HOME MOVIES: 1950s

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1951

Format: 16mm

Description: This silent home movie shows a family’s Christmas celebrations from 1951-1954. It mostly focuses on the children, with each Christmas starting with them entering the door to the living room. They are shown excitedly unpacking presents with the whole family watching and helping. 0:09 children playing on the road with a pedal car and a Radio Flyer wagon, 0:48 two small kids excitedly looking at Christmas presents including a large doll, 1:34 overview of the presents and a Christmas tree with tinsel and ornaments, 1:43 kids and family begin opening presents, 2:10 tired children look at the presents under the tree and play around in the red wagon, 3:29 their mom shows them a xylophone and they begin playing it, 4:08 the same children coming into the room at Christmas in 1952, 4:22 kids playing with a toy train set, 4:48 Children take down their Christmas stockings and begin taking things out of them, 5:20 children start unpacking presents in front of the Christmas tree and their parents join them, 7:46 children enter the living room and look at presents during Christmas 1953, 8:07 children begin unpacking presents in front of the tree and their parents begin helping, 9:11 little girl and her mom playing with a doll, 9:24 kids greet their grandparents as they enter, 9:40 adults greet and speak to each other, 10:12 adults help the children unpack presents, 11:09 the mom unpacks her present to reveal "Christmas 1954," 11:30 close ups of the mother, 11:44 children enter the room and are excited about their new bike, 12:07 mom helps the children unpack their stockings, 12:43 little girl brings the mom a present, 12:55 the family sits down on the couch and looks at a picture book, 13:24 the whole family sits and poses for a Christmas photo, 14:01 parents say goodnight to their children