This black and white film highlights the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York. It opens with The Pieta! by Michelangelo, created in 1499 and on display in the Vatican Pavilion (:09-:18), followed by inside the General Motors’ Futurama 2 ride (:19-:54). The opening credits are shown with the Unisphere, presented by United States Steel (:57), shown again at (1:36). Crowds solemnly pass by the white marble statue of The Pieta! (1:51-2:11). The Gondola Ride (2:17) provide views of such things as Malaysia (2:29), with the Brass Rail Snackbar designed by Victor Lundy in the background. We see scenes inside the pavilions, such as India’s sculptures (2:38-2:55), Japan’s fans and lanterns (2:56-3:06), Africa’s drummers and dancers (3:07-3:37), Hawaii’s Hula dancers (3:38-4:02), and Spain’s dancers (4:03-4:46). More gondola views are shown (4:52-5:05). The IBM Pavilion (5:12) has people fill out a punch card with their birthdays, which are fed into a computer, and a newspaper headline from that day appears (5:18-5:35). The seats of the People Wall are lifted into the grandstand of the IBM Pavilion where a movie about computers is shown (5:37-6:02). People drive an antique reproduction at the Avis Car Ride (6:13) while the AMF (American Machine & Foundry Company) monorail (6:17) passes next to the U.S. Rubber Ferris Wheel featuring a giant tire (6:21). Sinclair sponsored a pavilion of dinosaurs (6:30) and GM sponsored Futurama (6:33-8:17). Disney characters include Goofy and Mickey Mouse (8:25). Shown again is the Unisphere with its fountain display (8:56).
The story of the Pieta’s coming to America began in the fall of 1962, when His Eminence Francis Cardinal Spellman asked Pope John XXIII to permit Michelangelo’s magnificent sculpture to be placed on exhibit in the proposed Vatican Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair. Good Pope John agreed to the request and added that he would also loan, for the same purpose, as a gesture of appreciation for all America had done for the rest of the world, the ancient statue of Christ, the Good Shepherd.
Pope Paul VI confirmed the actions of his predecessor [who died in 1963] and on the night of April 2, 1964, carefully packed to withstand the rigors of a long land and sea voyage, the Pieta left the Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican City for the first time since Michelangelo placed it there.
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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
