[1930s HOME MOVIE VENICE, ITALY LAKE COMO VILLA D'ESTE & NICE, FRENCH RIVIERA, ALPS]

Genre: home movie

Description: This untitled, silent, black-and-white home movie chronicles an American family’s trip in Italy and France during the early 1930s. The film includes footage of Venice, Lake Como and Villa d’Este, Nice and the French Riviera as well as the French Alps. While the family is unknown, it appears this film is one of many travelogs made by this couple as they appear in other travelog films through Europe.

Film opens to scene of small cabanas, striped umbrellas, beach chairs lining sandy shore of beach near Venice (0:08). Woman helped off gondola for perhaps tour through Venice canals (0:16). Backlit silhouette of gondolier guides gondola under bridge; Silhouettes of men and women standing over canal on perhaps Ponte della Paglia (0:55). Woman walks along pier in Venice wearing white drop-waist dress with pleated skirt along pier of tourist boats for day tours to Murano (glass-blowing island); Interesting to note sign in English (1:08). Monument to Victor Emmanuel II; Bronze equestrian statue located in Riva degli Schiavoni, in Castello, Venice, Italy (1:25). Camera pans mountains encircling Lake Como (Monte Grona Resegone, Corni di Canzo, Grigna, Legnone and the Grignetta) (1:33). Example of typical “Batel” boat docked along Lake Como - these boats typically used for fishing, with three circles on top which were covered with a blanket to repair the fishermen from the rain and the scorching sun (today called Lucia boat); other ferry boats (2:51). Camera pans lake once more focusing on water, scenery, mountain range and the impressive palazzos dotting the coast line (3:33). Small pier in center of lake with slide to entertain swimmers (3:53). Middle-aged man and woman in typical 1930s fashion pose in gardens of Villa d’Este (3:57). Same couple continues to walk grounds of estate towards outdoor dining area and meet up with other tourists (4:43). Villa d’Este (5:05). Hotel guests sunbathe, swim off of pier and slide in lake (5:11). More shots of scenery lining the lake’s coast (6:07). Woman from earlier walks through other parts of Villa d’Este property, stands besides topiaries, pristinely manicured trees (6:47). Local women stand beside small ravine and wash clothing (7:09). Terraced field ascends down mountainside (7:54). Woman poses with driver beside perhaps Hupmobile Century 6 Series A-7 Sedan 1929 (8:34). Panoramic views of ravine, area of Lake Como likely taken from one of the mountains encircling the lake (8:50). Camera pans coastline of Nice, French Riviera (10:18). Striped lounge chairs along rocky beach in Nice (10:48). Le Negresco Hotel (11:05). View of Nice Boardwalk (11:36). Perhaps scenes from Mercantour National Park, tour through the French Alps (11:41). Woman poses beside an open air 1930s-era tour bus (11:55). Montage clips various shots of mountains, valleys (12:06). POV shot driving through Alps in the open air tour bus (13:39). Snow-covered mountain tops sticking up above the clouds; Film ends (13:51).