This educational film ‘Focus on 1954’ presents a look through at the news highlights of the year and includes footage of a young John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Ho Chi Minh, Harry Truman and Winston Churchill among others. It is presented by the Atlantic Richfield company (:34). Opening shots are of the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day (:42). This took place in Dallas, Texas and pitted the Alabama Crimson Tide against the Rice Owls. Highlights from this game include a bizarre play in which Tommy Lewis tackles Dicky Moegle from the bench (:56). In Indochina, French pilots were dropping supplies to fighters at Dien Bien Phu as 40,000 troops were surrounding an isolated garrison (1:05). While this was happening, political leaders in Washington were debating on sending US troops in for combat (1:17). JFK, pictured here as a freshman senator from Massachusetts, spoke out against the US’s involvement (1:53). Marilyn Monroe paid a visit to troops in Korea in order to lift spirits with some entertainment (2:20). First lady Mamie Eisenhower (2:37) sponsored the launch of the USS Nautilus which was the first nuclear powered submarine. It would be the first submarine to sail under the North Pole in 1958 (2:46). Former President Harry Truman is filmed playing music with the President of the American Federation of Music (2:54), James Pertrillo. H. V. Kaltenborn and Truman enjoy laughs together as the former president had imitated the NBC news chief a few years prior and at (3:15) Kaltenborn returns the joke by imitating Truman imitating himself. The 1954 US Capitol shooting incident follows in which five congressmen were shot and wounded on March 1st while on the floor of the House of Representatives (4:03). Puerto Rican nationalists who were seeking independence for the commonwealth people were convicted of the attack (4:35). A new superhighway threatened a nature trail favored by Supreme Court Justice Douglas and he sets to take newsmen on a 190-mile hike through to deter the construction of the highway (4:43). The Army-McCarthy hearings follow which took place in April to June during which McCarthy tried to accuse the US Army of communism (4:57). The tense confrontation between Joseph Welch and McCarthy is captured (5:26) and McCarthy’s charges in the end were unproven (6:36). The largest inoculation in medical history at that time follows, and this was when the Salk anti-polio vaccine was administered to one million children (6:49) effectively eradicating polio. Roger Bannister, a 25-year-old British medical student became the first man to run the mile in under four minutes (7:07). His time was 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds (7:17). Mildred Babe Zaharias returned to the sport of golf after a cancer operation and wins the Open Women’s Championship with a record breaking 12 strokes (8:05). The first US made jet transport, the Boeing 707, is filmed during take-off (8:25). In Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh (8:51) sought to unite northern and southern Vietnam after they had defeated the French communists. Back to the US and to golf, a 24-year-old Arnold Palmer (9:02) is shown winning the U.S. Men’s amateur championship. Women in ballgowns of the Miss America pageant follow, and this year’s winner was Leanne Merriweather of California (9:22). The 1954 World Series is looked at next (9:34) where Vic Wertz of the Cleveland Indians was robbed of a winning hit by Willie Mays (9:43). The Giants took the win (10:17). President of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, is filmed while overlooking a troop of children (10:24) and this was around the time in which British occupation in Egypt that had lasted for 72 years was ended by Nasser (10:49). Alger Hiss, who was a former US government official was convicted in 1950 for lying under oath about his ties to communism (10:57). The pumpkin that had housed documents proving his ties are pictured (11:10) as well as a young Richard Nixon (11:23). Winston Churchill was honored on his 80th birthday (12:03) and is seen speaking on a portrait of himself he had received as gift (12:31); his wife would later have it destroyed. In Washington, a committee recommends censure of McCarthy, thus making him one of the few senators to have ever been disciplined (12:47). Senator Sam Ervin who would later investigate Watergate is also pictured here (12:47). Colonel John Stapp (13:45) is filmed with face contorted as his rocket powered sled mounted on rails takes off and he beats a land speed record. The final segment of the film looks at new modern home installations such as cordless lamps (13:59), cameras which watched children at play (14:12), push button cabinets (14:19) as well as pans floating by magnetic field (14:28).

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