1941 Tour of Death Valley

[DeathValleyDazed]

I spent some time editing and color adjusting this 1941 home movie film by Ellwood Hoffman which captures many endearing scenes of people and locations including a movie star handsome NPS employee, Death Valley Scotty and Albert Johnson. This version is about fifteen minutes cut down from the original sixty minutes. Most home movies need to be edited down to the exciting bits. 

[Bluegreen kayak]

I spent some time editing and color adjusting this 1941 home movie film by Ellwood Hoffman which captures many endearing scenes of people and locations including a movie star handsome NPS employee, Death Valley Scotty and Albert Johnson. This version is about fifteen minutes cut down from the original sixty minutes. Most home movies need to be edited down to the exciting bits. 

Thank you very much, DVD; you have made this a treasure trove. I thought your musical selections were genius ideas as well. I haven't been a big fan of Death Valley Scotty; I find Albert Johnson more interesting, so it was nice to see him. Thanks again!

[Beardilocks]

Thanks for this! Really cool to see what’s changed and what hasn’t.

I think I’m much more a fan of DVS the older I get. Lol. Especially after reading “Mabel’s” book on him. Mabel being what Scotty called Arthur’s wife Bessie. Obviously. Haha.

I am however a bit frustrated the Castle gets, what, something over $26mil when the rest of the parks infrastructure could use some love too. Especially with only 3% of the park having been archeologically surveyed. Ah well. Most of what I hike just needs to be left alone anyway.

[MojaveGeek]

I did the castle tour once, when it was snowing in the valley with howling wind and not a great day for hiking. I'm glad I saw it... but I don't come out there for stuff like that. But it gets SO MANY of the visitors who come to the park. Hanging out on the Mesquite dunes in the early evening, there's just a steady stream of headlights driving south, and so few of those are hikers.

[DAW89446]

Last time I did the castle tour was in the early 1990s. The last time I was at the castle was just before closing time, when I got gas; that was in 1997.

[ski3pin]

My first visit to the castle was 1955. My mom loved the place.

[DeathValleyDazed]

You mother has the best smile and looks totally delighted surrounded by family at the castle. What is that green thing the young fellow with the brown cap is holding? Looks like a book? Wondering who took the photo? Those cacti in the planters seem to be thriving. How fun it would be to revisit the same exact location and with any family available snap another image. Thanks for sharing this family memory.

[MojaveGeek]

My first visit to the castle was 1955. My mom loved the place.

Ha, you're a real lifer desert rat then! I was 38 when I first went.

But which of them is you?

[DAW89446]

My first visit to the castle was 1955. My mom loved the place.

You must be the kid in the center. The smile hasn’t changed in the past 68 years.