There is no voice-over in this colorful look at various aspects of Arizona life, sponsored by American Airlines. The footage extends from the mid-1960s to the early-1970s, presented in internal segments while instrumental music plays. A cowgirl on a galloping white horse (:18) segues into a 1970 Corvette Convertible (:38) driving through the desert on Route 88, the Apache Trail, and past the Superstition Mountains (:44). The fun moves to a speed boat (:58) pulling a water skier. The camera shifts its view to the Red Rock State Park (1:23) where a cowboy on horseback leads cattle (1:40) up a slope. On the famous movie location Old Tucson, the sheriff kicks two men out of the saloon, resulting in a shootout in which the good guy wins (1:54-2:43). The shift is to the Sky Harbor Municipal Airport in Phoenix, where an American Airlines Astrojet B727 taxis, which came on the scene in 1973 (2:43-2:56). Back in the car, we drive up close to Gammage Auditorium (3:16) in Tempe, one of the Frank Lloyd Wright sites. A woman rides a Honda C50 Step-Thru Super Cub (3:52) past The Heard Museum in Phoenix (3:56). Arizona is also known for golfing (4:14-4:34) following by outdoor evening dining.
A flock of sheep struggle downhill through the red sand to reach water (5:27-6:02), driven by cowboys on horseback. Riders stop to eat as pancakes sizzle on a campfire grill and homemade biscuits brown up in a cast iron pot (6:04-6:25). A group fishes out on the lake (6:29) while swimmers enjoy the pool, including women dressed in bikini styles popular in 1964 (6:35-7:59). A man and a woman bird watch (8:00) as children saddle up for a horseback ride through the Grand Canyon (8:12-9:12). A bird’s eye view of the Hoover Dam shown how great the span is over the Colorado River. On the border between Arizona and Nevada, Hoover Dam provides powers to both states plus California (9:14-9:29). Water skiers make a splash (9:33) as an artist sits painting the scenery (9:47). A 1967 Chevy Bel Air (10:27) pulls up to mansion. The church bells of Mission San Xavier del Bac in Tucson call people to worship (10:50-11:20).
The scene shifts to the Crystal Palace in Tombstone (11:23-12:14), followed by actual tombstones. The greyhound races provide a sharp contrast (12:23. In the 1970s, Arizona had more than five of these racetracks. A reverse montage of places we’ve already seen begins as 12:23, eventually closing back on the sun and sky (13:44).
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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, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
