Home Movie: Vacation Complication or Gone With the Wind (silent, 1930s)

This charming 1930s home movie, titled “Vacation Complication or Gone With the Wind”, humorously portrays two young women, Jean and Joan, who must stay home while their friends leave on trips by plane, train, and car. Framed as a dramatized narrative with intertitles, the film creatively reimagines a local staycation as an adventure. After flipping through travel brochures and declaring “Oakland Is Your Home,” the women explore local landmarks, including Sequoia Park, the Oakland Zoo, Lake Merritt, and the Oakland Auditorium. They hitchhike across the new San Francisco Bay Bridge, return by ferry, and visit scenic spots like the Posey Tube, Oakland Airport, and regional parks. The film features playful moments with their dog LOBA, amusing intertitles, and picturesque shots of Oakland and Berkeley, such as Carl Salbach Gardens and Rose Gardens, showcasing a local world worth exploring.