Dating from the early atomic age, this episode of the “March of Time” TV show dates to 1952 and is hosted by Westbrook van Voorhis. It examines the state of the atomic industry in the United States and nuclear testing, nuclear defense, atomic power, and the vital need to enhance the secrecy associated with the nuclear industry. The film features historic footage of the University of Chicago and Dr. Enrico Fermi, and the building of the first nuclear reactor. Dr. Robert Oppenheimer is shown in a clunky re-enactment, with the “atomic age” being born at the Trinity test site (supposedly this footage was shot in New Jersey a long time after the actual test!) The Oak Ridge National Laboratory and other facilities are shown, including the Hanford Plant and an atomic plant being built in Ohio, as well as the Savannah River Plant. The hunt for uranium is seen, and its testing and refining for experimentation and use. Admiral Hyman Rickover is seen, the father of the nuclear Navy, explaining how a nuclear reactor will operate inside a submarine, and B-52s are seen carrying atomic weapons.
One of he most fascinating parts of the film is a promotion of the “atomic cannon”, which is shown being transported at about the 19 minute mark. The M65 Atomic Cannon, often called Atomic Annie,was a towed artillery piece built by the United States and capable of firing a nuclear device. It was developed in the early 1950s, at the beginning of the Cold War, and fielded by 1953 in Europe and Korea. The use of the cannon during the Upshot-Knothole atomic bomb test is seen at the start of the film.
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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 and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
