Collection search - The Story of Mr. Hobbs : [incomplete]

Record information – Brief

1

The Story of Mr. Hobbs : [incomplete]

Item number (ISN):

348424

Hierarchical level:

Item (Accession level)

Date:

1947-09-08/1947-09-30

Item number (ISN):

348424

Type of material:

Moving images

Found in:

Archives / Film, Video and Sound

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Record information – Details

Fonds/collection:

NATIONAL FILM AND TELEVISION ARCHIVE (GREAT BRITAIN)

Accession:

2003-0120

Media:

Film

Original title:

The Story of Mr. Hobbs

Production date:

1947-09-08/1947-09-30

Production company:

Eastern Shore Studios

Production credit:

director, Amerigo Serrao (Lorenzo Alagia on print); executive producer, Omar D. Crothers, Jr.; producer, John M. McCool; producer/scenario, Nell Shipman; adaptation, Rex Taylor; assistant director, Eddie Kelly; photography, Edward Hyland; camera operator, Timmy Fitzpatrick; production manager, Philip Rein; sound, Duncan MacLeod; editing, Patricia Rooney (Patt Rooney on print); recompiled for release, Anthony A. Termini

Cast credit:

Jack Hardwood, Frances Helm, Robert Bolger, Alexander Campbell, Jeraldine Dvorak, Frank Richards, Al McGranary, Winifred Cushing, Bertha Powell, Sidney Easton, Byron Halsted, Amerigo Serrao

Distributor name:

Mid-Century Pictures Corporation

Description:

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In Marsh Cove Landing, a town on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, an area famous for its shellfish industry, Crad Hobbs (Jack Hardwood), a clam digger, sees his livelihood constantly under threat from the storms which eat away at the shellfish beds. After his tomboy daughter Timmy (Frances Helm), who works with her father, welcomes her fiancé, Robert Lee "Bob" Gilly (Robert Bolger), home from WWII, the pair approach her father fearful of a negative reception. But he surprises them with his enthusiasm, born of his desire to see Bob marry Timmy and join the family business. Crad takes them to Hobbs Island, a piece of family land which has been all but destroyed by storms. There he shows them the ruins of the summer home of millionaire New York (Yankee) banker E.K. Lester (Alexander Campbell) and passionately recounts the events that have caused him to swear to kill Lester. Years earlier, when the island was threatened by a particularly severe storm, Crad begged Lester for a loan to build a breakwater but Lester refused to listen resulting in the island's destruction.~Later, believing Crad to be sleeping, Bob reveals to Timmy that he plans to be a reporter rather than return to clam digging, and that he has already taken a job as a cub reporter on the local newspaper. He responds to Timmy's protests by describing life as a clam digger as too arduous and dirty and adds that it may well have made Crad soft in the head. Crad overhears them and leaves in a fury. Meanwhile, in New York, a government official convinces Lester to lend $50 million to Latin American president Carreras (Amerigo Serrao), whose republic is threatened by Communist rebels. They arrange a secret meeting between Lester and Carreras on Winston Island, which lies next to Hobbs Island and is owned by Lester's old friend, Winnie Winston (Al McGranary). That weekend, as Timmy and Bob are about to board a Norfolk bound train and elope, Bob's editor (Byron Halsted) intercepts them and insists that he stay around to and get the story behind Lester's visit. Lester arrives with his wife Glenda and his bodyguard, Spike (Frank Richards), but refuses to speak to Bob and is soon sequestered at Winston's home.~Winston asks another clam digger, Jed, to hire a captain to bring his guest to Hobbs Island, and Jed engages Crad, partly to distract him from Timmy's elopement. The determined Timmy drags a reluctant Bob to Winston's to extract information from the potentially talkative black help, cook Sis Abby (Bertha Powell) and butler Ned (Sidney Easton), and then impulsively runs inside the house to question Lester herself but Winston's wife Marian (Winifred Cushing) swiftly ushers her out. Bob and Timmy camp out near the dock but fall asleep and wake only to see Crad's boat already in the distance. Realizing that Lester will be in danger if Crad discovers his identity they persuade Glenda, Winnie and Marian to join them and follow Crad in Bob's boat. Hearing their story, Glenda promises to extract a breakwater from her husband, and Winnie assures them that if Glenda has set her mind on it then it's as good as done. Crad hears Spike mention Lester's name, dumps the blustering bodyguard on an island, and brings the banker to Hobbs Island. There he locks him in the ruins of his own summer house and after reminding him of the refused loan tells him that at high tide the house will be submerged and he will drown. Lester offers him more money but Crad is not interested. Lester then appeals to Crad's patriotism and asks him to take the money to Carreras himself... <57mn 31s>

Language:

English

Notes:

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1. Working titles were TIDES and A TALE OF THE TIDEWATER.~2. The film is sometimes referred to as THE CLAM-DIGGER'S DAUGHTER.~3. Shot in and around Cape Charles, Virginia.~4. The director, Amerigo Serrao, used the name Lorenzo Alagia on the print.~5. Serrao also used the names Arthur Varney, Peter Varney, Rigo Dombra, Grover Lee and Peter Locke.~6. Sound work was done at Reeves Sound Studios Inc.~7. There is no known release or distribution information.~8. The last reel of the film is missing.~9. Video master recorded at 25 fps.~10. For more information see the AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1941-1950, p. 2340.

Detailed holdings information:

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Vault ISN:

390408

Format:

VIDEO

Location number:

V7 2004-01-0025

Vault code:

GAT

Number of items:

1

Kind of sound:

SOF

Duration:

57:41

Made from:

DEPOSIT

Status:

MASTER

Vault ISN:

390409

Format:

VIDEO

Location number:

V1 2004-01-0010

Number of items:

1

Kind of sound:

SOF

Duration:

57:41

Made from:

DEPOSIT

Status:

REF

Vault ISN:

1150215

Format:

VIDEO

Location number:

348424.MXF

Number of items:

1

Made from:

V7 2004-01-0025

Status:

MASTER

Vault ISN:

1150216

Format:

VIDEO

Location number:

348424.MP4

Number of items:

1

Made from:

V7 2004-01-0025

Status:

REF
Ordering and viewing options

Conditions of access:

Open

Consultation copy number:

V1 2004-01-0010

Restrictions on consultation:

No Restrictions / Pas de restrictions

Copyright status:

Under copyright.

Copyright owner:

Copyright owner: British Film Institute/The Douris Corporation/The Rohauer Collection.

Reproduction access:

With written permissions / Avec les permissions écrites

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Date modified:: 2024-07-24