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1950s - California Signs - Highway
Green highway sign reading "CASTAIC 13/BAKERSFIELD 86/SAN FRANCISCO 380", shot is framed so traffic is seen moving along the winding mountainous highway in BG.
Driven To Kill - Auto Safety
Master 34 - Tape 1 A nifty auto-safety film from 1948 titled 'Driven to Kill'.
Wagon Trains - Westward Migration historical re-enactment
Master 34 - Tape 2 Wagon Trains - Westward Migration historical re-enactment
Elk
Master 34 - Tape 2 MS male elk with large antlers in field of tall grass. TLS herd of elk moving along grassy field in front of forest of birch trees. MS male elk in corral. MS group of elk, one female the rest male, grazing in field. LS herd of elk moving grassy clearing, tall evergreen trees are in the distance. TLS pan of male elk herding a small group of females across a grassy field.
Cougar In A Tree
Master 34 - Tape 2 Slight low angle MSs looking up at cougar/mountain lion resting and panting in a tree. CU cougar growing and panting while in tree. CU cougar panting. Slight low angle MSs looking up at cougar panting while standing on a shaking tree branch. Slight low angle MS looking up at cougar lying on branch while panting.
Deer in Forest
Master 34 - Tape 2 TLS fawn (young deer) nibbling on grass as it walks through field. MSs young male deer nibbling on an evergreen branch. MS young female deer nibbling on grass. TLS single deer grazing on grass near small pond. MS adult doe walking across grassy field.
Shopping - Department Stores and Outdoor Markets
Master 34 - Tape 2 Nice color footage of shopping at a busy department store, a few shots of an open air market are also seen.
Money at the Station
Master 34 - Tape 2 CU of man's hand giving two one-dollar bills to another man; pull back to reveal that the two men are standing on a railway platform and the man who took the money is the conductor, man who gave the money is a 50ish man in a dark suit and hat, with cigar (Looks like politician or a gangster). Brief CU of steamer trunk with labels reading: "Cunard Line Stateroom", "Royal Hotel, Edinburgh", "Grand Hotel, Amsterdam."
The White House
Contemporary video-original footage of The White House, Washington, DC.
The Capitol Building
Contemporary video-original footage of the United States Capitol Building, Washington, DC.
Washington Monument
Video-original contemporary footage of the Washington Monument in the National Mall on a bright winter day, Washington DC.
Capitol Building
Contemporary video-original footage of the Capitol building in Washington, DC. TLS Capitol Building in the distance w/vehicular traffic moving in the foreground, hard zoom to MS of building's dome, pan out to nice establishing GV of the Capitol Building framed by leafless trees in winter hibernation, the sky is of a light blue-grey color.
Warren Commission Bullet Impact Tests
Warren Commission Bullet Impact Tests Title at beginning: "233 JFK F117, F304, F305, F309".A series of slow-motion films of things being shot, produced apparently in conjunction with the Warren Commission on the Kennedy Assassination. Starts with what looks like a large gold block of gelatin suspended in water, two different takes of this being shot and reverberating around. At 52:45:03, box or container filled with red paint shot, explodes, paint everywhere. At 53:02:26, human skulls being shot, ghoulish and ghastly. Three different takes. At 54:03:01, a white goat, held into a metal frame with C-clamps and other restraints, is shot in the skull and killed instantly, though illogically, as this experiment proves absolutely nothing more than that bullets can kill with horrendous force; (this is shot at normal speed.) At 54:24:29, same sort of thing in slow-motion, another one at 55:00:14. Gore, Death, Murder.
Why Eat Cottage Cheese? - Part 1
Extremely old b/w film from the US. Department of Agriculture (USDA) : "Why Eat Cottage Cheese?" - Part 1 focuses on the creamery and process of how cottage cheese is made.
Japanese Silents
B/W (green toning) Japanese silent films from the National Archive. Rather speedy. Intertitles in Japanese. Starts with samurai gathering in snowy field, preparing to attack house/castle. Interior house at 57:02:20: alarm, people awakening, hitting gong, fight in corridor, fight in large room (lots of people, lots of swords. Two men fight on footbridge 57:46:08, man is killed. Lots of swordfighing, conflict, war. Prayer after battle 00:07:13. Neat low angle shot down bridge as samurai advance 00:24:15. No one really knows what film this is or anything about it but it's sort of neat. Violence, Attack. Wacky.
Nikkatsu Graph
Computer-generated title at beginning: 131-15-2. Japanese silent feature, toned green, Japanese intertitles. Pretty speedy. There is some interesting cinematography here. Starts out with exterior of large Japanese home, MCUs of Japanese men in traditional dress. They enter house, old man instructs group of younger men (samurai?) Great excitement in the house. Much emotion. Really cool sequence starting at 06:24:26: two men looking at each other, rapid cutting between their faces, then one man rushes to the camera, quick cut to other man rushing backwards away--a must-see. They fight but people rush in and pull them apart. Sword, Fight, Japan, Conflict, Battle, Home.
A-bomb Tests
Color 16mm footage of Atomic Bomb tests, 1950s. Shot from different angles and in variable condition (good to fair.) Some wide overhead shots, some closer eye-leve shots of mushroom clouds in water, over water etc. Not sure exaclty which tests these were.
The American Flag
American Flag, The Stars and Stripes. Flag has 48 stars WS tilt up American flag flying on tall pole surrounded by trees. Blue sky background. Looks like it's in the woods, at a campsite or national park. MWS teenage boys try to raise flag on flag pole - the edge of the flag hits the ground as they try to pull it up but it isn't moving. One boy grabs the flag to keep it off the ground. WS California and United States flags on same flagpole Closer shot of California and American flags flying on pole.
Appliance Montage
CU light switch, hand flips the switch off. Then hideous 50s lamp turned on, then CU white-and-chrome radio on a dressing table (woman's hand flips it on), CU chrome faucet in yellow (really bright canary yellow) bathtub turned on by man's hand, heater in bathroom wall flipped on. CU hand pulls ice cube tray out of freezer. Chrome kettle placed on electric stove (clock sits atop stove flanked by matching salt and pepper shakers marked P and S).
Freakout
Groovy: late-60s psychedelic special effects, like the kind of freaky funky freak-out (freakout) hippie drug-induced projections you might see on teenage music shows circa 1960s: bright colors, patterns and shapes flash on and off, overlap, dissolve into each other - you get the idea. The reel was marked "Freakout." Trippy.
1950s Science Laboratory
Great color footage of 1950s laboratories, concentrating on the equipment. Some great shots of colorful bubblingl iquids in beakers and test tubs. Nice shots of equipment, dials, knobs. Scientists at work in lab, white lab coats and more. Very stereotypical stuff. Great.
Job Interview (1955)
Job interview, c. 1955. A series of shots of an interview between two men. Establishing 2-shots, pov shots from each man's pov. Starts with side view MS of two men at desk, big photo of gas station behind them, camera tracks/dollys in to the intevewer's face; he speaks. (no sound, alas). But he look sauthoritative and confident. MS OTS of the guy being interviewed. The other guys is still talking, interviewee is leaning forward a little. Wider side view two-shot. The men stand up and talk standing close to each other. OTS shot from the interviewer's pov. The interviewee is talking now. Clean cut, sitting up straight and relaxed. Cu of the interviewer standing up talking
1950s Family - Dad Comes Home
Family - Dad Comes Home Businessman comes home to happy homemaker wife (with apron), kisses her. they're both smiling. Kids rush into frame; father picks up his son who obscures his face with a comic book.
Poison dart frogs.
Poison dart frogs. Group shot of six tiny orange frogs on a rock, sitting perfectly still, looking like toy frogs. Very cute. CU of two frogs sitting and staring.