This 1965 promotional film “The Treasure of Lucaya” promotes development in Lucaya, Grand Bahamas. The film’s storyline is about a reporter sent to cover a story about Spanish treasure found off the coast of Lucaya. While on the island the reporter, Mark Stevens, finds love and chooses to return to live there. The film opens with the newspaper’s editor and his peer named Bill discussing Mark (:37). Mark initially didn’t believe in the treasure and is seen collecting paperwork in the office (1:03) and at the airport leaving on a BOAC plane (1:32). During his cab ride to the Lucaya Beach Hotel, the driver asks him whether he had heard of the treasure (2:46). The credit screen appears here (2:52) and it was presented by The Grand Bahama Development Co. LTD. The title of the film appears on a red tour bus (3:00). After checking into the hotel (3:33), Mark reads the Freeport Newspaper with a headline of “Local Film Treasure is for Real” (3:59). The bell hop points out to the left of the water stating that the treasure “is just over there” (4:07). Mark takes a tour of the casino floor of the hotel, watching Russian Roulette and slot machine players (4:46). Readying himself for bed, Mark begins singing a tune about the treasure of Lucaya (5:55). He dreams of himself and woman winning while gambling (8:57). The editor of Freeport News (9:32) sets up an interview with one of the men who uncovered the treasure (9:45). He tells Mark that he and three others were setting up a water ski school (9:54) when one of them found a solid piece of silver on the ocean floor (10:41). The rest of the men dove in and uncovered more (10:50) which they took back to their apartment and discover it dates back to the early 17th century during the reign of King Philip the 2nd (11:20). A female staff member of Freeport News named Nancy joins the interview and sets to help Mark with his story (11:34). While Mark and Nancy drive to pick up her brother from Freeport high school (12:28), street signs for Sunrise Highway, Beachway Drive, and The Pub on the Mall (13:29) are seen. At Freeport News, Mark meets the editor (14:53) and Nancy shows him photos prior to the area’s industrial boom in the 1960’s (15:05). They stop on a photo of an old sailor and the film turns to a narration by the man about the island’s history (16:17). The area was used in the Civil War for running blockades as it was the closest location to the coast of Florida (16:22), as well as during the Cuban conflict. During the 1920’s Prohibition era, it became an ideal storing location for ground shipments of liquor to rum runners along the eastern coast (16:35). In 1955, Wallace Groves; a prominent financer, created the idea which was to become Freeport and Lucaya (17:09) and declared it a tax-free zone. An industrial boom took place as investors arrived from all over the world including Volkswagen (17:37), Barclays Bank (17:44), US Steel, Syntax Corporation (17:49) and Holiday Inn International (17:53). Shots that Freeport News had used for their story follows (18:39), though Mark was unable to use them as they were in black and white (18:45). While the chief mulled over a period of time that he could not contact Mark during his trip (18:53), a montage ensues of Mark and Nancy together. They are first seen at dinner while a flambé dish is prepared (18:56) with fire dancers and Mark Greaves singing for the restaurant attendees (19:17). They are then seen at a Pancake House (20:15). Recreational activities on the island are shown in the form of water skiing, parasailing (21:40), target practice at a gun range (22:00) and a golf course (22:13) which leads to Mark and Nancy on the beach (23:10). At the hotel, Mark Stevens is called for a phone call which is from the Chief and here he sits with Nancy nearby while lying to the Chief and stating he had been very busy on the report (24:55). After speaking with the top executives in Port Authority about the area’s history (25:23), Mark is seen heading to his plane to leave the island (25:55). When he returns, he gives the chief his story and informs him the real treasure however is the island itself and that he would be leaving the newspaper to return to the island as an individual (26:51). The film wraps up with the chief and Bill in the terminal restaurant (27:40) and credits roll over scenes from the island (28:56). It was produced by the Bunting Company LTD (29:01).

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