This black and white newsreel short titled “Where East Meets West” dates to the 1930s and shows
footage from the streets of Singapore at that time. The film is part of a larger series of newsreel-style travel films by Fox Film Corporation called “Around the World in Sound and Picture on the Magic Carpet of Movietone.”
Opening credits (0:07). Text discussing the founding of Singapore in the Straits of Malacca in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles (0:27). Singapore Trolley Bus, rickshaw pullers, and Ford Model T vehicles intersect on busy street (0:53). A traffic policeman with “wings” on his back is visible in the intersection. View inside trolley bus of a turbaned rider (1:27). The sign on the front of the trolley states it is “via Beach Road”. Advertisement for Ceylon Tea (1:41). Cathedral of the Good Shepherd (1:48). British troops, probably Gurkhas, march in perfect formation across the road (2:08). Cavenagh Bridge (2:15), a suspension bridge which is still extant. Sampan boats on the Singapore River Sthat flows parallel to Alexandra Road and feeds into the Marina Reservoir (2:30). Barber shops in Singapore (2:51). Dhobie Men – Hindu laundry “experts” wash clothes in steaming hot water (3:38). Trained monkeys gather coconuts (4:21). Parade commemorating Singaporean national holiday (5:25). Punjabi Sikhs engaged in a boxing match (5:56). Schools in Singapore, which is the “melting pot of the Orient” (6:44). Closing credit (9:12).
Located strategically on the strait between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, Singapore came under British imperial rule in 1819 and went on to become one of the world’s greatest rubber markets and the site of Britain’s mighty navy base. In the early 20th century, the Singapore Strategy became a centerpiece of British foreign policy and defense strategy as the country’s geographic location made it an ideal base where the British could try and deter Japanese aggression. The country’s position on the Straits of Malacca also made it home to a diverse immigrant population of Chinese, East Indians, Malays, Javanese, and Eurasians living together giving it the nickname “the melting pot” between East and West.
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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, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
