Customer Reviews

Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip [VHS]

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Horatio Nelson Jackson bet a group of men in San Francisco $50 he could drive an automobile coast to coast in three months or less, something which had never been done before.
"You're on," they told him, and the next day Jackson searched for a suitable vehicle. He spent $3,000 on a 1903 Winton Touring Car, hired a mechanic to accompany him on the drive, and three days later left the city by the Golden Gate heading for the Big Apple.
The duet became a trio when Horatio Jackson brought aboard a light-colored, good-natured bulldog named "Bud" in Caldwell, Idaho.
Jackson back-tracked the trails of westward migration. He introduced the dawn of a new age to a soon-to-be-passing way of life.
He encountered a wagon train heading for the last free land in the Great Northwest. He waited for a stage coach to bring him new tires. He had his automobile repaired at blacksmiths shops. He crossed mountain ranges, forded streams, and got the car stuck in buffalo wallows.
Horatio Nelson Jackson and his mechanic, Sewell Crocker, embodied the American ideal that you can accomplish the impossible with pluck, grit, and determination. They managed to cross the continent by automobile in just over two months and thus win the bet.

The story is superbly told by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns. Jackson's letters home to his beloved wife, Bertha, or "Swipes", as he calls her, are read by the peerless Tom Hanks.
Behind the narration and the telling of the story is a very lively soundtrack which makes viewing the film most enjoyable!
The documentary, "Horatio's Drive," is Americana at its best.
Don't miss it!

Horatio's Drive is not simply about one man's impulsive bet that he could become the first person to drive across the U.S. in an automobile. It is also about the dawn of a new form of transportation in the United States, one that would forever change way we travel.
The story, told mostly through the letters that Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson writes to his wife as he slowly weaves his way across the continent, is about the first wave of the future passing through an American that had remained unchanged for many years. Jackson, ever the optimist, writes about how certain he is that he can make it even when faced with a hostile terrain, no road maps and an under powered car prone to breaking down at the worst possible time. As he passes through one small town after another, he and his mechanic become instant celebrities. As one newspaper account of the time read, it would have been no less of a story had a spaceship touched down in the middle of town.
I though the story was intriguing and a real history lesson. It's amazing to think of Nelson and his mechanic crossing the continent without a major highway or road, let alone in a car that needed near daily repair.
The film itself is well done and certainly worth watching. Old time car historians will enjoy the mention of models come and gone. History buffs get a glimpse at a changing America. And while Horatio's Drive may not have the depth of other Ken Burns works, this is a delightful `light' version of an interesting time and a wonderful story.

What a gem this DVD is!!! While surfing channels in a motel room, I ran across this presentation and started viewing it. I ordered the DVD as soon as I returned home. The story of the first coast to coast automobile road trip in 1903 is just wonderful. The adventure and challenge of this undertaking is nothing short of remarkable. Included are Horatio's letters to home recounting his journey, newspaper accounts of trip, and actual pictures he took on the road. This is a little known story of a remarkable man, his companion, and his dog on an adventure that I found to be a wonderful part of American history.

Another great Ken Burn's effort about a little known feat: driving an automobile across the continental United States, the first time! Well done as Burn's efforts always are. Great story for both vintage car folks and those of us interested in little known bits of history of our country.

See if you can recognize some of the excellent voices in the film.

As always, an unabashed fan of Ken Burn's video work.

What a great movie. If you enjoy road trips, wilderness adventures, or just tinkering around the garage fixing things, you will find similarities with Horatio Nelson Jackson. He drove cross-country on a $50 bet when most people thought it was impossible. He had to find his way through the American wilderness, fix the auto when it broke, find gasoline where there were no stations, and keep his spirits up when things turned bad.

Jackson grasped the opportunity to become part of history at the perfect time. Cars we becoming more reliable, Indians were no longer a threat, and America was populated enough that he didn't go too long without seeing other people. And in just a few short years roads and cars would be commonplace, which would make the feat less exciting and adventurous.

Ken Burns does a fantastic job of documenting this journey of a lifetime. He has a way to make the viewer feel like they are sitting right along side with Jackson, his mechanic, and the dog.

I would never have imagined that a cross-country trip would have
been so hazardous as late as 1903. Mr Burns' film reminds the
viewer, though, that this trip was undertaken only a few years
after the West was officially considered settled.

As usual, the narrative is thoughtful, and the voice-overs are
superb. Tom Hanks was an excellent choice for Horatio Nelson.

The "two-seater" comment above? Watching this film, I was
actutely aware of what it might have felt like had there been
a couple of little voices in the back, asking "are we there
yet?"

I really enjoyed the story Horatio Jackson. Burn's tells of a relatively little know person who did an amazing thing that today we take for granted. The film is as entertaining as it is informative. I also enjoyed the soundtrack.

saw this years ago, great story telling with letters and pictures of old. the almost never ending road trip that started on a bet, in a time where thier were no roads ,no gas stations ,parts,restauraunts,motels ,ect. .sometimes you feel the thrill of victory but most are about the many different levels of agonizing defeat and longing for his old lady . the old ying and yang . five stars plus on this deal luv it

lots of fun following their voyage, hard for us to visualize 100 years ago what our country looked like and what was happening in the average persons life. no long distance travel in a matter of hours. every trip took days. you either stayed within a few miles of home, or you were gone for weeks. We memorialize rt. 66 and the Lincoln Highway, but Horatio didn't even have the ole 2 lane blacktop. no motels, no koa's with electrical hook-ups. this is roughing it to the max. Just like traveling back roads today and meeting "the People" he was saved time and again, by the good ole common man of this u.s.a. the folks who still pull over to help stranded motorists, or pitch in to rescue someone caught in natural disasters, car accidents etc. our pioneer spirit is still alive and working, and watching a movie like this shows all of us, where Yankee ingenuity, american initative, pioneer spirit, and all the rest comes from. Just like Lewis and Clark, Horatio led the way to something we all take for granted today, and most of us can not imagine ever doing without.....OUR BELOVED WHEELS...... A++

Before tuning into PBS for this documentary, I thought, "Who cares about a rich kid with nothing better to do than make a $50.00 bet that he can go across the United States in 90 days or less?" Well, I had to retract that question after seeing it. I enjoyed it so much I bought it. This DVD was filled with the Old Yankee ingenuity and American spirit, ordinary people helping other people in times of need. Jackson and his mechanic found out more than just proving they could accomplish such a great feat. It wasn't easy. He had no highways, gas stations, Motel 6s or all of the other amenities we so take for granted today. This DVD has heart and makes one long for the good old days of America helping Americans in many ways. It also has the good old competitive American drive (no pun intended,) as there were others trying to be first to get across country at the same time. I won't tell you which team won, but this one is worth the watch. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.