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Guest Gone Autos
Posted

Hi, Graham fans.

My name is Todd Ruel, and I collect films by and about orphan car films. I run a web site called Gone Autos.

In his first book on Graham, author Michael Keller mentions a number of movies that Graham-Paige produced in its early years, but how many of us have actually seen one?

Now you can.

Last night, I uploaded a 1928 G-P training film called

. Keller mentions it in The Graham Legacy: Graham-Paige to 1932 on page 162. Click
to check it out. I hope you like it.

Then tell me one thing: what G-P model is pictured at the beginning and end of the movie? All 1920's cars look alike to me, so it's very difficult for me to figure it out. I'm definitely not a Graham-Paige expert.

Enjoy!

----Todd Ruel

Owner/Driver, Gone Autos

Posted

I very much enjoyed the film you allowed us to view.

I am looking for a film produced for Budd manufacturing in its early days, it has been described as a sales film to allow overseas prospective Budd franchisees to view the Budd plant here in the U.S to be able to see how the Budd stamping process works.

I dont suppose you are aware of such a film?

I have quite a few automotive silent films myself, if you are interested in setting something up where you are able to view them than let me know. My e-mail address is jhason2@yahoo.com

I could possibly help you identify the car in the film, I have one single Graham Paige salesman's data book covering their earliest cars, unfortunately I know little about these autos, I am a Graham truck enthusiast and picked up the book only because it was available at a very reasonable price and it was original material.

I am sure that someone here could be of much quicker and accurate help but if not than let me know.

I do not float around the different AACA forums and only happened across this post because of extra time and surfing so it would be best if you are interested in seeing these early films to contact me thru my e-mail as I may not see your reply ( assuming you have one ) that you make here.

Thanks again for posting the film

Guest Gone Autos
Posted

I dont suppose you are aware of such a film?

Jason,

I've never heard of such a film. But that doesn't mean much. There are only a few film car film collectors like me, and no one has ever tried to catalogue all of the films made by car companies. (I'd love to see a list like that, though!)

Early silent films from the car manufacturers are extremely rare. I've tried to track down anyone who has prints of the other Graham-Paige films. Author Michael Keller has one or two (I think), and another GOCI club member has some film, but that's all that I know of. Personally, I have a 1925 Graham truck film that's part of a larger 1925 Dodge promotional film, but I have never had this film digitized. Someday.

I'm sure some eagle-eyed Graham spotter will be able to tell me which Graham car is in Four Speeds Forward. After all, the company didn't have that many different models in 1928 or '29, right?

----Todd Ruel

Posted (edited)

It is a 1928 619 Sedan not many remaining examples. 6 cylinder, 119 inch wheel base. Graham-Paige made several service films and several sales films. The four speed transmission was a big sales point in 1928, 1929, and 1930 most of the big cars had them but they were expensive and the roads were getting better so by 1931 they were mostly gone.

 

 

Edited by Graham Man
8 more years of wisdom (see edit history)
Guest Gone Autos
Posted

Graham Man,

You are the best!! Thank you so much for the detailed information! Is there any way you could post that info in the Comment section on YouTube? (I'd want you to be the expert rather than me. If you don't do it, I'll wait for a few days and post it myself. But I'll give you credit.)

Regarding G-P sales and service films, I think it's amazing that a small independent like Graham-Paige put out so many company films. Try finding that much audio-visual material from Hupmobile or Pierce-Arrow, for instance.

And I'd like to make a distinction here. What I've put up on YouTube is a motion picture film. Graham-Paige also produced several dealer training filmstrips. The term "film" is often used loosely, but these aren't motion pictures. They're still frames printed on a 35mm filmstrip and were usually accompanied by phonograph records. For Graham-Paige, they were produced by the Jam Handy Organization, the same folks who made that kind of material for GM.

Nevertheless, Graham Man: thank you once again. I really appreciate your help.

----Todd Ruel

Posted

The Graham-Paige movies/filmstrips I am aware of are…

- Valves (dealer training filmstrip)

- Better Bodies (film)

- 4 Speeds Ahead (film)

- Tune Up Part 1 (dealer training filmstrip)

- Tune Up Part 2 (dealer training filmstrip)

- Clutches Part 1 (dealer training filmstrip)

- Clutches Part 2 (dealer training filmstrip)

- Bijur Oiler (film)

- 1928 4 Speed German Advertisement (on U tube, film)

Rumor of the opening of the 1932 New York Auto Show highlighting the introduction of the Graham “Blue Streak 8” (I do not have a copy of this one)(presumed film)

All the filmstrips I have seen have text across the bottom detailing the slides. I have never seen a Graham-Paige accompanied phonograph record.

Guest Gone Autos
Posted

What a great list! Thank you!

Michael Keller also mentions an early sound film produced for the 2nd Dealers' Convention in January 1929. Does a print of this film survive?

---Todd Ruel

Guest Gone Autos
Posted
I will find out if he has a copy. If you bought a Graham-Paige car in 1928 you would become a member of the "Graham-Paige Legion" and receive a copy of the phonograph record of the "Graham-Paige Legion March". It was 50 cents if you wanted to purchase a copy without the car.

Keep (it) Swinging: Graham Paige

Thanks, Graham Man!

I have a copy of the Graham-Paige Legion March as well as some sheet music. Several years ago, Arthur Pryor's personal belongings went up for auction on eBay. One of those items was his personal copy of the Legion March. Some music store owner in Texas won the bidding.

The record included a printed commemorative sleeve that denoted the date the record was released or given out for the first time (or something like that). I tried hard to get the new owner to send me a photo of that sleeve, but I was unsuccessful.

As you've probably guessed by now, I'm really fascinated by how car companies market, promote, advertise, and communicate. It's a really interesting facet of the hobby for a guy who isn't really mechanically gifted.

----Todd Ruel

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