Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

1930 Studebaker promo film is trippy

The conductor and orchestra – and the chap who's tap-dancing on the rear fender – are life sized. The Studebaker they're having a ball in and on, however, is ginormous; it's a massive wooden prop for a promo film from 1930 called Wild Flowers, and a wonderfully cheesy reminder of the lives our grandparents and great grandparents considered everyday.

Our favorite alternate title for this bit is "The swellest dream about the biggest car you ever saw," and it's got quite the backstory. It was directed by prolific filmmaker Alf Goulding, shot at the Studebaker Proving Ground near the Studebaker sign that was made of 50,000 trees, starred Jean Goldkette and his Studebaker Champion Orchestra (in their pit-lane whites, as always) that began life as a radio show, played in RKO theaters nationwide and was called "One of the cleverest" promos of its type at the time. We can only wonder what they'd think of how cars are advertised in movies today...

A copy of the short was given to the Library of Congress about ten years ago, but you can relive this month in 1930 in the video below. The shakiness clears up at the 1:20 mark, but the audio is straight from 83 years ago.


http://www.autoblog.com/2013/07/27/1...mo-film-video/

Harbinger

That was entertaining. Any idea what became of the prop car? That thing was impressive.