Golden Era of Hollywood Home Movie Footage at the Famed Malibu Colony

Several years ago, I acquired this 16mm reel and arranged to have it transferred to digital. The first minute contains rare home movie footage of my great grandparents, Bert and Bernice Wheeler, near their home in the Malibu Colony. Robert Woolsey and his wife, Mignonne, can be seen during the first minute as well. The comedy team of Wheeler and Woolsey were world famous in the 1930s, having made many popular films for RKO, but now have largely passed into obscurity.

As far as I can tell, the beach party in the film was hosted by director Wesley Ruggles in August 1930 to welcome his brother Charles Ruggles to Hollywood (Wesley is likely holding the camera most of the time but can be seen reeling in a fish at 1:14; Charles is seen throughout, initially wearing a visor). Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey can be seen shaking hands with guests at 5:06. Also seen: Joe E. Brown, Jack Dempsey, Eddie Cantor, Estelle Taylor, Warner Baxter, Ann Pennington, and many others.

The title card, "Seein' Stars", is a bit mysterious, but might have something to do with Feg Murrary's comic strip of the same name. Perhaps this was a short to be played along with feature-length films? The musical accompaniment is original and somewhat bizarre.