film · 33 min

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Synopsis

This fascinating, seemingly amateur-made film is entitled “Call of the Open Road” (1957). It was made by Hugh Randolph / Hugh Randolph Productions. (Randolph was a member of the SMPTE, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, a professional organization.) This movie, which also can be seen as a paean to the American road trip, is narrated by Mary Harker and John Barry, and features music "by Erickson". Other credits are given for the soundtrack, which was recorded onto the print using a magnetic stripe (as opposed to via optical sound). (0:20) Opening credits and shots of license plates (2:50) Wide shots of the New Jersey Turnpike and toll booth as cars drive by, motels and inns frequented by travelers, and close-ups of various state license plates (4:22) Driver training is shown at high schools introduce future drivers to safe driving. Cars are driven competitively through skill-based courses (5:05) Horses and cattle in the countryside to waves crashing on an unnamed beach as people fish and bring their boat in (7:20) A harvested corn field to yellow and red trees of the fall season lined up by the side of a road (8:38) Cars driving by for the American Hill Climb auto race on Eagle Rock Ave. in West Orange, NJ, an event that originally started as a test of different vehicles’ power and endurance as they climbed up a hill (9:52) Snowfall with trees in the background (10:41) Ice boats skimming the surface of a frozen lake (12:26) Close-ups of flowers blooming…

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Details

Running time
33 minutes
Collection
Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

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