SCHLEY RIDE TO WEST FLORIDA

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1950s

Format: 16mm

Description: This silent, color travelogue film from the late 1950s was made by by Norman Schley - a filmmaker from Waukesha, Wisconsin who made a series of travel films under the moniker "Schley Ride" and/or "Picturelogue inc." This particular film was shot in Cinemascope, or widescreen, using a special anamorphic lens attachment. The lens makes the film appear to have been shot on 35mm film! This movie would have originally been presented by Schley in front of a live audience with the filmmaker narrating the picture. It depicts a warm weather getaway to cities in west Florida like St. Petersburg, Naples, and Sarasota. This film features lots of automobiles and fashion typical of late 1950s America as well as many scenes of Florida’s white-sand beaches, golf courses, and lush flora and fauna. The film also includes first-hand footage of famous entertainment spectacles such as Ringling Barnum & Bailey Circus and Weeki Wachee Springs Underwater Theater. Blizzard, snow coats suburban homes in Wisconsin (0:28). People and cars trudge through snow on downtown shopping street (0:41). Norman Schley behind camera (0:56). Ice boats on frozen lake (1:24). Schley gears up for cross-country skiing (2:41). Three young men push car stuck in snow (3:19). Clear skies, palm trees, sign for The Beach Club Hotel (3:29). Colorful beach chairs contrast white sand beach (3:48). Hotel porter unloads suitcases from brown convertible (4:15). Husband and wife eagerly run towards the ocean, other couples frolic in the water (4:58). Couple plays game of shuffleboard (6:03). Vintage motorboats in the shade at Crayton Cove Marina, Naples Florida (6:19). Damaged boat at harbor (6:31). Gentleman rides on horseback down street (7:22). Tennis practice on public tennis courts (7:39). Pond and tropical plants at botanical garden (8:05). Close-up iris flower (8:39). Flamingos, ducks, swans in pond (9:00). The young couple walk across perhaps Windstar Naples Bay golf course (9:25). Small motorboat fills up gas at marina Texaco (10:26). Boat ride through Naples Bay: tree lined coast, seagulls bobbing on water, small fishing boats (11:00). Pelicans perched in trees (12:46). Dolphins jump out of water (13:53). Back at the golf course: young woman drives her husband on golf cart (15:13). Zoo keeper feeds fish to alligators, Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens (15:21). Flock of flamingos, pink feathers contrast green plants and trees (16:22). Two kids feed sea otters (16:29). Zoo keeper does tricks with gray heron (16:47). Multiple bird species gather together (17:34). Sign and entrance to Winter Home Ringling Barnum & Bailey Circus, Sarasota (18:20). Man buys program (18:32). Herd of baby elephants (19:01). Young boy places peanut in elephant trunk (19:31). Tigers in cage (19:36). Crowd fills performance arena, families take photos with circus clowns (19:51). Warm-up: elephants (20:28). Horses (20:45). Elephants synchronized poses and tricks (21:12, 21:47, 22:19). Horses (21:29). Giraffes glance over at the show (21:52). Lions and tigers jump through rings (23:27). Crowd ushers out of arena, cars leaving parking lot (24:02). Rack of St. Petersburg Times newspapers (24:14). Walk through Sunken Gardens: women sit in pink and red gowns (24:42). Cypress Gardens water-ski performance show (25:42). Cars drive past orange grove (27:13). Weeki Wachee Springs (27:31). Underwater theater performance: two women do everyday things underwater, one eats banana, acrobatics (27:39). Men promenade along St. Petersburg Harbor (31:22). Terra cotta exterior of Vinoy Hotel (31:39). People feed sardines to flock of seagulls (32:13). Montage of people of different ages fishing from Pass-A-Grille Marina and boats (32:27). Exterior of the Soreno Hotel (35:04). Map of Snell Isle (35:15). Snell Isle Golf Club/ Sunset Country Club building in Moorish-style architecture (35:27). Couple plays golf (35:34). Sunken Gardens: vibrantly colored flowers contrast tropical green foliage (36:12). Adults play shuffleboard games (36:34). Entrance sign to Spa Beach Park (37:17). Sunbathers slather on sunscreen, young women accessories typical 1950s swim costumes (37:22). Sunshine Skyway Bridge (37:41). Man test drives 1911 Model Ford and other early 20th century car models at Horn’s Cars of Yesterday, Sarasota Classic Car Museum (38:29). Return to wintry scene of young men pushing stuck car in Wisconsin (40:45).

Complete Record: This silent, color travelogue film from the late 1950s was made by by Norman Schley - a filmmaker from Waukesha, Wisconsin who made a series of travel films under the moniker "Schley Ride" and/or "Picturelogue inc." This particular film was shot in Cinemascope, or widescreen, using a special anamorphic lens attachment. The lens makes the film appear to have been shot on 35mm film! This movie would have originally been presented by Schley in front of a live audience with the filmmaker narrating the picture. It depicts a warm weather getaway to cities in west Florida like St. Petersburg, Naples, and Sarasota. This film features lots of automobiles and fashion typical of late 1950s America as well as many scenes of Florida’s white-sand beaches, golf courses, and lush flora and fauna. The film also includes first-hand footage of famous entertainment spectacles such as Ringling Barnum & Bailey Circus and Weeki Wachee Springs Underwater Theater. Blizzard, snow coats suburban homes in Wisconsin (0:28). People and cars trudge through snow on downtown shopping street (0:41). Norman Schley behind camera (0:56). Ice boats on frozen lake (1:24). Schley gears up for cross-country skiing (2:41). Three young men push car stuck in snow (3:19). Clear skies, palm trees, sign for The Beach Club Hotel (3:29). Colorful beach chairs contrast white sand beach (3:48). Hotel porter unloads suitcases from brown convertible (4:15). Husband and wife eagerly run towards the ocean, other couples frolic in the water (4:58). Couple plays game of shuffleboard (6:03). Vintage motorboats in the shade at Crayton Cove Marina, Naples Florida (6:19). Damaged boat at harbor (6:31). Gentleman rides on horseback down street (7:22). Tennis practice on public tennis courts (7:39). Pond and tropical plants at botanical garden (8:05). Close-up iris flower (8:39). Flamingos, ducks, swans in pond (9:00). The young couple walk across perhaps Windstar Naples Bay golf course (9:25). Small motorboat fills up gas at marina Texaco (10:26). Boat ride through Naples Bay: tree lined coast, seagulls bobbing on water, small fishing boats (11:00). Pelicans perched in trees (12:46). Dolphins jump out of water (13:53). Back at the golf course: young woman drives her husband on golf cart (15:13). Zoo keeper feeds fish to alligators, Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens (15:21). Flock of flamingos, pink feathers contrast green plants and trees (16:22). Two kids feed sea otters (16:29). Zoo keeper does tricks with gray heron (16:47). Multiple bird species gather together (17:34). Sign and entrance to Winter Home Ringling Barnum & Bailey Circus, Sarasota (18:20). Man buys program (18:32). Herd of baby elephants (19:01). Young boy places peanut in elephant trunk (19:31). Tigers in cage (19:36). Crowd fills performance arena, families take photos with circus clowns (19:51). Warm-up: elephants (20:28). Horses (20:45). Elephants synchronized poses and tricks (21:12, 21:47, 22:19). Horses (21:29). Giraffes glance over at the show (21:52). Lions and tigers jump through rings (23:27). Crowd ushers out of arena, cars leaving parking lot (24:02). Rack of St. Petersburg Times newspapers (24:14). Walk through Sunken Gardens: women sit in pink and red gowns (24:42). Cypress Gardens water-ski performance show (25:42). Cars drive past orange grove (27:13). Weeki Wachee Springs (27:31). Underwater theater performance: two women do everyday things underwater, one eats banana, acrobatics (27:39). Men promenade along St. Petersburg Harbor (31:22). Terra cotta exterior of Vinoy Hotel (31:39). People feed sardines to flock of seagulls (32:13). Montage of people of different ages fishing from Pass-A-Grille Marina and boats (32:27). Exterior of the Soreno Hotel (35:04). Map of Snell Isle (35:15). Snell Isle Golf Club/ Sunset Country Club building in Moorish-style architecture (35:27). Couple plays golf (35:34). Sunken Gardens: vibrantly colored flowers contrast tropical green foliage (36:12). Adults play shuffleboard games (36:34). Entrance sign to Spa Beach Park (37:17). Sunbathers slather on sunscreen, young women accessories typical 1950s swim costumes (37:22). Sunshine Skyway Bridge (37:41). Man test drives 1911 Model Ford and other early 20th century car models at Horn’s Cars of Yesterday, Sarasota Classic Car Museum (38:29). Return to wintry scene of young men pushing stuck car in Wisconsin (40:45).