Florida Color Shorts

Year Published: 1947

Creator: Wurtele Film Productions

Description: This reel features a series of "Florida Color Shorts" and other films, produced by an obscure company called Wurtele Film Productions. This was a pioneering Orlando, Florida based film production company founded by Col. Harold S. and Elizabeth Wurtele. Wurtele Productions was founded in 1947 and these silent shorts seem to date to that era. 0:00 The film begins with footage of Marine Studios including the famed porpoises. At 2:52, the Alligator and Ostrich Farm at St. Augustine, Florida, now known as the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. This is one of Florida's oldest continuously running attractions, having opened on May 20, 1893. At 5:22 the Gasparilla Carnival at Tampa is shown, with a title card explaining the history of the event and pirate Jose Gaspar. At 8:00, a wonderful segment showing Mardi Gras in New Orleans circa 1947. The Gasparilla Pirate Festival (often simply referred to as Gasparilla) is a large parade and a host of related community events held in Tampa, Florida, United States, most years since 1904.The centerpiece of the festivities is the Parade of Pirates, which is framed as a friendly invasion by the crew of the mythical pirate José Gaspar (also known as Gasparilla), a popular figure in Florida folklore. The Parade of Pirates is often referred to as the Gasparilla Parade by locals, and the date of the event is known as Gasparilla Day.

Online Copy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0V1YS0oJp4

Metadata Source:YouTube