| The First Auto | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Roy Del Ruth |
| Produced by | Darryl F. Zanuck |
| Written by | Anthony Coldeway Jack Jarmuth (title) Darryl F. Zanuck (story) |
| Starring | Russell Simpson Charles Emmett Mack Patsy Ruth Miller |
| Distributed by | Warner Brothers |
| Release date(s) | September 18, 1927 |
| Running time | 75-77 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The First Auto is a 1927 film about the transition from horses to cars and the rift it causes in one family. It stars Russell Simpson, Charles Emmett Mack, and Patsy Ruth Miller. While mostly silent, the film does feature a few spoken words and some laughter per the Vitaphone system.[1]
Contents |
In 1895, champion horse racer and livery stable owner Hank Armstrong (Russell Simpson) is greatly disturbed by the advent of the "horseless carriage" in Maple City. He mocks Elmer Hays, a car manufacturer, when he states in a public lecture that the days of the horse are numbered and that a car will one day go 30 miles an hour. However, Armstrong's efforts are in vain. He quarrels with his friends when they start purchasing the machines and is only stopped from horsewhipping his own car-mad son Bob (Charles Emmett Mack) by the timely appearance of Bob's girlfriend Rose Robbins (Patsy Ruth Miller).
Bob leaves to find a job in nearby Detroit. There, he is present when famed driver Barney Oldfield (playing himself) breaks the speed record, driving a mile in a minute (a feat Oldfield was the first to accomplish, in 1903). Meanwhile, Hank goes bankrupt and has to sell off all his possessions to satisfy his creditors.
One day in 1905, Bob returns without telling his father to compete in the first car race in the county. A jealous rival for Rose's affections convinces Hank to tamper with a car on display so that it will explode. When Bob sends Rose to bring his father to the race, Hank is horrified to discover he has sabotaged his son's car. They hurry to the track, but are too late. Bob's car crashes and burns. Hank is convinced he has killed Bob and burns down his livery stable, but Rose brings word that Bob is expected to live. Relieved, Hank gives up his hopeless resistance and joins his son in his car manufacturing company.
Mack was killed in an accident while driving to work, prior to the end of filming. According to Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies, his car was struck broadside by a wagon on a country road. His co-star Patsy Ruth Miller had turned down a ride with him that day because she was not needed for filming until later. The last scene shows Hank at a car race, while Bob and Rose are away at a horse show.