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  Russell Simpson (left) and Patsy Ruth Miller.
Photograph: Silent Era image collection.
 
 
The First Auto
Also known as O Primeiro Automóvel in Brazil
(1927) United States of America
B&W : Seven reels
Directed by Roy Del Ruth

Cast: Russell Simpson [‘Hank’ Armstrong], Patsy Ruth Miller [Rose Robbins], Frank Campeau [Mayor Sam Robbins], William Demarest [Dave Doolittle, the village cut-up], Douglas Gerrard [Square Stebbins, the banker], Gibson Gowland [the blacksmith], Anders Randolf [the auctioneer], Barney Oldfield [the master driver], Paul Kruger [Steve Bentley], Charles E. Mack (Charles Emmett Mack) [Bob Armstrong], Frank Austin [Joe Saunders], Joe Bordeaux [the livery handler at the auction], George Bunny [the townsperson who laughs], E.H. Calvert [Elmer Hays], Ray Erlenborn [a boy], Helen Howard [young woman], Gus Leonard [the barber], Charlotte Mineau [Mrs. Stebbins], Lon Poff [D.P. Graves], Loretta Rush [a young woman], Dorothy Vernon [the gossip], Max Wagner [the bartender], Noah Young [Ned Jarvish]

Warner Brothers Pictures, Incorporated, production; distributed by Warner Brothers Pictures, Incorporated [A Warner Bros. Production]. / Produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. Screen play (scenario) by Anthony Coldeway, from a screen story by Darryl Francis Zanuck (Darryl F. Zanuck). Art direction by Lewis Geib and Esdras Hartley. Costume design by ‘Alpharetta’. Assistant director, D. Ross Lederman. Electrical effects by F.N. Murphy. Photography (cinematography) by David Abel. Music score composed and conducted by Herman Heller; synchronized by The Vitaphone Symphony Orchestra. Film editor, Martin Bolger (Martin Wall Bolger). Titles (intertitles written) by Jack Jarmuth. Art titles (intertitles artwork) by Victor Vance. Presented by Warner Brothers Pictures, Incorporated and The Vitaphone Corporation. / Released 27 June 1927. [?] Vitaphone sound version released? on 18 September 1927. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. Western Electric Vitaphone sound-on-disc synchronized sound system. / Mack’s final film; he was killed in an auto accident (off the set) during production, and his remaining scenes were shot with a stand-in double. [?] The film was originally released in a silent film version? The film was released in the United Kingdom by Warner Brothers Pictures, Limted, on 22 September 1927; [?] Vitaphone sound version released? on 28 May 1928. The film was released in Canada by Vitagraph, Limited, in 1927. / Silent film, [?] rereleased? as a silent film with [?] talking sequences??, synchronized music and sound effects.

Drama.

Survival status: Print exists in the UCLA Film and Television Archive film archive.

Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].

Keywords: Animals: Horses - Automobiles - Automobile races - Juggling - Transportation: Automobiles - USA: California: Riverside - Synchronized sound film

Listing updated: 28 August 2022.

References: Film credits, film viewing : Drew-Speaking pp. 151-152, 281 : Website-IMDb.

Home video: DVD.

 
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