Seven Ages of an Alligator
About Seven Ages of an Alligator
Carl Louis Gregory's camera follows alligators at a California farm from hatchlings to old animals. The shots were made in early 1913, while Thanhouser was opening a Los Angeles base, and released as a split-reel short.
More about Seven Ages of an Alligator
Gregory shot several documentaries while the company set up in Los Angeles. Four split-reel subjects came out of that footage: A Million Birds, at pigeon and ostrich farms; two versions of Los Angeles the Beautiful; and this alligator short. It shared a 1,000-foot reel with His Uncle's Wives. A listing dates the release February 2, 1913.
Themes
Making
The short is leftover actuality from the Los Angeles setup, not a staged story. Gregory's job was to bring back scenic and animal footage the company could cut into split reels.
Look
Carl Louis Gregory filmed the alligators at the farm, from young animals to full-grown ones, on the same trip that produced his Los Angeles scenics.
Preservation
A print is on the Internet Archive.
Notes
- The companion short A Million Birds was filmed at California pigeon and ostrich farms.
- Los Angeles the Beautiful exists in two versions from the same trip.
- This film and His Uncle's Wives together made one 1,000-foot split reel.
- A listing gives the alligator footage about four minutes.
Scenes
- Hatchlings are shown beside animals at later stages of growth.
- The camera stays on the farm rather than on a story.
Also available
- Internet Archive (silent-seven-ages-of-an-alligator)