This black & white educational film, which was likely shown at the New York World’s Fair in 1940, is about Modern Czechoslovakia with a specific focus on Prague. It contains rare images of the bustling, cosmopolitan capitol with its modernist buildings and centuries old churches and neighborhoods. Copyright on the film is 1940 but clearly, all content was shot prior to the German invasion in March, 1939.
Opening titles: Modern Czechoslovakia (:07-1:12), produced and directed by George J. Janecek (who later in life became the director of the Office of Public Information External Relations Division for the United Nations). City of Prague. A man gives a tour on a boat. A city of churches. Statues. The Powder Tower or Powder Gate is a Gothic tower in Prague, Czech Republic. It is one of the original city gates. It separates the Old Town from the New Town. A modern church. Buildings in Prague (1:13-2:57). People walk the city. Trolley cars or trams. People board them and trolley buses as well. Fine shops. People get coffee and sit and eat in cafes (2:58-4:22). A bridge over the River Moldau in Prague. A power plant. A big department store. A social security building. Administration building. A man walks near a hotel. Department of Social Welfare Building (4:23-5:50). Tatra Mountains. Snow capped mountains. An extinct volcano. A new health resort in the Tatra Mountains. Construction project (5:51-7:21). A man hacks a tree down. Shirtless men wave hats. People wave. A new railroad station in a new spot of the country. A happy crowd. A train on the railways. Train goes through a tunnel. An electric train goes much faster on the tracks (7:22-8:54). Woodrow Wilson Station. The heart of the country. Cars drive down a road. Houses. Motorcycles. Prague Municipal Airport. The plane is looked over mechanics and the propellers start. Old section of Prague (8:55-10:41). Modern housing. Children play in the water, girls dance, play games. People swim in a pool. Women swim and sunbathe. People dive off the diving board. Women sunbathe (10:42-12:25). Factories. Steel mills. Steel mill makes pieces for the army of the invader. Craftsmen in a shoe factory at work. Power plant. A dam. Water rushes down a dam wall. Water turbines inside the dam’s walls (12:26-14:11). Rock and earth is moved. Water. Pails of water move. Water races down. Houses. Children sit while a woman hangs laundry. Little girls eat a snack. A modern building. Czech troops march. Planes, cannons, troops. Men on horseback (14:12-16:21). End credits (16:22-16:27).
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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
