What's On This Film?
This film combines in chronological order the first 13-1/2 home movie reels of a middle-American family from the Detroit, Michigan area, covering the years 1955 to 1959. Combined movie length here is about one hour and five minutes. Identifiable persons and locations are listed here in order to assist those interested.
00:15 Christmas 1955
Christmas in Pontiac (Waterford), Michigan at home with Dave, Rick, and mom, and visiting grandparents “Nan” & “Pa.”
01:39
Christmas with extended family at Nan & Pa’s house in Birmingham, including Mary McGarrity Macdonald, Roderick Macdonald, Don Forrester, Violet Macdonald Forrester, Chester Dundas, Rhoda Macdonald Dundas, Mary Margaret Macdonald Wangler, and Jim Wangler. Next scenes are Christmas at the Wrobbel grandparents’ in Detroit with Doris Wrobbel Sewell, Harry Wrobbel, Georgette Wrobbel, Edwin Wrobbel, Clara Wrobbel, Keith Sewell, Debbie Sewell, Paul Wrobbel, Linda Smith
04:30 “Black & White • Church-School • R. Birthday 1956”
Begins at the Irwindale house with Dave and Rick riding around on bicycle and tricycle. Construction of church at 3750 Pontiac Lake Road with Harry Wrobbel, Paul Wrobbel, Francis Smith.
6:47
Rick with mother, pregnant with Beth Anne, sees Dave and Jimmy Taylor off to school. Dave and Jimmy get on the school bus.
7:29
Ricky's third birthday party with Mike Taylor, Jimmy Taylor, and Dave. Off to school on the second day. More church construction showing the “Future Home of Calvary Baptist Church” sign.
8:55 “Double Exposure: Christmas 1956 and Beams on Church”
In double exposure, mother picks up suitcase to get in car bound for hospital to give birth to her third child, Beth Anne. Then, or rather simultaneously, we see Christmas at the Macdonald’s and Wrobbel’s, 1956, and more church construction showing raising and placement of main beams.
11:20 Mother with Infant Beth Anne, Christmas 1956
Mother carries, and shows off, the infant Beth Anne, while little Ricky tags along clueless. Then the 1956 Christmas tree and all the presents early Christmas morning before the kids attack.
12:40
The kids attack. Rick gets a duck hat, a tricycle, and a wind-up guitar. Christmas has a quite noticeable cowboy theme this year and Dave gets a cowboy hat and outfit and assorted weaponry.
13:35 More Christmas 1956
Christmas 1956 morning after the presents are opened. A visit to Mike and Jim Taylor’s house to see their toys and to shoot bad guys. Debbie Taylor in two cowboy hats. The Taylor mom, Jeanette Taylor.
15:18 Still More Christmas 1956
A Christmas visit from Paul McTeer, Betty McTeer, The McTeer children: Debbie, Bruce, Janie. Uncle Jug (Jim Macdonald), mom, Nan, Auntie Rhoda. Then Grandpa Wrobbel holding Beth Anne, Ricky being held back from some sort of mischief, and Grandma (Clara).
16:12
Church Dinner with Cynthia Johnson, Dave, Dickie France, Sandy Johnson, Russell Johnson, Rosalie Johnson, Jim France, mom, Norm Russell, Mavis Russell, Sally Nelson, Walter (Teenee) Nelson, Buzz Fogner, Larry Stack, Judy Stack, Netta Stack, and many others unidentified.
16:55 Even More Christmas 1956
At grandma/grandpa Wrobbel’s including Denise Sewell. Back at the Macdonald’s an amazing first: Nan kisses Pa! Jim Wangler, Tim Wangler, Dave, Rick, Uncle Chet, Nan & Pa, Grandma Mac (Macdonald), Beth Anne & Mother, Auntie Rho, Auntie Maggie & Uncle George.
18:05 “Easter 1957, Family Picnic 1957”
On the bunkbed, Dave, Rick, cousin Paul, and a foster child of Grandma’s. Aunt Georgette, Beth Anne, Grandpa. Henry (dad) greets twin brother Harry at the door with a handshake. Grandma.
19:24
In what became a little tradition, the family is filmed spilling out of the house in their Easter Sunday best for church. Rick, Dave, Beth Anne, mom. Close up of Beth Anne. Riding our bikes in our Sunday clothes after church. Jimmy Taylor rides over.
20:21
The dog chases Ricky, biting his legs, and doesn’t know when to stop. Ricky thinks the porch is a “safe zone” but the dog knows nothing of such rules. Family Picnic Macdonald, Alestair Macdonald (Pa's brother)
20:55
Memorial Day 1957 Macdonald family picnic. Uncle Chet, Nan, Beth Anne, Auntie Rho, mom, Uncle George, Auntie Maggie. Coming down the slide are Rick, cousin Tim Wangler, and Dave. The Aunties stage a bum lineup. Alestair Macdonald (Pa’s brother).
22:30 “Summer, Fall 1957 • BA Birthday”
“You don’t live in a water-wonderland without mosquitoes” so here is the plane that periodically sprayed the area with God-knows-what, keeping us safe.
23:07
Beth Anne with cousin Sally (or is this Debbie Taylor from across the street?).
24:03
Dave is off to school in September 1957, sans two front teeth, while Beth Anne and Rick watch from the front window.
24:43
In the living room at the Irwindale house, Auntie Maggie and Uncle George try and help the baby stand. Dad, Rick, Dave, Tim, Jim, Uncle Jug, Nan, Uncle Chet, Auntie Rhoda.
25:35
Posing Beth Anne. Her first birthday. Mom, Rick, Dave, Dad.
27:00 “Christmas 1957”
The Christmas tree in the living room at the Irwindale house. Beth Anne, Rick, and Dave see the tree and all the presents on Christmas morning. Lots of toys.
28:38
Christmas at the Wrobbel’s with Grandma, Uncle Harry, Anita Smith, Aunt Doris, Uncle Keith, Grandpa. The "parade" starts with Beth Anne, the cousin Paul, Dave, the Smith girls, cousin Denise Sewell. Mark Wrobbel in grandpa’s arms.
29:55
The Macdonald’s Christmas, hosted at Nan & Pa’s little Birmingham house. Mom dancing. Doug Wangler makes his screen debut here held by Auntie Maggie. Auntie Rho, Dave, Rick, Pa in the yellow vinyl chair, Uncle Chet, Uncle George, Beth Anne with Nana, Uncle Jug.
31:00
In Deckerville Michigan at the Forrester’s (Don and Violet Forrester). Cousin Sally, Beth Anne, Dave.
32:05 “Christmas ’57 (Shermans-Browns-Forresters) • Vacation 1958”
In Lexington Michigan we visit Mrs. Sherman, Anna Sherman, Lena Brown, Bernard Brown.
33:10
Summer of 1958, we see Nan posing for the camera with Auntie Rhoda helping to show her how to be fashionable. The cottage at Tawas Point we rented each summer. On the sandy beach on the Point at East Tawas with Beth Anne, mom, Dave, Dad, Rick, Carol Carr, Janet Carr. Beth Anne adorably carrying a Vaseline jar from the beach to the cottage. The cottage and its wooden sidewalk.
36:03 “School 1958 • B.A. 2nd Birthday • Shermans”
Dave and Jimmy Taylor go off to the first day of school 1958. Ricky, properly tagged, goes off to his first day at kindergarten. Beth Anne, Mike Taylor, Eric Struble, Mike Shafto. Getting on the school bus.
37:05
Visiting the Shermans in Lexington Michigan, Mrs. Sherman, Anna, mom, Beth Anne, Dave, and Rick.
38:15
The Hula Hoop in our front yard. The Hula Hoop was a then-popular fad that required an amount of hip movement beyond the ability or modesty of many people. Larry Williams, Rick, Beth Anne, Chuck Williams, Dave. As a minister in the midwest, dad had some kind of stake in the promotion of modesty and so displays alternate uses for the Hula Hoop. The oldest of the Williams children successfully uses the Hula Hoop then feels embarrassed at being filmed moving her hips in the amount required. Her mom, Ernestine Williams, takes up the task and gamely does her best. Kittens born while we were in East Tawas. Beth Anne gets a children-sized Hula Hoop and tries it out in the driveway.
39:36
Beth Anne’s 2nd birthday with Rick, Dave, dad, and mom. A Halloween cake.
40:20 “Easter 1958 • Ricky on bike • Christmas 1958 • Scott”
The house on Irwindale on Easter Sunday morning. The family once again emerges in their Sunday best. Rick, Dave, Beth Anne, mom. And then they do it again, this time with dad.
41:25
Ricky learning to ride a bike with Mike Taylor. Nancy Shafto with Beth Anne on the swings at our house.
42:40 “Church 1st Sunday • Oct. 5, 1958”
The first Sunday in dad’s new church, Calvary Baptist Church at 3750 Pontiac Lake Road, Pontiac (now Waterford), Michigan. Shown are all the people who attended this opening Sunday service. Dad, mom, Walter Nelson, and Russ Johnson are identifiable. Dozens more are not identifiable but would have included such families as: Nelson, Russell, Stack, Galloway, France, and Williams.
47:00 “Christmas, 1958”
Christmas morning in our living room with all the gifts. Dave, Beth Anne, Rick. The red pajamas appear. Later, in Wrobbel’s basement on Greeley Street in Detroit, Uncle Keith, Aunt Doris, Grandpa, Grandma, Herb Smith, Anita Smith, mom, cousin Mark, Uncle Harry, Aunt Bernieta, Aunt Georgette, cousin Paul, cousin Denise (or Debbie?).
49:45
Christmas with the Macdonald family at Rho & Chet’s house in Warren Michigan. Nan, Rick, cousins Doug, Jim, and Tim Wangler, Auntie Maggie. Lots of gifts. Cousin Sally, Dad, Uncle Chet, Auntie Rho, Uncle Jug, Auntie Vi, Uncle Don, cousin Scott Forrester (the baby), and Pa. Later we are back home playing with presents on Christmas night. The Super Market. Merry Milkman.
53:35 “Vacation 1959”
In Lake Huron off the point of East Tawas Michigan: Uncle Harry Wrobbel, cousins Paul and Mark, Dave, Rick, Beth Anne, dad, Bruce Carr, Uncle Chet, Janet Carr, Carol Carr, Auntie Rho, Dolores Carr, mom, Patty Carr. The fishermen: Henry Wrobbel, Roderick Macdonald, Edwin Wrobbel, Chet Dundas. Back on the beach, Rick, Beth Anne, Dave.
57:46 “Ricky's Birthday, Football, B. A. Birthday with Wanglers”
On the assumption that kids like anything with sugar in it, Rick’s 6th birthday is celebrated with a Sander’s Colonial Cream Cake which, it turns out, he really doesn’t like at all. Rick, Dave, Beth Anne. Rho & Chet Dundas visit, Dave kisses Auntie Rho, dad in his painting pants. Rick and Dave cluelessly and ineptly play “football” while Nancy Shafto and Beth Anne look on. Note the clothesline in the front yard.
1:00:10
The Wanglers visit on Beth Anne’s 3rd birthday. Cousin Jim, Dave, dad, cousin Tim, Uncle George, Beth Anne, cousin Doug, Nan, Auntie Maggie.
1:01:12 “Christmas 1959”
The red pajamas make another appearance as Christmas 1959 unfolds in the living room of the Irwindale house. Dave, Beth Anne, and Rick see their presents under and around the Christmas tree in the living room, go for the stockings. The boxing gloves. Dad and the electric train. Fingerpaint set. The frustrating hockey table game. Beth Anne rocks her dolly.
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