The short 1939 documentary The City is a “plea” for residential planning and presents ways to remold cities to better accommodate the demand for housing and the need for clean, healthy communities. The film follows the chronological development of American communities, beginning with rural New England circa 1800, opening with shots of old rural homes, a water wheel and mill house (02:33), and Sias Farm. Children jump into a pond or a river and splash around. A horse-drawn wagon carries barrels of apples. A blacksmith works on fixing a wagon wheel. People talk at a town meeting (04:38). A woman weaves using a loom (05:11). A man weaves a basket by hand. Men cut grain or hay with scythes. The film then cuts to the industrialization of Pittsburgh, with its steel factories producing thick smog. Footage shows the small city covered in a blanket of smog. People live in shacks that line dirty narrow streets. A woman hangs laundry to dry on lines outside her home (10:40). A train passes a polluting industrial plant (11:58). The film then takes viewers to the chaotic bustle of Manhattan. Footage shows Manhattan’s skyscrapers (12:18) and people swarming the city’s streets and train stations. Children play in the streets, in gutters, and in other dirty, unsafe areas of the city (14:04). People are rushed as they eat at street-side cafés. The film shows a montage of the chaotic workings of a diner. People try to cross the busy city streets, dodging cars and trucks (16:50). Traffic jams up the city streets. A police officer directs traffic (18:43). There is a shot of a church or cathedral at the end of a narrow street framed by skyscrapers (19:01). Next, the documentary shows viewers the congested highways of New York and New Jersey. Massive traffic jams on rural highways bring travelers to a standstill. A family picnics on the side of a highway (21:00). A car drives off the road and tumbles down a hillside (21:23). Aerial shots show communities that are integrated with nature and green space. At one of these places (Greenbelt, MD), children ride their bikes along a green belt (24:07). Footage shows kids playing baseball and playing at playgrounds. A woman works in what appears to be a community garden (26:06). A woman washes her baby outside. Teenagers walk into a modern high school building (28:20). Young children paint pictures that feature natural landscapes. The film then cuts back to images of impoverished city life (29:22) where industry dominates and children play in squalor. The film ends with scenes of children at a “Green City” playing on playground equipment and enjoying being outside in a clean environment.
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