225 ft
16mm
B&W
Silent
Part of the Alan Bemis Collection held at Northeast Historic Film
Discussed by Martha J. McNamara, “Comedic Counterpoise: Landscape and Laughs in the Films of Sidney N. Shurcliff,” in Martha J. McNamara and Karan Sheldon, Amateur Movie Making: Aesthetics of the Everyday in New England Film, 1915-1960, 2017.
Alan Bemis Collection, Northeast Historic Films
"Intertitle: "present their 1933 production" Intertitle: "Rollo's Revenge or the Last of the Gotrocks" Intertitle: "Characters Mr. Gotrocks….Gordon Curtis Mrs. Gotrocks….Anita Marshall Rollo Gotrocks….Robert Miller Parkins….Sidney Shurcliff Kidnappers….Alan Bemis John Marshall Rollingstone….Laurence Johnson Blottinpaper….James Parker Photographed by Blaney Dane race cars provided and driven by E. Dane, J. Hill and J. Bishop" Intertitle: "Neverby-on-Thyme, the estate of Alonzo B. Gotrocks, wealthy racing car owner." Scenic views of large mansion in mist (shot at Wayland, MA, home of Alan Bemis). Intertitle: "Unaware of impending tragedy, the Gotrocks family at home" Views of Mr. & Mrs. Gotrocks, smiling, smelling flowers. Intertitle: "Little Rollo, heir to the Gotrocks millions is guarded by Parkins, his English nurse." Rollo, in a sailor suit and hat, plays with a stuffed animal. Parkins hovers and gives him a kiss. Intertitle: "Mysterious strangers enter the Gotrocks estate unnoticed." View of a two-tone Essex 6 cylinder sedan driving onto the grounds. The two kidnappers (Alan Bemis, John Marshall) plot the kidnapping while we see the family on the porch. Obviously the smallest adult got to play Rollo, and the tallest Parkins to emphasize the child/adult differences. Intertitle: "Off for a spin in Mrs. Gotrocks [sic] car." Mr. & Mrs. Gotrocks in top hat and suit and with cane and long dress get in a Detroit Electric car (this car belonged to Alan Bemis' mother), and he drives with two steering rods, waving goodbye to their son. Shots from inside the car. Rollo and Parkins go for a walk and encounter the two kidnappers in the driveway. They knock out Parkins, drag Rollo off, throw him into a car, and drive off. Intertitle: "Help! Help! Rollo has been kidnapped!" Parkins rouses himself, runs to Buick sedan and drives off. Mr. & Mrs. Gotrocks continue their leisurely drive while Parkins and the kidnappers have a wild chase, pushing each other off the road and screeching around corners. Intertitle: "The kidnappers force the Gotrocks car off the road." A slow parade of all three cars, electric in the lead and then the kidnappers' car forces the electric car off the road, and it slides down a hill. The Gotrocks slide out the front window. Meanwhile, the other two cars chase each other (in what appears to be regular traffic on the road), and the kidnapper car goes off the road and crashes into a gravel pit. Passengers clamber out and the kidnappers chase Rollo and run off with him. The Parkins car comes down the hill at a fast rate, and Parkins exits, then gives chase. The two cars go up in flames (liquid accelerant appears to be added first.)" viewing notes via Northeast Historic Film.
Amateur Cinema