19 Arrests No Convictions
19 Arrests, No Convictions is a documentary portrait of
an Italian-American bar owner with a fishy nightlife who redeems himself as a San Francisco Bay open-water swimmer, "escaping" from Alcatraz to the mainland. George Farnsworth died in 1996, but retains his record as the oldest man to swim Alcatraz on New Year's Day. The film features Tom Rice, the former "Masked Marvel" and George's swim buddy of 25 years; Lee Bender, a southern belle who fell for George; and Bob Roper, a Golden Gate Swim record holder.
Judy Irving (The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill), a fellow Bay swimmer who filmed George over eight years at the South End Rowing Club, continues her series of urban environmental films about vivid, colorful characters who make great use of San Francisco's unique natural habitat.
Produced and Directed by Judy Irving.
Music by Paul Ruxton, Talking House Productions.
Featuring and in memory of George Farnsworth,
1917-1996. 29 minutes, 16mm color.
