Grand hotel
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| This 1893 view down the Otis elevated railway in R. Lionel DeLisser's "Picturesque Catskills, Greene County," from Hope Farm Press, Saugerties, is representative of the depth of view from the Catskill Mountain House area. (Courtesy Hope Farm Press) |
Mountain House documentary showing Sunday
By Jim Planck
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
There are certain legends, tales, and stories of the Catskills that are of such renown that they actually are known, even if only by name, to just about everyone -- Rip Van Winkle being perhaps the foremost.
The Catskill Mountain House is easily the second, but -- unlike Rip -- is based in fact and history, so it might actually merit being the greatest, as it is certainly the greatest piece of history in the treasure trove of Catskills lore.
On Sunday, an opportunity to see and hear the grand story of the Catskill Mountain House, including the world it existed in, is taking place at the Community Theater, in Catskill, at 5 p.m.
There will be a free showing for the public of the appropriately titled, “The Catskill Mountain House and The World Around,” a new 80-minute documentary by filmmaker Tobe Carey, which brings to life the Catskills resort era of the Victorian Age.
To do so, Carey has researched and filmed not only a wide cross-section of distinctive images, both from private collections and public archives, but also narratives and interviews with some of the area’s leading historians and period experts.
Carey, a resident of nearby Glenford, in Ulster County, has been making documentary, informational, and art films for 40 years, one of which -- about ten years ago -- was “Deep Water,” a highly recognized documentary on the Ashokan Reservoir, and it was from that, that he decided to do more.
“It’s been very popular, and very well received,” he said, “ and it spurred my interest in doing another with local history.”
Carey said that in talking with Hensonville-based publisher Deborah Allen, of Black Dome Press, she suggested the Catskill Mountain House as a theme, and that he subsequently decided that should be the one.
“So the movie came about because I have an interest in regional history,” he said, adding that he then spent a couple years in gathering information and archival research.
“It took about three years, together,” he said.
Carey said he chose to stress the word “The” with a capital “T” in the second half of the title -- “and The World Around” -- because the documentary is intended not to just inform about the Mountain House, but also to allow the viewer to connect to the world in which it existed.
“The film is that interconnection,” he said.
Topics include the scope, size and prominence of the hotel as a business establishment, the railroad industry which served it, and the art that carried the region to the showcases of the world.
“It has all these themes that are hard to ignore if you want to deal with the history of this area,” said Carey.
Uniquely, the music for the film is all period-written, with a local or regional spin, and was produced by Bill Vanaver, of Vanaver Caravan.
“All the music is music from the Victorian era,” said Carey, “and was written about the Catskill Mountain House, or some of the other grand hotels in the region.”
“And the narratives are contemporary writings from that same period,’ he added.
DVD’s of “The Catskill Mountain House and The World Around” will be on sale at Sunday’s showing, and Carey said that they also feature the Victorian-era songs in MP3 download format.
One of the historians filmed and interviewed for the documentary, Catskill’s Ted Hilscher -- who will also be participating in a Q&A session at the showing -- said Friday that Carey’s work will be enjoyed by all, and that his technique has captured the story in an engaging way.
“There are a number of people (interviewed),” said Hilscher, “and he weaves together the story with the conversations that he’s having with them.”
“It’s terrific,” he said.
“They’re telling a story,” he said, “and for the visuals he’s got excellent pictures of the era.”
“He did a superb job,” said Hilscher.
The Community Theater is located at 373 Main Street, Catskill, and Sunday’s free showing of “The Catskill Mountain House and The World Around” will begin at 5 p.m.
The Catskill Mountain House is easily the second, but -- unlike Rip -- is based in fact and history, so it might actually merit being the greatest, as it is certainly the greatest piece of history in the treasure trove of Catskills lore.
On Sunday, an opportunity to see and hear the grand story of the Catskill Mountain House, including the world it existed in, is taking place at the Community Theater, in Catskill, at 5 p.m.
There will be a free showing for the public of the appropriately titled, “The Catskill Mountain House and The World Around,” a new 80-minute documentary by filmmaker Tobe Carey, which brings to life the Catskills resort era of the Victorian Age.
To do so, Carey has researched and filmed not only a wide cross-section of distinctive images, both from private collections and public archives, but also narratives and interviews with some of the area’s leading historians and period experts.
Carey, a resident of nearby Glenford, in Ulster County, has been making documentary, informational, and art films for 40 years, one of which -- about ten years ago -- was “Deep Water,” a highly recognized documentary on the Ashokan Reservoir, and it was from that, that he decided to do more.
“It’s been very popular, and very well received,” he said, “ and it spurred my interest in doing another with local history.”
Carey said that in talking with Hensonville-based publisher Deborah Allen, of Black Dome Press, she suggested the Catskill Mountain House as a theme, and that he subsequently decided that should be the one.
“So the movie came about because I have an interest in regional history,” he said, adding that he then spent a couple years in gathering information and archival research.
“It took about three years, together,” he said.
Carey said he chose to stress the word “The” with a capital “T” in the second half of the title -- “and The World Around” -- because the documentary is intended not to just inform about the Mountain House, but also to allow the viewer to connect to the world in which it existed.
“The film is that interconnection,” he said.
Topics include the scope, size and prominence of the hotel as a business establishment, the railroad industry which served it, and the art that carried the region to the showcases of the world.
“It has all these themes that are hard to ignore if you want to deal with the history of this area,” said Carey.
Uniquely, the music for the film is all period-written, with a local or regional spin, and was produced by Bill Vanaver, of Vanaver Caravan.
“All the music is music from the Victorian era,” said Carey, “and was written about the Catskill Mountain House, or some of the other grand hotels in the region.”
“And the narratives are contemporary writings from that same period,’ he added.
DVD’s of “The Catskill Mountain House and The World Around” will be on sale at Sunday’s showing, and Carey said that they also feature the Victorian-era songs in MP3 download format.
One of the historians filmed and interviewed for the documentary, Catskill’s Ted Hilscher -- who will also be participating in a Q&A session at the showing -- said Friday that Carey’s work will be enjoyed by all, and that his technique has captured the story in an engaging way.
“There are a number of people (interviewed),” said Hilscher, “and he weaves together the story with the conversations that he’s having with them.”
“It’s terrific,” he said.
“They’re telling a story,” he said, “and for the visuals he’s got excellent pictures of the era.”
“He did a superb job,” said Hilscher.
The Community Theater is located at 373 Main Street, Catskill, and Sunday’s free showing of “The Catskill Mountain House and The World Around” will begin at 5 p.m.
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