Coronet Instructional Films presents “Modern Hawaii,” a late 1950s color film that transports the viewer to the “island territory.” An illustration at mark 00:43 helps the viewer locate Hawaii on a globe as it’s explained how the islands have been an important port in shipping trade across the Pacific Ocean for North America, Asia, and Australia. The viewer learns that Hawaii is actually a group of islands (mark 00:58) — Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii — with a land area about the size of New Jersey. Following an aerial view starting at mark 01:20, we learn Hawaii’s volcanic history and a look at the resulting soil and small farms that grow tropical crops such as rice, corn, and bananas. Yet is is sugar cane that’s the island’s “economic king” with plantations shown at mark 02:30 and scenes of its cultivation and harvest. The camera takes its viewer to a plantation sugar mill (mark 03:53). This is the Waialua Sugar Mill, a historical sugar refinery located at the base of the Waiʻanae Mountains in the town of Waialua on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. – Shown is a narrow gauge steam locomotive #5 belonging to the Waialua Agricultural Company Railroad — to carry sugar cane from the plantation to the mill. A look at Hawaii’s pineapple industry follows at mark 04:30 as workers are shown cultivating the crop before being prepared to export. Naturally, there is a look at the beaches beginning at mark 05:15 which beckon to travelers from all over the world, and we learn briefly of how Polynesians were the islands’ first settlers. Although it is a tropical paradise, Hawaii also boasts the amenities of any mid-sized city, and at mark 06:00 the viewer is shown the streets of Hilo, with modern buildings and traffic that whizzes past. We also see Honolulu and Honolulu Bay, and learn of its importance as an International port as products such as automobiles and other supplies — as well as tourists — are shown being transported onto the land. At mark 07:12, the film captures the familiar statue of King Kamehameha as he looks out over Honolulu. As it nears the end, the film shows the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor (mark 08:26) and US Army air base, Hickam Field.
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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
