Trailer for Oysters! (2021) Robert Martens 2021-07-02 | Trailer for "Oysters!" (2021) Music by Bruce Lazarus, Animation by Robert Martens
Oysters! An Animated Tale of Death and Rebirth Robert Martens 2021-02-11 | By Bruce Lazarus and Robert Martens.Music composed and performed by Bruce Lazarus.Visuals designed and animated by Robert Martens.
The Making Of Moving Parts with Bruce Lazarus and Robert Martens Robert Martens 2020-04-26 | Bruce Lazarus and Robert Martens discuss the making of "Moving Parts," an "optical ballet" at the Animation Celebration Fest on April 25th, 2020. The Fest was planned to be a live event but, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was live-streamed instead. Bruce and Robert recorded their conversation on Zoom, and Bruce edited the footage for presentation.
Moving Parts - An Optical Ballet Robert Martens 2020-04-01 | Music by Bruce Lazarus, Visuals by Robert Martens. "Moving Parts" is an optical ballet featuring seven “moving parts” which undergo numerous transformations such as a chorus of lights and a matrix of atoms in a kinetic and exhaustive quest for the perfect set-up.
Jack Chicks Boo! The Animated Movie Robert Martens 2019-11-02 | Here's my highly embellished, ironic burlesque of Jack Chick's notorious anti-Halloween tract. This final version combines Parts 1 and 2 which I had uploaded earlier and have since deleted. The first half of Chick's publication is a swift parody of 1980s slasher films, and I thoroughly enjoyed giving it the expanded cinematic treatment. However, the publication's second half was problematic as it consisted mainly of the minister in his study just talking on and on and on. Knowing that viewers were likely to click-off at that point, I inserted my own original material that played for laughs without straying much from the Chick universe. One line I wish I'd included came right after the Druids agreed to round up 100 Irish maidens for sacrifice: "Would you like 'em with or without freckles?" I just couldn't get it to sound right, and feared that it would fall flat. Now, lest you think that my satirizing was a bit broad, let me assure you that Mr. Chick, in a different tract, really did declare that a certain activist symbol was Satanic in origin, and though he never assumed that potatoes were native to Ireland, he did so with pumpkins. (Later editions of "Boo!" acknowledged the error by replacing the word "pumpkin" with "squash"). The God puppet with its light bulb head looks ridiculous, but that's how he appears in Mr. Chick's own illustrations. Technically speaking, the most challenging sequence for me to animate was the Lake of Fire seen at the end. Each one of those tortured souls is a silhouette of me writhing in front of a back-lit bed sheet, and it took numerous weeks after several false starts for me to properly lay out and synchronize those separately drawn figures into one coherent scene. "Boo! The Animated Movie" is far from perfect. The volume level is inconsistent, and when the characters talk their mouths move like the wooden jaws of ventriloquist dummies. Nonetheless, I've reached the point where I must declare "Better Done Than Perfect" and move on. Thank you for watching.
1939 New York Worlds Fair - HD Color! A Home Movie by Gustave Martens Robert Martens 2019-08-05 | 16mm Kodachrome Home Movie of the 1939-40 New York World's Fair. Photographed by Gustave Martens (1900-1977) of College Point, NY. Edited for YouTube by me, Gustave's grandson Robert. Includes visual highlights from the live presentation "Railroads on Parade" combined with soundtrack excerpts from the score composed by Kurt Weill, and an extended sequence of the nighttime "Lagoon of Nations" fountain and fireworks display. Gus filmed on 16mm Kodachrome using a spring-powered hand-held home movie camera. The resolution of this video is superior to the version that I uploaded to YouTube in 2008. Special thanks to Mr. Guy Walker who, only a few years ago, discovered the long-lost sound recordings of the "Railroads on Parade" pageant and graciously allowed me to use them in this video. The superb film-to-video transfer is by DuArt Media Services Inc. of New York City.
1941-46 Boy Scouts at Summer Camp (Camp Kernochan & Camp Man) Robert Martens 2019-07-18 | A home movie of Camp Kernochan (formerly named Camp Man) filmed by my grandfather Gus Martens in 1941 and the later 1940s. It features the Boy Scouts of Queens, NY with emphasis on Troop 20 of College Point. The young lad who appears most frequently is my father Warren Martens. At the time that he attended, Camp Kernochan/Man was part of the Ten Mile River Scout Camps in Narrowsburg, New York. Kernochan closed in 2004, but the Ten Mile River Scout Camps remains active with 3 other campsites.Gus Martens used 16mm Kodachrome film and a spring-wound hand-held camera to shoot this movie. DuArt Media Services of New York City digitized the footage. I edited the video with iMovie and used Photoshop to create the titles.Robert W. MartensJuly 18, 2009
Shock Headed Peter Robert Martens 2019-06-02 | Gruesome, disturbing morality tales from a 19th century children's book that I first read in elementary school. Grimmer than Grimm? You bet!
(Silent Draft) Video/Music Project Feb-5-2019 Robert Martens 2019-02-05 | This is a draft of the visual component (no soundtrack yet) of an art/music collaboration between myself and composer Bruce Lazarus. "Silent Symphony" is a working title only and will become moot once the soundtrack is completed and attached.
1946 Sunday Service, Camp Man / Kernochan, NY Robert Martens 2018-02-21 | Filmed by my grandfather Gus Martens in 1946 or possibly 1947. My dad appears as one of the white shirted choirboys. Camp Man, which was renamed Kernochan in the 1950s, was part of the Ten Mile River (TMR) Scout Camps in Sullivan County, NY. Five camps, each serving one of the five boroughs of New York City, comprised the TMR. The confusingly named Camp Man didn't serve the scouts from Manhattan, but rather the ones from the Borough of Queens. (It was named for a benefactor with the last name of Man.) Camp Kernochan has been closed for a few years now, but other camps in the TMR are still in operation. I wonder if the chapel is still there.
Boy Scouts of the 1940s - Home Movie by Gus Martens Robert Martens 2018-01-06 | Filmed by my grandfather Gustave Martens. The specific location isn't clear, but it was likely at one of the camps in the Delaware River valley that scouts from New York City regularly attended.
Addams Familys Samhain Candlelight Ritual Robert Martens 2017-08-11 | The Addams family leads a candlelight procession to the attic where Cousin Shy - a benign spirit - has left presents under the scarecrow. "Cousin Shy" may be an obvious variation of The Great Pumpkin but, unlike the Peanuts' version, he delivers the goods! I edited this clip from a 1977 television special that featured most of the original cast (John Astin, Carolyn Jones, Jackie Coogan, Ted Cassidy and others) from the 1960's series. The actors who played Wednesday and Pugsley, now grown up, appear as Wednesday Sr. and Pugsley Sr. while two new child actors play Wednesday Jr. and Pugsly Jr. Gomez seems to have a twin; the lookalike is Gomez's younger brother Pancho, played by Howard Darrow.Why don't you try doing something like this for Halloween?
Expo 67 - A Martens Family Movie Robert Martens 2016-08-31 | Expo 67 was held in Montreal, Canada, in celebration of the centennial of Canada's independence. Filmed by my father and myself on 8mm Kodachrome.
1971 - Danny Likes His Motorcycle Robert Martens 2016-08-21 | An early 1970s Super-8 home movie of my brother Daniel and a friend of the family named Patricia Nixon riding their motorcycles around the Clarkstown Reformed Church of West Nyack, NY. Grandpa, or possibly my father (I'm not 100% sure) handled the camera.
1939 Color Movies of College Point, NY Robert Martens 2016-04-10 | These are, I believe, the earliest Kodachrome home movies that my grandfather Gustave Martens filmed with his 16mm camera. Naturally he chose to film friends, flowers, and family - - including my father who was 10 years old at the time. The sea plane that appears at the end is taking off from the East River. The little white-haired lady is my great-great grandmother who was born in the 1860s!
The Indian Scout (1971) - starring Troop Four Robert Martens 2016-02-28 | 1971's "The Indian Scout" was my juvenile attempt at narrative filmmaking. It starred my fellow boy scouts from West Nyack's Troop Four with Robert Mahon in the titular role. Kurt Wanaselja, a tenderfoot who was already making funny little movies (including a Star Trek parody!) did the photography. I scripted the silly story and directed. For the 2016 restoration I've tightened the pace, inserted a few new titles and added a sorely-needed soundtrack. (Kurt's camera, like most home movie equipment of the time, did not record sound.) Dear fellow troopers - - wherever you are today, I salute you for putting up with me during this production!Robert W. MartensFebruary 28, 2016
1946 Kiwanis Field Day (Part 2 - College Point Park) Robert Martens 2016-02-14 | Filmed by Gustave Martens on June 15, 1946 in College Point, NY. A beautifully preserved 16mm Kodachrome home movie from 70 years ago!
1946 - Kiwanis Field Day (Part 1 - Parade) Robert Martens 2016-02-13 | Filmed by Gus Martens on June 15, 1946 in College Point, NY. The Kiwanis Club sponsors a Field Day beginning with a parade down College Point's main street. In Part 2 the parade finishes in College Point's waterside park where festivities continue with children's athletic games, appearances by local dignitaries, and plenty of free milk supplied by the church ladies. Filmed on 16mm Kodachrome. I did apply or enhance the colors in any way - - this is exactly how the film appears now, 70 years after it was made. Gus Martens was my grandfather and he was very involved in his community. He was a Shriner, a Mason, a Boy Scout official, and an active member of the College Point Reformed Church. Based on this movie he may have been involved with the Kiwanis Club as well - unless he just wanted to film the festivity. College Point is a neighborhood bordering the East River in the Borough of Queens, NY. Although it is politically a part of New York City, in the 1940s it had the look and feel of a small Long Island town. Its residents preferred to call themselves Long Islanders rather than New Yorkers. Before mailing addresses were standardized, the national post office had no problem delivering letters addressed to "College Point, Long Island" or even "CP, LI".My teen-aged father, marching in his Scout uniform, appears briefly in the final scene. One of the pastors wearing a straw hat is probably Reverend Kline of the College Point Reformed Church. The rest of the multitude in this movie are strangers to me. Such is history.Robert W. MartensFebruary, 2016
1970s Camera Tricks by the Martens Kids Robert Martens 2016-01-24 | Starring Tommy, Margie, Danny and Bobby Martens! Gosh, back in the early 1970s there weren't that many special effects you could do with a Super-8 movie camera - - but our techniques were no different from the ones employed by popular TV shows like Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, and My Favorite Martian! The only thing that kept us from similar fame was the lack of a visionary agent. Oh well, better 40 years later on YouTube than never.
1956 - Kismet On The Hudson - a boat tour with the Kismet Lodge Robert Martens 2015-08-22 | Views of the brand new Tappan Zee Bridge, the Mothball Fleet, Bear Mountain State Park, and more, as seen from the upper deck of the Dayliner Peter Stuyvesant. Filmed on 16mm Kodachrome by my grandfather Gustave A. Martens of College Point, NY. Join him, Don Bywater, their wives and fez-wearing members of the Kismet Temple as they pass by (actually under) the newly opened Tappan Zee Bridge, the George Washington Bridge (with only one level of roadway), luxury liners docked along the west side waterfront (could the Queen Mary be among them?), the "Mothball Fleet" of decommissioned naval vessels, the swimming pool (long gone) at Bear Mountain, a glimpse of the Penn Central Railroad - - plus plenty of guys wearing fezzes with scimitar medallions and dangling tassels. Unlike Ralph Kramden's Racoon Lodge or Fred Flintstone's Water Buffaloes, these guys were the real deal. Grandpa made this movie just a few days before I was born and, unlike me, it has survived in pristine condition! Robert W. Martens 2015
1941 Marches On - in College Point, NY Robert Martens 2015-08-22 | Filmed on Memorial Day, 1941, by my grandfather Gustave Martens in College Point, NY. Yes, this is really the year 1941 (wasn't 16mm Kodachrome gorgeous?) nearly 6 months before the attack on Pearl Harbor catapulted the United States into World War Two. By the time Grandpa made this, most Americans were consigned to the inevitability of their country's entry into the conflicts raging beyond their shores, although there were still isolationists decrying that America had no business getting involved. I wonder what was on the minds of these College Pointers as they watched this highly patriotic parade on a holiday that honored the memory of American soldiers.My father, 12 years old at the time, appears to the extreme right in the back row of the final scene. Grandpa himself, who was a Boy Scout leader, appears front and center with his troop beginning at 4:10. I assume he had handed the camera over to Grandma to continue filming. Robert W. Martens 8/22/2015
UFOLOGY 101 - Space Spooks and Looney Goons Robert Martens 2015-08-09 | An mini-epic by Robert W. Martens, created with the unique MARTENS PROCESS!Artist's Statement: "UFOLOGY 101" is my most original and creative animation to date, but it didn't start out that way. My original intention was to animate and embellish a series of crude, but amusing, illustrations by a one-time acquaintance named Howard Allouf. As my project progressed it took on a life of its own to the point that the majority of its ideas came from my own personal reflections on the subject. Mr. Allouf's drawings only appear in 0:0 Captain Cornett, 3:18 Spiel of Fortune, and 5:50 Space Brother. 4:55 "The Alpine Armada" is based on a dream I had while sleeping off a college dorm party (oh, those 1980's).7:05 "Jackie and Dick" was inspired by a musical performance I saw 20 years ago. The composer claimed to have been a UFO abductee, but when I last heard from her, she had switched her aluminum foil helmut for a turban and become a psychic. The stick aliens that devour Nixon derive from moon men characters that appear in a 1940's Terrytoon titled "The Nutty Network."9:30 "Cloud Nine" makes an obvious reference to the infamous Jonestown Massacre, but it's initial inspiration was a passage in an obscure novel I read in college called "October Light."11:40 "Cottage Cheese" comes as close to my personal sense of humor as you'll see anywhere. It's inspiration was a photocopied collage I saw pasted on an East Village wall in the 1970's. Next to the clipped faces of Joan Rivers, Jackie Onassis and Jodie Foster was the caption "Most Women Pretend to Like Cottage Cheese." Although it made little sense I never forgot it - - obviously.Enjoy the show. - Robert W. Martens 2015
1970s Greaser Night! Robert Martens 2015-01-27 | A 1970s home movie of my brother Daniel and his friends posing as 1950s punks, their hair saturated with "greasy kid stuff" (likely Vaseline), and (empty) cigarette packs stored up inside their t-shirt sleeves. Americans were looking back on the 1950's as a supposedly happier time (never mind the rampant racism, McCarthyism, nuclear anxiety, and suffocating conformism) while kids especially were fascinated with the greaser image that was popularized by movies like "American Graffiti" and "Grease".The event was held at the Clarkstown Reformed Church in West Nyack, NY. I don't know if it ever held a "Hippie Night".Filmed by Daniel using Dad's Super-8 camera. Daniel appears as the smallest kid of the bunch who's flexing his non-existing biceps. Way to go, bro!Robert W. Martens
1976 - NYs First FLEET WEEK (The Last Home Movie of Gus Martens) Robert Martens 2015-01-27 | In 1976, New York City hosted its first Fleet Week. My grandfather, whose health was failing, managed to walk several blocks from his Queens home to a waterfront park in order to film the participating ships as they sailed by on their way to New York Harbor. It would be his last home movie. He passed away the following winter.Filmed on Super-8 Kodachrome by Gustave Martens of College Point, NY.Music from Symphony No. 1 by Richard Yardumian.Robert W. Martens
1965 - Autumn Frolic with the Martens Kids. Robert Martens 2013-11-23 | Fall 1965: The Martens children frolic in the leaves - what fun! Grandpa Gus Martens filmed us on 8mm Kodachrome at the Clarkstown Reformed Church in West Nyack, NY, where Dad served as the minister. I don't think we would have put as much effort into raking the leaves if we weren't promised a jumping party afterwards. I'm the biggest kid featured in the movie, and brother Danny is the next oldest. Sister Margie is the lone girl, and baby brother Tommy wears the red jacket. We're all far too old now to indulge in such frivolity - or are we?The dachshund was our family dog Cindy. She was a good pet. Check out the period traffic - can you spot a flattop hauling a white Volkswagen, and a car decorated with wood laminate? West Nyackers, take note: See how few cars were on the street then? Today it's congested at all hours!Robert W. MartensNovember, 2013
1939 - Kurt Weills Music for RAILROADS ON PARADE Robert Martens 2013-02-27 | Excerpts from the 1939 soundtrack of RAILROADS ON PARADE, featuring music composed by Kurt Weill (of "Threepenny Opera" fame), accompany my grandfather's home movie of the pageant. The recording you're hearing was made on four 78 rpm acetate discs that were probably intended for a radio broadcast; they were never commercially released. For nearly 70 years the discs languished in obscurity, until 2007 when collector Guy Walker discovered them by chance at an estate sale. Mr. Walker has had the recording digitally restored and made available for purchase on Transcription Records at Amazon.com. I am grateful to Mr. Walker for permitting me to use the excerpts for my YouTube presentation. I've arranged the soundtrack pieces to more or less follow the narrative of the pageant as filmed by my grandfather. There is one instance, however, where I was able to match the sound with the film footage perfectly. It's the scene where a reporter approaches "President Lincoln" and says "Sorry to bother you, Mr. Lincoln, I'm from the Tribune . . ." For just that one little moment the movie, originally silent, looks just like a sound film recorded live!Robert W. Martens, 2013
1939-40 RAILROADS ON PARADE at the New York Worlds Fair Robert Martens 2012-11-19 | My grandfather's home movie of the "Railroads On Parade" show at the 1939-40 New York World's Fair. The soundtrack is NOT Kurt Weill's - I don't have it yet, so for now I'm using an excerpt from a work by Ferde Grofe (of "Grand Canyon Suite" fame). This show was performed up to five times daily during it's two-year run at the 1939-40 New York World's Fair. For decades no recording of Kurt Weil's score was known to exist, until just a few years ago when several 78-rpm disk recordings were discovered by artist and collector Guy Walker. Search his name and you'll find a New York Times article about his experience. This film excerpt is from a 400+ foot reel of 16mm Kodachrome home movie film that my grandfather Gustave Martens filmed of the Fair's many attractions, including night footage of the Lagoon of Nations' water and fireworks display, and the Trylon and Perisphere thematic center. Having watched this movie many, many times already, I've never failed to notice some new detail with each showing. This was a really busy live production with many character actors moving and milling about in constantly changing period costumes. Note the unfortunate appearance of what was then a prevalent racial stereotype - a lazy black man - dozing on top of a flatbed. Aside from that, it must have been a wonderful show for the whole family. The narrative told the history of American railroads using authentic trains and historically accurate reproductions. Remember that in 1939-40 most trains were still running on steam power, and the stationary diesel locomotive seen at the very beginning of the film was a bold and modern development. Note the cutaway windows displaying the engine's innards. The woman and boy walking by are my grandmother and father. Just for a second as Dad's head bobs up and knocks Grandpa's camera to the side, there is a glimpse of the sculpted words "General" - as in "General Motors" - in the distance. Blink and you'll miss it - - I just noticed it myself this year! That was the entrance to the neighboring General Motors pavilion which was famous for its "Futurama" attraction. That diesel engine was, in fact, part of the General Motors pavilion, not the Railroads'. In several scenes you see members of the audience sitting to the far right, close up. Were they enjoying the spectacle as much as my father and his parents did? You be the judge. - Robert W. Martens
1939 Miami - Cars, Gators and Hotels (excerpt) Robert Martens 2012-09-30 | Color footage from 1939 shows traffic on Miami's Biscayne Boulevard, the now-demolished Columbus Hotel, and an animal farm. This is an except from a 15-minute amateur travelogue made by my grandfather Gus Martens. (The full movie is available on my channel under the title "1939 - Our Car Trip to Miami.") The wobbly effect is caused by shrinkage of the film's aging acetate base. Most of my grandfather's home movies, including those dating back to 1929 and 1930, are still in very good condition but for some reason this particular film is deteriorating rapidly. Thank goodness I got it digitized while it was still watchable. In a few more years the original may be gone forever.
1939 - Our Car Trip To Miami (Home Movie) Robert Martens 2012-09-27 | In B&W and Color. Originally titled "1300 Miles in 15 Minutes," this is an amateur travelogue by my grandfather Gus Martens. Sadly, the film's acetate has decomposed to the point that substantial portions may be difficult to watch, but I felt it was important to salvage as much of it as possible. There are definitely scenes of historical interest worth preserving, such as the car ferries crossing the Delaware River before bridge construction made them obsolete, the since-demolished Columbus Hotel of Miami, the replica galleon docked in Biscayne Bay and, of course, the vintage traffic (11:44). The 10-year old boy appearing in several scenes is my father, Warren, who recently passed away at the age of 83 . The initials "M.G.W." in the opening title are those of my grandparents Margaret & Gus, and Warren.Gustave at the time was working as a field manager for Hoffman Beverages, and making business trips to Florida was a regular part of his job. He usually went by plane (an enviable job perk for anybody living in Queens back then) but for this particular trip in 1939 he took his wife and son along via auto. During their long drive down the eastern seaboard the family made stopovers in Washington, Mount Vernon, Charleston, Fort Sumter, and St. Augustine before reaching their final destination in Miami. Since Grandpa was "Mr. Home Movie" to everyone who knew him back home, he certainly didn't want to return from exotic Florida without a picture show, or else an awful lot of people were going to be disappointed! Well, Grandpa certainly delivered. Just try to imagine how this film originally looked when the colors were vivid and the details were crystal clear. Should you have any mouldering old movies in your basement that are worth keeping, please try to have them digitally transferred by a reputable service before it's too late.And let me assure you - unlike the fake home movies appearing all over television commercials these days, the aging film effects seen here are 100% authentic!Robert MartensSeptember, 2012
1955 - Models and Cameras, Oh Boy! Robert Martens 2012-06-28 | Calling all Mad Men fanatics, shutterbugs, and gal-lovin' guys! These ladies at a mid-1950's photo trade show are eager to help you improve your picture takin' skills. Just be sure there's film in your camera, and don't forget to remove the lens cap! (My special thanks to Melissa Gluck for graciously lending me her late father's photographs of the event for the production of this video).
Herbie Popnecker - The Movie! Robert Martens 2012-04-29 | Herbie Popnecker in "Ticklepuss Rides Again" from 1965 - - brought to life by THE MARTENS PROCESS.
Presenting Auroratone at MOMI - 4/14/2012 Robert Martens 2012-04-21 | Robert Martens & Walter Forsberg introduce the screening of a rare 1940's "Auroratone" at the 8th Orphan Film Symposium held at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, New York on April 14th, 2012. Mr. Martens explains how he discovered the historic film in his grandfather's collection, then Mr. Forsberg overviews the long-forgotten history of the Auroratone series, its creator Cecil Stokes, and the peculiar involvement of singer Bing Crosby. The film itself can be seen on Mr. Martens' YouTube channel - just look up "Auroratone + Crosby".
1929 - Baby Warren Martens Robert Martens 2011-09-06 | Yeah, I know - - baby movies are a dime a dozen, but this baby is my Dad and the year is 1929. Keep watching, and he'll age 82 years in the wink of an eye! In all likelihood this was the first home movie that my grandfather made. The music is sung in German, but the setting is definitely American - - College Point in New York, to be exact. Note the severe deterioration of the film in the first few seconds after the opening titles. The microscopic starch grains which hold the black pigment have separated from the acetate layer in which they were embedded and clumped, creating a "bee swarm" effect. That brief scene was apparently filmed with somebody else's camera using an inferior film stock. Grandpa used Kodak 16mm film which was superior, as you can see in the rest of the film. I filmed Dad with my digital camera in August, 2011. Sept. 2011, Robert W. Martens
1955 - Autumn in New York Robert Martens 2011-09-06 | 1955 - Let's follow my parents' Studebaker to the rustic town of Callicoon Center in upstate New York, where Dad has just become the pastor of St. Paul's Reformed Church. We'll meet their golden retriever Sandy, catch a glimpse of the Parsonage, visit a local fish hatchery, and take in the Autumn foliage while driving past some vintage traffic. Let's not forget to look at Dad's church where his name is proudly posted on the outdoor message board. It sure is nice to spend a day in the countryside, but now it's time for Grandpa (the photographer) and Grandma to drive their 1955 Dodge back home to Queens, NY. The church building stands to this day, but it is now a private residence. And so it goes . . . Robert W. Martens Sept., 2011
My Grandfather Sold Motorcars (1920s) Robert Martens 2011-08-11 | Durant automobiles, to be exact.All the photos in this presentation are from an album that my grandfather Gus Martens assembled in the 1920s. (The following information comes from MyChurchGrowth.com) :William Durant founded Durant Motors Corporation of New York City, New York in 1921 after he was removed from his position with General Motors again. This was his third attempt to build an automotive empire. Durant's intent for Durant Motor Company was to challenge General Motors. Durant Motors Corporation built the Durant, directed at the Oakland automobile price point. Production of the vehicle was suspended for the 1926 and 1927 model years, but they still produced other vehicles. When the Durant was brought back in 1928, the car was redesigned and powered by a six cylinder Continental engine instead of a four. Budd Company supplied the bodies for the Durant automobile, and in 1930, all steel bodies were used. The Durant automobile is considered to be an "assembled" automobile because so many components were obtained from outside suppliers. (From Wikipedia):The Long Island Motor Parkway (LIMP), also known as the Vanderbilt Parkway and Motor Parkway, was the first roadway designed for automobile use only. It was privately built by William Kissam Vanderbilt with overpasses and bridges to remove intersections. It opened in 1908 as a toll road and closed in 1938 when it was taken over by the State of New York in lieu of back taxes. Parts of the parkway survive today in sections of other roadways and as a bicycle trail in Queens, New York. - - - - -Stay tuned to this YouTube channel for a future presentation on my grandparents' sightseeing adventures with their Durant, "a real cool car."Robert W. Martens2011youtube.com/RobertWMartens
Matt the Artist (mid-1940s) Robert Martens 2011-08-06 | My cousin Matthias gives those newfangled cubists, fauvists, and abstract expressionists a run for their money! Filmed by my grandfather Gus Martens in College Point, NY, during the mid-1940s. Matthias is the son of my great-uncle Matt Schreiner.
The West Virginia Movies Robert Martens 2011-06-15 | 15 short shorts about the Mountain State. A personal take, to be sure.Robert W. MartensJune, 2011
1946 - Baptism of Garnell E. Housler Robert Martens 2011-06-03 | Parents: Jayne Simpson & Harry Laverne Housler, Grandparents: Percy & Carrie Simpson, Great-Grandmother: "Ma" Case (Carrie's Mother). Ceremony held June 30, 1946 at the First Reformed Church of College Point, NY. Filmed by my grandfather, Gustave Martens. The "ACL" on the title board refers to the Amateur Cinema League. If you knew any of the Simpsons or the Houslers who appeared in this film, please let me know. The music is from a 1970's recording of the Hand Bell Choir of the Clarkstown Reformed Church, West Nyack, NY. Robert Martens June 2, 2011
1940 - The Little Patriots Robert Martens 2011-05-02 | Filmed by Gus Martens in College Point, NY, circa 1940.
Summer of 1941 - Home Movie by Gus Martens Robert Martens 2011-04-27 | By the Summer of 1941, Great Britain had been at war with Germany for nearly two years, France had fallen, Hitler had launched his invasion of the Soviet Union, and relations between the USA and Imperial Japan were rapidly deteriorating. If such worries were on the minds of these middle-class Americans as they posed for my grandfather's home movie camera in College Point, NY, they didn't show it. The people filmed are as follows: Jack Case is the very slim fellow in a white shirt who coaxes, unsuccessfully, his wife (name unknown) to sit on a kiddie wagon. My grandfather Gustave Martens, when he wasn't filming, appears as the heavier man in the white t-shirt with blue collar. My grandmother Margaret wears the rose-pink dress, and my father Warren is the 12 year old boy. Percy Simpson wears the greenish-blue work duds, his wife Carrie has the purplish dress, and their teenage daughter Jayne is in blue. Jack Case was Carrie's sister. At one time he courted Margaret; though Gustave ultimately won her hand in marriage, he and Jack remained good friends, as you can see. Gus and Percy usually dressed formally when posing for home movies, but here Percy is wearing his electrician's outfit from The Consolidated Edison Company where he worked, and Gus is dressed as casually in public as he would allow himself to be. The ladies, by contrast, are dressed in their prettiest summertime dresses because they were, after all, ladies. The music is from an animated feature film that might had been a box-office success had it not been released the same weekend that Imperial Japan attacked Pearl Harbor! The actress who squeaks ". . . we're tot'in a darn heavy load" is Mae Questel, the voice of Betty Boop. The park was known then as College Point Park - today it's Herman A. Macneal Park. Behind them is the East River and the recently constructed Bronx-Whitestone Bridge. Robert Martens April 2011
A Blimp Lands In Flushing (early 60s) Robert Martens 2011-04-18 | When I was little my grandfather told me about a "Goodyear Blimp" that floated over his house on weekends. As I had not heard the word "blimp" before, and knew from TV commercials that Goodyear made automobile tires, I could only comprehend that he was describing some kind of a giant automobile tire floating above his house. Oh, that Grandpa - he was always pulling my leg. Goodyear at that time had started using nearby Flushing Airport to dock it's aerial-broadcasting blimp during the weekend games at Shea Stadium. For many local residents the big balloon was a new major attraction, and they'd visit the airport just to watch it come and go in it's amusingly lumbering manner. Grandpa, of course, filmed it for posterity, and his movie cleared up any confusion I had over Goodyear blimps and tires. Flushing Airport has been out of business since the 1980's. Half of it is now a swampy mess, while the other half has been developed into - what else? - a shopping complex. The soundtrack is from a record I found in a thrift store called "Let's Twist to the Oldies" featuring such chestnuts as Ja Da, Camptown Races, Jeannie With the Light Bown Hair, and The Merry Month of May. All of them are given the twist treatment by "Fats and the Chessmen" (not to be confused with Pudgey and the Poker Chips, Tubby and the Tiddly Winks, Dumpy and the Dominoes, etc.). Yeah, I know it's junk, but it's FUN junk. I don't know who those people are in my grandparents' backyard. Don't they look like they could have been filmed yesterday? The bridge table they're using now resides in my basement. Robert Martens April, 2011
1941 - The Easter Eggers! Robert Martens 2011-04-01 | Easter 1941: My grandfather Gus Martens and his buddy Percy Simpson attempt to decorate the easter eggs but just make a merry mess of things. Thank goodness their better halves are around to restore some dignity to the occasion! Martens family: Gus (seen to the right in the opening shot), Margaret (black dress), their son Warren, and Pete the terrier. The Simpsons (yes, really): Percy (thin balding guy), Carrie (white blouse), and their daughter Jayne. If anyone knew Percy, Carrie or Jayne, please let me know! Filmed in the Martens family kitchen in College Point, NY, in 1941 or maybe 1940. Warren (my father), who was born in December of 1928, looks around 11 or 12 here. Jayne as seen here is around 15 or 16. It is unlikely that this film was made any later than 1941 because the production of home movie film was suspended during America's engagement in World War Two. By the time home movies returned in 1945, Warren had skyrocketed in height and looked as skinny as Frank Sinatra in his crooning days. It's been a while since I've seen speckled easter eggs. Does anyone make them anymore? Note how sturdy the egg dippers appear, compared to the ones made with flimsy wire today. The colors look the same, but I'll bet most of the dyes used then would now be banned as toxic! There is not one particle of plastic in the kitchen anywhere, and not a thread of polyester in the clothing or tablecloth either. Filmed by Grandpa on 16mm Kodachrome. Like all home movies of the era, the original film was silent, so if there are any lip readers out there who could tell me what pearls of wisdom are spilling from their lips, I'd appreciate it! Titles by yours truly. For the soundtrack, I recorded a familiar tune from my grandparents' record collection. Robert Martens April, 2011
1940s - Cross Island Parkway, Queens, NY Robert Martens 2011-03-06 | A brief glimpse of what was then a progressive concept in transportation: a parkway. It doesn't look it, but it's located in the Borough of Queens, which is a part of Greater New York City. My grandfather filmed these scenes in the 1940's. He didn't note the exact location, but an analysis by the Facebook group "Long Island and New York City Places That Are No More" has come to the conclusion that this is a section of the Cross Island Parkway adjacent to Alley Pond as it appeared prior to the construction of the Long Island Expressway which significantly altered the landscape seen here. Judging from the looks of the cars, and knowing that the domestic production of automobiles was suspended (along with home movie film) during America's involvement in World War 2, I believe we're looking at a time just before the war (1940, 1941), or just after (1946, 1947). At either time the cars would have looked the same. The black and white "mystery highway" appears to be in Queens also, or further out on Long Island. Speculation on it's identity is ongoing. Robert W. Martens updated April 7, 2011
1940s - The Girl That Dad Didnt Marry Robert Martens 2011-02-02 | Ever wonder where you'd be today if either of your parents had married someone else? I rarely thought of it myself, until I discovered this home movie of my father as an older teenager holding hands with -- GASP -- another woman! When I confronted Dad with the evidence, he had no choice but to fess up. The mysterious lady was Dottie, his first sweetheart, whom he had known since high school. By the time they appeared in this movie, they had dated long and steadily enough that a marriage in their future seemed like a sure thing. You can see Dad's parents treating Dottie like she were already a part of the family (the boy is Dad's cousin). Alas, love can be fickle. The following summer she ditched him for another guy -- ouch! Dad got over it. Several years later he found his true love in a young nurse from West Virginia named Margaret Hunt. In 2003 they celebrated their 50th. Way to go, Mom and Dad! Filmed by Dad's father, Gus Martens, somewhere on Long Island in the later 1940's. Robert W. Martens Groundhog Day, 2011
1939 Florida - a Home Movie by Gus Martens Robert Martens 2011-01-08 | When my grandfather Gus Martens made a business trip to Miami and Key West in the Fall of 1939, he brought his family and sister-in-law along. Gus was a distribution manager for Hoffman Beverages, a line of sodas which included then-popular flavors like Sarsaparilla and Celery Tonic. One of the retailers was a Mr. "Kongocoulus" (pronounced Kong-GAH-kuh-LISS. My spelling of his name is a phonetic approximation) a.k.a. "The Greek" who operated in Key West. Please note that on this video I screwed up the spelling of his name, resulting in a completely wrong pronunciation. My fault!! - - and my apologies to any of his descendants who may be watching this now. Regarding the Horton Beer truck, Horton was not connected with Hoffman Beverages, so why was my grandfather so keen to document its business? Perhaps he was intrigued by its bright coloration. (Can you spot the little Seven-Up logo on its side?) Gus surreptitiously filmed the African-American family from the inside of a car or truck - note the steering wheel poking into the lower right corner. The docked boats at Biscayne Bay are Coast Guard cutters, while the large ship sailing by is a navy destroyer. Gus' sister-in law Eleanor (the lady in the beige overcoat who shows her dress hem) was pregnant with Matthias during the trip. He would be born the following summer. Gus usually flew to his business destinations via DC3 Douglas passenger aircraft, but for the one time he brought his family along, they went by car instead. At 2:52 there is a dark-green car in the background, which I believe is theirs. (It also appears in their "1931 Church Picnic" home movie.) There was no Interstate system back then, so driving from their home in Queens, NY to Southern Florida must have been a real schlep, though not one without enjoyable moments along the way. (Grandpa did produce a travel reel from the journey, but it consisted mostly of b&w, commercially produced travelogues with predictable views that he spliced together.) Gus continued working for Hoffman Beverages until the advent of World War Two, after which he took a job at the Edo Aircraft Corp. Hoffman was bought out by Anheuser-Busch a long time ago, but if you're curious about celery tonic, it's now available as "Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray" in New York City and South Florida - - and, IMHO, it's quite a good flavor, reminiscent of ginger ale with additional spices. Robert W. Martens Queens, NY January 8, 2011
1940 Home Movie: Lionel Trains for Christmas! Robert Martens 2010-12-11 | Grandpa's 1940 home movie of my dad's Lionel train set, "The Santa Claus Special," followed by mid-50's clip of a set belonging to Dad's cousin, Matt. My dad and his parents lived on the ground floor of 119-14 Seventh Avenue in College Point, NY, while Dad's Aunt Eleanor and Uncle "Matt" (Matthias) lived on the second floor. For Christmas 1940, Uncle Matt, who was a carpenter, built a layout for Dad's new electric train set. It sat on two sawhorses in the living room. Note the classic props, including the famous switchman or watchman popping out of his shelter for each passing train. Also note my father's hand on the controls at the bottom of the frame in several scenes - he was 11 going on 12 at the time. In the mid-1950's clip, Uncle Matt's teenage son Matthias 3rd operates his set in the basement. Note that many of the props are from the set that belonged to Dad. Although the footage in this sequence is not as sharply focused, there is a much better view of the hand controls - quite a contraption, they were. Where are these trains now? Some of them wound up in the destructive little hands of wicked little me and my younger brother. After many staged train wrecks and head-on collisions, their battered hulks were discarded. What a shame - they'd be a treasure now. I'm not an expert on Lionel Trains - so I'm asking all you Lionel fans out there to please help me identify these models. Thanks!! 16mm Kodachrome photography by Gustave Martens. A YouTube Presentation by Robert W. Martens youtube.com/robertwmartens
(1929) Chip the Wooden Man / (1940s) Merry Christmas Robert Martens 2010-12-11 | From 1928 to 1930, Kinex Studios, an affiliate of Kodak, produced stop-motion animated films exclusively for home viewing (much like today's "direct to video" features). Their stable of characters included Chip the Wooden Man, Snap the Gingerbread Man, and Daffy Doing in Doodlebugville. Because they were not released theatrically and were never broadcast on television, these films have languished in obscurity for decades. Today they're known only to animation historians, and remembered only by folks of a certain age (including yours truly) whose parents or grandparents had shown Kinex films on their home movie projectors a long, long time ago. This excerpt from "The Magic Wand" (1929) featuring Chip, comes from a Christmas-themed reel that my grandfather compiled many decades ago. By the time I had the print digitized, it was yellowed with age, and riddled with breaks, melted frames, and stripped-off sprockets. I had to use many pieces of splicing tape to patch the film back together (Grandpa had used medical tape!!). Many thanks to Jessica Worthington at Duggal Visual Services, NYC for successfully scanning and digitizing the film for me. (As I was preparing this video, I learned that the Kinex film library was just released on DVD. I should state that I was neither aware of, nor involved with, that production). While Kinex lasted only a few years, Castle Films, which also sold to the domestic market, flourished from the 1930s to the 70s. Their "Merry Christmas," which I also took from my grandfather's Christmas reel, combines newsreel footage with clips from a Hollywood confection. It's an odd mix -- the fictional family is all happy and festive, while the real-life holiday shoppers look downright dismal - but Santa's arrival on Christmas Eve ultimately brings the show to a charming, nostalgic conclusion. Those were the days when an electric train set and a new doll were the niftiest gifts a brother and sister could ask for. I've edited out all of the inter-titles, except for the last one. They were mostly inane ("Santa's Helpers Work Hard", etc.). George Hinke (1883-1953) was a classically trained illustrator whose colorful depictions of Santa were widely reproduced throughout post-WW2 America by Ideals Publications; the set design of Santa's workshop seen in "Merry Christmas" is clearly influenced by Mr. Hinke's illustrations. You can see what I mean by looking up "George Hinke Santa" in Google's Image Search. Happy Holidays, everybody! Robert Martens Dec. 10, 2010 http://www.youtube.com/robertwmartens
1940s Thanksgiving Ragamuffins - A Forgotten Tradition Robert Martens 2010-11-07 | Trick or treat . . on THANKSGIVING MORNING?!? This home movie from the 1940s shows the now-extinct tradition of costumed kids begging for coins on Thanksgiving morning. They'd dress in rags and oversized hand-me-downs in the manner of poor children, then chant "Anything for Thanksgiving?" as they knocked on their neighbors' doors in a manner not unlike that of a certain Halloween custom. The Ragamuffins, as they were called, flourished in Brooklyn and Queens up through the 1940s, then faded away and disappeared during in the 1950s. Few remember them today. One reason for The Ragamuffins' demise was that many of the parents who had lived through the Great Depression found the idea of their children posing as beggars to be quite distasteful. Trick-or-treating with its emphasis on candy and fanciful characters seemed a far more wholesome and appropriate activity for children during the 1950s, so the parents encouraged Halloween, and actively discouraged The Ragamuffins until they were history. Note the purses that many of kids, including the boys, are holding, and the coins in their hands. Some of the costumes appear to be holdovers from Halloween, which makes sense as the two holidays were close to each other on the calendar. The ragamuffin spirit was revived - - well, sort of - - for a few years during the 1960's by the "Trick or Treat for UNICEF" campaign that was sponsored by the United Nations. (If you're from that generation, you may remember the little orange UNICEF boxes that the kids carried for collecting pennies on Halloween night.) The big difference was that the money now went to worldwide charities. Perhaps, if the original ragamuffins had made that change to their practice, we'd still be hearing "Anything for Thanksgiving?" on Thanksgiving morning today. Filmed by my grandfather Gus Martens, in the Queens neighborhood of College Point, NY. Robert W. Martens Queens, NY
1930s - Little Rascals of College Point Robert Martens 2010-11-02 | Big kids, small fry, and Thanksgiving Ragamuffins (who?) prowl the street in 1930's College Point, a leafy neighborhood on the outskirts of New York City. Never heard of The Ragamuffins? On the day before Thanksgiving, children in Greater New York would don raggedy clothes to resemble vagabonds and hoboes, then roam the neighborhood begging for candy and coins. Ultimately, the tradition was overshadowed by the trick-or-treating of Halloween, and is now forgotten. (The girl in the Santa costume may have been referencing Santa's traditional appearance at Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade). All the period footage was filmed on Kodak 16mm film by my grandfather Gustave Martens. The prominent boy is my father, Warren, and in one scene he slaps the back of Grandpa's head -- blink and you'll miss it! (I wonder if he got punished for that). The lurking "fugitive" in the fedora is Gustave's buddy, Percy Simpson. Grandpa's movies, like all home movies of the era, was silent, so I added some old stock music that baby boomers will probably recognize. Sorry, I don't know the titles! College Point is still around, as you'll see.Robert Martens, Nov. 2010
