The First Auto | 1927 | Drama

Title: The First Auto | 1927 | Drama Director: Roy Del Ruth Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures Starring: Charles Emmett Mack, Patsy Ruth Miller, Russell Simpson, Frank Campeau, William Demarest, Barney Oldfield Release Date: September 18, 1927 Runtime: 75 Format: Black-and-white; 1.33:1; Vitaphone-synchronized music and sound effects Country: United States Language: Silent with English intertitles Genres: Drama --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Maple City and the horseless carriage 00:14:30 Father and son divided 00:32:00 Detroit and a new speed age 00:48:30 County fair race and sabotage 01:04:00 Aftermath and reconciliation --- Summary: In turn-of-the-century Maple City, livery stable owner Hank Armstrong opposes the arrival of the “horseless carriage,” while his son Bob embraces the new technology. Their difference in beliefs strains the family as the town modernizes and Hank’s horse-centered livelihood declines. Bob departs for Detroit to work in the burgeoning auto industry and later returns to compete in a local race. A misguided act of sabotage aimed at stopping the car threatens tragedy, forcing a reckoning that leads Hank to accept change and reconcile with his son. --- Background: Produced by Warner Bros. during the studio’s early sound era, The First Auto is a synchronized-sound drama released with a Vitaphone music-and-effects track and English intertitles. Directed by Roy Del Ruth from an original story by Darryl F. Zanuck, it features famed racer Barney Oldfield on screen. During production, leading man Charles Emmett Mack died in an automobile accident, and the film was completed with adjustments to his character’s scenes. --- Trivia: Barney Oldfield, one of America’s earliest star drivers, appears as himself and contributed racing authenticity to the production. Although lacking spoken dialogue, the release included synchronized music, effects, and crowd sounds via the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system. Charles Emmett Mack died in a car crash before filming fully concluded; the production completed scenes around his absence. The film premiered in New York on June 27, 1927, before wider U.S. release on September 18, 1927. Original copyright was registered May 26, 1927 by Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., and renewed on April 1, 1955 . --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: September 18, 1927 Original Studio / Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Yes --- Hashtags: TheFirstAuto 1927 SilentFilm Vitaphone WarnerBros RoyDelRuth PatsyRuthMiller CharlesEmmettMack BarneyOldfield PublicDomain Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_First_Auto_(1927).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/The_First_Auto_%281927%29.webm