River Life Unveiled: Fish Tale 1929

This 1929 silent film, A Day at the River: A Film Lesson in Nature Study, explores fish hatcheries and aquatic life cycles with title cards. A Huckleberry Finn-like boy in a straw hat fishes atop a log dam, proudly displaying his catch, while men in hats net fish in knee-deep hatchery waters. Microcinematography reveals fish roe hatching—blood pumping, growth visible through transparent eggs—culminating in new fish. Salmon leap futilely against manmade barriers, one speared midstream, as underwater shots showcase stickleback fins and crayfish claws regenerating. A boy and dog rowboat fish, rounding out this rich nature study.