One of a series of films made in support of the Marshall Plan, THE CHANGING FACE OF EUROPE: MEN AND MACHINES shows the industrial reconstruction of the continent following WWII. It was the fourth film in the series. Film historian Linda Christenson wrote of this film, “This survey of Europe’s Marshall Plan aided economic recovery therefore seeks to convey a message: Establish harmony between men and machines. To lower costs, more automation and mass production are needed in Both the new and established industries. But the film did warns traditional craftsmanship and the production of quality goods must not be abandoned. Europe needs its Venetian glassblowers as well as the new German plans did turns out a million beer bottles a day. Good coverage of European industry five years after the war, set to a narration did prophetically notes, “While a portion of our output must now go for defense, there is the promise of an abundance Which Europe has never before enjoyed.” Other featured industries include Italian shipbuilding, the first Renault automobile factory, manufacturing of tractors and gas ranges, textile mill, Danish silversmith, and molten steel being poured into molds.”

At mark 0:30, the introduction to the film is been shown. The film is about European Recovery program and how the US participated. There’s been quite a transformation in the Europe’s industrial in 5 years as we have an industry where vehicles are made in mass as seen at mark 01:45. Only a short time ago a lot of our factories were just rubbles and scrap piles. Now many of them are busier than a bee with more work as they can handle. The war has brought all Europeans to realize how dependent they are on their own industry. Now there is so much interest in them today, so much discussion. At mark 2:15, we have the Europe where people are busy and sure are still living without percepless necessities, let alone conflict and that’s a challenge to industry. At mark 2:25, there we have an anvil outside a workshop owned by Luig Orlando. At mark 2:52, these are the oando factories just outside Paris as they are today. Here, vehicles are been made in mass production. Standardize what you produce, standardize how you produce it then there will be more things for more people. Here there is mass production of up to 400 cars a day but is mass production the whole answer. At mark 3:45, a silversmith from Denmark is seen working on his projects. At mark 4:12, a glassmaker is also seen. You see here how their stuffs goes into the things they make. This craftsmanship adds additional values to Europe in terms of skills and commercialization. At mark 5:30, a bottle factory is seen. This is where bottles are produced massively and automatically so we could have more bottles for more companies and meet up to demands. The problem in this case was how to combine demand variety with the high rate of output which can only be assured by modern machinery. At mark 6:10, there’s many variety of bottles produced and high rate of output. At mark 16:15, this factory where they improve their production. Instead of the men to come to the mould, they arranged for the mould to come to the men. It saves time and just as important it saves energy.

At mark 6:45, here there’s a welding factory. Was the time and the energy of workers really been used in the right way. There we have a same job done in 3 operations which is faster and better. Also the output was increased and the work was made easier for everyone and the customers reduced. At mark 10:12, we have a huge plant where the structure of petroleum molecules is been changed into other things. Hence we make full use of what is imported from abroad. Also expansion of the use of materials as seen at mark 11:05. This example is also seen at mark 11:26. At mark 12:20, here a steel producing plant which is believed to be one of the early. They have engineers and machines which are available for the massive production and in high quality also. At mark 13:38, the steels are cut with machine and then transported. At mark 14:03 is another mark of 2nd industrial revolution, here at Wales, there is a steel company also. Its output already is one and half million tons of steel good in a year compared to the old plant. Men, materials and machine are Europe’s chance to a future they have never known. The achievement of many grand designs from their machines.

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