![]() |
Bert Van Tuyle, the hero of Something New |
Two posts ago, I mentioned a 1920 movie written to
promote the Maxwell car. It’s a silent black and white film called Something
New, written by and starring Nell Shipman. You can find it in several places
online, including HERE. Don’t worry about the pixelation in the first couple of
minutes, it doesn’t last.
![]() |
Scepticism from L.M. Wells |
I watched it last night and found it quite entertaining.
Talk about off-roading! You would not believe the places they drove that car—splashing
through creeks, plowing through sagebrush, rolling over boulders, through dry
washes, and even over cactus.
I won’t give away the plot other than to say it involves
a kidnapping by bandits, and no available horses to ride to the rescue. The
heroine is no shrinking violet either, and yes, she does get to drive the car.
You can find out more about Canadian actress, writer,
director and producer (yes, in the 1920s) Nell Shipman HERE and HERE. They don’t
discuss Something New, however. For that, you can check out THIS review. The
reviewer, J.B. Kaufman, confirms my impression that no camera trickery was
involved. Apparently only a single car was used, though they did use parts from
a back-up car. I can’t help wondering how many sets of tires they went through,
however.