This silent 8mm home movie shows a variety of things but by far the most exciting is a stunt show by Jimmie Lunch and his Death Dodgers. You can see it starting about 20:41 into the film. Daredevil Jimmie Lynch and his “Death Dodgers” traveled the country throughout the 1940s and ‘50s, performing spectacular stunts in flimsy cars. They jumped over cars and trucks, smashed through flaming walls, and sent their vehicles tipping over on two wheels. Lynch himself was famous for riding on the hood of a “horse car,” which he steered with hydraulic cables. At the New York World’s Fair of 1939-1940, the group put on a show for Safety Week — demonstrating exactly how not to drive.
The rest of the film shows a family vacation, including a great start at :17 where the family holds up a title card “Our Vacation!” The family enjoys boating, fishing (4:30), horseback riding (3:38), and more. At 8:37 grandma gets into the act, fishing in a rocker. At 8:54 the Red Oaks,” a summer resort located on Lake Alma in Vilas County, Wisconsin is seen. It operated until 1965. At 12:00 a large lake steamer passenger ship is seen. At 13:52, a man is shown near a small Christmas tree, and at 14:13 Christmas dinner is served. At 16:05 champagne is served. At 16:05 a naked doll is seen, followed by a painting of a nude woman. At 16:44 a sign declares Schroeder’s Lake Killarney Beach, which may be the lake in New Brunswick, Canada. The family is shown having a picnic, and at 17:40 a woman shows off a large bruise on her leg while drinking a beer. At 20:20 everyone is shown swimming, followed by a spectacular sunset.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
