Dating to 1949, this film from Northwest Orient Airlines “Highroad to the Orient” pays visits to Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, and the Philippines. It was made by Reid H. Ray Inc. Northwest was founded in 1926 and took on the moniker “Northwest Orient” after 1947, when it established transpacific routes to Japan. It was absorbed into Delta Airlines in 2010.
The film begins with the route of the trip shown on a spinning globe (0:23). Manhattan, New York Harbor (1:10). Times Square (ads: Admiral Television Appliances, Pepsi-Cola, Hotel Astor) (1:15). Northwest Orient Express Plane (tarmac, boarding) (1:23). Passengers on plane. Takeoff (1:38). In-flight service. Passengers reading. Flight map: N.Y. / D.C. northwest across U.S. (2:06). Boeing Stratocruiser. Man looks out window (2:23). Mount Fujiyama (2:40). Japanese coast, Tokyo aerials (2:46). Tokyo International Airport (2:58). Tourists at counter (3:23). Downtown Tokyo: vehicles, streetcar, pedestrians, ticket office, Ginza Street, traffic, motorcycles (3:35). Pedestrians (4:10). White women at clothing shop (4:18). Dolls / trinkets. Employee shows white tourist vase; white woman looks at dollt (4:29). Bicycle tour, Imperial Palace grounds; moat (4:39). Families by stalls in Ueno Park (4:59). Canoeing on lake (5:03). Japanese theater, people in costume dance with fans, umbrellas; painted backdrop (5:10). Neon lights (Tokyo) (5:17). Theater: Summer dance, Japanese revue, props, stage lights, action, curtain (5:39). Map of Japan, cities marked: Tokyo, Kamakura, Enoshima, Lake Hake, Chiba, Nikko, Osaka (6:23). Train in countryside / fields (6:44). Rice terrace, vegetable field (6:56). Dyed Japanese silk: washed in stream, hung to dry, waterfall (7:10). Temple in Kamakura (7:40). Kotoku-in / Great Buddha of Kamakura / Kamakura Daibutsu (7:50). Enoshima beach (8:07). Fuji Hakone National Park (8:22). Lake Hakone, mountains, forest. Steamboat (8:37). Hotels on lake (8:44). Boat in waves, Chiba Peninsula (8:49). Men / nets on beach (8:58). Fishing boats on land (9:05). Sailboats, fishing (9:16). Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Yomeimon gate, carvings (9:23). Man swings mallet at gong (9:52). Japanese garden: flowers, butterfly, girls in colorful kimonos (10:09). Nikko schoolchildren play on swing (10:37). Cable car to Lake Chuzenji (10:44). Kegon waterfall (11:07). Rural scenery from moving train (11:20). Farmer in rice hat (11:32). Osaka Castle (11:38). Osaka city street (11:45). Airline office (11:56). Map of Japan once more. Flight route map: Tokyo, Korea, Formosa, Hong Kong, Calcutta, Bangkok, Manila, Okinawa. Hong Kong (aerial) (12:25). Hong Kong Harbor, boats (12:23). Victoria city (13:01). Victoria Peak. Rickshaws (13:23). Flower stall (13:28). Crowded / stacked urban street (13:38). “Junks” / Sanpan boats docked (panning) (13:45). Young girl rows boat (14:06). Repulse Bay / Twin Shun Wan: beach / hotel / swimming (14:11). Harbor, boats to Macau (14:23). Macau viewed from water, then from high (14:39). Map: Southeast Asia, plane illustrated flying Tokyo to Manila. “Dewey Boulevard” (Roxas) (15:15). Men by Manila Bay (15:23). Corregidor / Bataan peninsulas. Manila Museum of Fine Arts (15:31). Manila city, hotel, harbor, hotel garden, pool (1:544). Manila street (16:20). Calesa / carretela (16:35). Market-goers (16:44). White women assisted by Filipina shopkeepers (fans) (16:50). Intramural walls, San Agustin Church (17:11). Ruins of Santa Ana (17:21). University of Philippines campus (17:30). Female students dance Tinikling, Salakot (17:51). Balata Park swimming pool (18:38). Manila Sports Palace (18:52). Men playing Jai Alai (18:58). Manila hotel terrace (19:22). Sunset over Manila harbor (19:34). Ticket office. Map of Philippines: Manila, Cebu City, Dipolog, Zamboanga. Islands, Cebu Sea, Cebu City from air, street (cart / cars) (20:01). Ships with cargo (20:33). Freighters loading (20:48). Cebu City Hall, enclosed cross of Magellan (20:57). Coconut grove / Cebu farm / palm / man / cart (21:05). Philippine airlines plane on tarmac (to Dipolog) (21:15). Coconut grove, beach, boats, mountains (21:28). Over Mindanao, coconut plantations (from plane) (21:41). Jungles, beaches, water, islands. Zamboanga city from air, water. Zamboanga city square, city hall (Rizal monument) (22:08). Dining at hotel (22:29). Staged Moro wedding by Zamboanga students (22:42). Zamboanga woman dances Kandingan (24:45). Young girl dances with fans (23:59). Moro fishing boats (24:15). Philippine flag. People board plane, takeoff (25:14). Credits.
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
