Oakland Tribune-American Dream Film (1924)

Brooksie · Post by **Brooksie** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 3:34 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlOnwtRUzX8

Just came across this charming little oddity on YouTube (it's also on the Internet Archive) - a competition in which the person who writes in to the Oakland Tribune with the oddest dream gets to star in a one-reel film about the dream (and wins $25 to boot!)

I have been able to find out exactly nothing else about it. Were there others? Was it a one-off? Did they really give out the prize once a week? Intriguing. Anyone else got any info on it?

missdupont · Post by **missdupont** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 8:12 am

I saw this at Niles Essanay Silent Film Festival last year and it is indeed a charming little film. It was supposed to be an ongoing thing, but if I remember correctly, this was the only one made. How did this end up on youtube, as it was only available on film? Did the archive that owns it put it up, because otherwise it should still be covered by copyright?

rogerskarsten · Post by **rogerskarsten** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 8:31 am

The film has been uploaded to the internet archive by Prelinger Archives. Apparently it's public domain.

missdupont · Post by **missdupont** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 11:09 am

Is that per the Oakland Tribune or their new owner, or just the uploader claiming it's in the public domain?

rogerskarsten · Post by **rogerskarsten** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 11:27 am

Here's a look at how the house in this film looks today.

Brooksie · Post by **Brooksie** » Sat Aug 14, 2010 1:24 am

rogerskarsten wrote:Here's a look at how the house in this film looks today.

Aha - that was my next question. The area was so distinctive, I wondered if it still looked much the same as it did then. Looks like the happy answer is yes!