Almost Lost Images and Audio

From the public domain files of the US National Archives, here is a US Army historical film (No. 1109) procured by the Army Signal Corps with silent scenes of "The Italian Army in the World War" (referring to WWI, not II). Lots of men, materials and weapons are shown, including mule pack trains and cavalry, artillery being moved up steep mountain roads and troops on bicycles, as well as early Italian tanks. Has some actual combat scenes, as well as training and movements. This is really an impressive look at Italian efforts during The Great War.

RIP, Al Unser, Sr. A bit of silent "B-roll" film taken at Indianapolis in, I think, 1973.....

Here's an interesting bit of footage digitized from 16mm film....it was almost certainly shot in New York City, and shows the famous actors Cary Grant and Farrah Fawcett (Majors) at a table together in a crowded location...perhaps a restaurant? Farrah is then briefly interviewed. This was probably shot by a news cameraman in the 1970s....you can find on the internet a number of still shots of the two of them together in places like Studio 54 (which this might have been). The footage was purchased at an estate sale of a former film editor for a New York television station, but has no notes or other attribution. Posted for historical education and critique....and if anyone has specific information as to the time/place, please drop a note about it.

Digitized from 16mm film purchased at an estate sale, these scenes are obviously outtakes of flubbed lines and actions..and equally obviously, from war/military movies of the 1950s or 60s. Has some rather funny stuff. Enjoy.

From the now-defunct and disappeared "Official Films," a piece of a newsreal "News Thrills of 1943," about the surrender of the island of Pantelleria, just off of Italy, which the Allies took in preparation for the invasion of the European Continent. Nice footage of naval bombardment and aerial bomb attacks. Posted for historical education and critique.

Scenes of British, Russian and American battle tanks in action in Europe and the Pacific, to include actual combat footage taken from inside a flame-throwing US tank in one of the island battles. Rare footage of Russian/Soviet tanks of the time. Taken from a newsreel produced by the now-defunct and vanished Castle Films, and clearly from footage of combat photographers. Posted for historical education, discussion and critique.

For nearly a year, the USSR instituted a ground blockade of the city of Berlin, Germany, in an attempt to pressure the former Allies of World War II into giving up control of the city by the multinational agreement. The Blockade was broken by the famous Berlin Airlift, and the Soviet Union finally gave up and allowed truck and train traffic. This silent segment of a newsreel by the now-defunct and disappeared Castle Films shows scenes of ground traffic moving again to Berlin in 1949. Posted for historical education, discussion and critique.

A segment of a silent newsreel made by the now-defunct and disappeared Castle Films, these scenes are of violent political turmoil in China in 1949 between the Nationalists and Communists, resulting in Europeans evacuating. Posted for historical education, discussion and critique.

A segment of a 1942 newsreel produced by the now-defunct and disappeared "Official Films," a production company that most often used government-created films to make documentaries and newsreels for the public, this clip shows actual combat footage of a Japanese attack on an unnamed US aircraft carrier in the South Pacific. Given as it was from 1942, I believe it was probably Yorktown before she was sunk at Midway. Posted for historical education, discussion and critique.

A segment of a 1942 newsreel produced by the now-defunct and disappeared "Official Films," a production company that most often used government-produced film to create public releases. This clip shows mostly Australian troops fighting against the Japanese through the jungle terrain of New Guinea in the early years of the war in the Pacific, and includes at least some actual combat footage. Some very impressive shots of combat supply airdrops requiring some pretty gutsy flying. Posted for historical education, discussion and critique.

A clip from a WWII-era newsreel produced by "Official Films," a company that often used government-provided films to make short and long documentary films. This segment is about how the Allies opened a "Second Front" in North Africa in 1942. Posted for historical information, discussion and critique.

An outtake from an interview with jazz musician Duke Ellington back in the 1960s...somewhat interrupted by a process server....in a Playboy bunny outfit..... Found on a reel of 16mm film from an estate sale....no attribution available, but probably from a New York TV station. Posted for historical information, discussion and critique.

The Rosenbergs became infamous for passing the secrets of the US development of the atomic bomb, and they were tried, convicted and executed for treason, surrounded by controversy and protest. Here is one in a series of short documentaries in a series called "Greatest Headlines of the Century" produced by the now defunct Filmrite Associates and Official Films. Posted for historical education, discussion and critique.

Before there ever was MTV and "music videos," there were "Soundies," played from 16mm film in bars and hotels on a coin-operated machine. Here is one Soundie from the years of World War II, featuring a popular song of the day, "Bless Them All." This Soundie is very obviously a wartime morale film....which some would call propaganda...but is certainly typical of its time. Now in the public domain as copyright was never renewed it's now-vanished production company, it is presented here for historical education, discussion and critique.

Before there ever was MTV and "music videos," there were "Soundies," played from 16mm film in bars and hotels on a coin-operated machine. Here is one Soundie from the years of World War II, featuring a popular song of the day, "Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" (but this is NOT the Andrews Sisters' version). This Soundie is very obviously a wartime morale film....which some would call propaganda...but is certainly typical of its time. Now in the public domain as copyright was never renewed it's now-vanished production company, it is presented here for historical education, discussion and critique.

Before there ever was MTV and "music videos," there were "Soundies," played from 16mm film in bars and hotels on a coin-operated machine. Here is one Soundie from the years of World War II, featuring a man who would be much more famous later on.....William Frawley, who played the "Fred Mertz" character for years on the "I Love Lucy" show. This Soundie is very obviously a wartime morale film....which some would call propaganda...but is certainly typical of its time. Now in the public domain as copyright was never renewed it's now-vanished production company, it is presented here for historical education, discussion and critique.

Before there ever was MTV and "music videos," there were "Soundies," played from 16mm film in bars and hotels on a coin-operated machine. Here is one Soundie from the years of World War II, featuring a fairly amateurish cast and a pretty simplistic song about when the college football players had gone to war. This Soundie is very obviously a wartime morale film....which some would call propaganda...but is certainly typical of its time. Now in the public domain as copyright was never renewed it's now-vanished production company, it is presented here for historical education, discussion and critique.

Clips digitized from a newsreel produced by the now defunct and disappeared "Official Films" that used mainly government-produced footage, these clips are from "News Thrills of 1943" and tell the story of the Allied air attack across the Mediterranean Sea on the oil fields of Ploesti. Contains actual combat footage. Posted for historical education, discussion and critique.

During the Vietnam War, the US military had units dedicated to rescuing downed pilots....here is government/public domain film of one such rescue in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Short clip digitized from a silent documentary on 16mm film produced by the now-defunct and vanished Castle Films, here are some scenes of animals sent into space by early sub-orbital rockets as part of the US space program. Posted for historical education and critique.

Digitized from a documentary made by the now defunct and disappeared Castle Films and so in the public domain, here are scenes from the inauguration of President Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon, from 1953.

Excerpts from a Commander's Briefing Film with silent segments taken on bombing, strafing and damage assessment flights, with other logistics scenes by US Air Force aircraft in the Vietnam War. There was probably a separate audio tape for this, but it was not recorded on the 16mm film, so this is silent. Government films in the public domain, provided here for historical education, discussion and critique.

Excerpts from a Commander's Briefing Film with silent segments taken on bombing, strafing and damage assessment flights, with other logistics scenes by US Air Force aircraft in the Vietnam War. There was probably a separate audio tape for this, but it was not recorded on the 16mm film, so this is silent. Government films in the public domain, provided here for historical education, discussion and critique.

Excerpts from a Commander's Briefing Film with silent segments taken on bombing, strafing and damage assessment flights by US Air Force aircraft in the Vietnam War. Government films in the public domain, provided here for historical education, discussion and critique.

Two clips of silent gun camera footage taken in the Vietnam conflict of MIG aircraft being shot down. Government footage, so in the public domain. Digitized from 16mm film. Watch quick and don't sneeze, or you might miss the hits.