“El Camino Real: The Mission Trail” (1939) is a silent color home movie. It is a travelog film documenting a trip along California’s El Camino Real and the Spanish missions lining the route from San Diego to San Francisco. These missions were established in the 19th century. El Camino Real is a 600-mile commemorative route connecting the 21 Spanish missions in California, along with a number of sub-missions, four presidios, and three pueblos. This film does not only highlight the missions along the route but various other tourist attractions such as an Orange Grove, Yosemite National Park, Gay’s Lion Farm, and the Golden Gate Bridge as well.
Title page and text that describes content of film, offers historical background (0:07). San Juan Capistrano (dedicated to German Franciscan John of Capistrano): Sign for mission, bush of vibrantly collared Lantana flowers, visitors walk through manicured gardens, architectural details, close-ups more flora and fauna (0:19). Birds nestle in crevices of stone archway (1:39). The inner garden at San Juan Capistrano: Camera pans down from bell tower with cross to luscious green garden below (1:54). Women sit on edge of pond and feed white doves (2:18). San Gabriel Mission: Various shots of mission – birds resting on fountain, women climbing unkempt staircase (2:38). Santa Barbara Mission (dedicated to the youthful martyr Barbara): Festive flags hand from facade of mission to mark time of “Fiesta” commemorating Early Spanish life and customs (3:02). Men and women in traditional dress ride horses through the city streets of Santa Barbara, little girl wears white dress, handicraft and food stands (3:30). San Luis Obispo Mission: Pristine concrete facade, some shots of remnants of log/mud building (4:14). San Carlos Borromeo Mission (today Carmel Mission) (4:42). San Francisco de Asís Mission (today Dolores Mission) (4:55). The Mission Inn at Riverside: Ivy and other shrubs grow wildly into cracks, windows on facade of mission, blue parrot sits on perch (5:25). Bright orange contrasts green leaves of orange trees at orange grove, transport truck filled to brim with harvested oranges (5:48). What appears to be Ford Model 48 drives down palm tree lined street (6:15). Jersey lily flowers (6:28). Vibrant red Powder puff flowering tree (6:39). Six show or circus lions perform stunts with trainer, traverse obstacle course – likely Gay’s Lion Farm (7:02). Huntington Art Gallery and Museum in San Marino: Women in 1930s-era dresses walk through pristine botanical gardens (9:05). Camera pans Hollywood Bowl amphitheater, empty during day time (9:25). Visit with American actress and singer Jeanette MacDonald at her home, Jeanette and guests pose with her dogs in garden for camera (9:39). The Monterey Coast: Waves break along rugged rock formations on shoreline, camera pans white sand dunes (10:16). Bird Rock in Pebble Beach, CA covered with seals (10:52). The Lone Cypress, cypress trees growing out of rock formations at Pebble Beach (11:10). Yosemite National Park: Deep glacial gorge (11:33). Half Dome summit (11:44). Steller’s jay birds perch on branches (12:03). El Capitan summit (12:35). Remnants of snow on peak of Mt. Shasta (12:54). Mt. Lassen (13:03). Stanford University campus in Palo Alto, Memorial Church (13:34). San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge (14:08). Fisherman’s Wharf and San Francisco city skyline (14:20). View of Alcatraz Island in the middle of the bay (14:33). Treasure Island, Golden Gate International Exposition (14:39). Colorful patch of wild pink, red flowers grows in grass (14:59). Text, filmmakers thoughts/ reflections on trip (15:08). Orange and red hues of vibrant sunset (15:24). Film ends (15:42).
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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
