This wonderful home movie from the 1940s shows a trip to California including Palm Springs, Los Angeles and Catalina Island. It also includes footage of a trip on the famed Coast Daylight passenger train and a tour bus.

The film begins with footage of a group of women boarding a Union Pacific passenger train. At (:24) a soldier or airman is visible, indicating this is probably a wartime film. At (:30) a Black Pullman porter is seen assisting passengers. At (:36) the North Platte, Nebraska passenger station is shown followed by POV footage from the moving train of mountainous scenery. At (1:16) the Olympic Hotel located at 725 S Westlake Ave in Los Angeles is shown and across the street, the Highland Hotel. At (1:39) the exterior of Clifton’s Pacific Seas Cafeteria is shown located at 618 South Olive Street in Los Angeles and founded what his customers referred to as “The Cafeteria of the Golden Rule”. (Patrons were obliged to pay only what they felt was fair, according to a neon sign that flashed “PAY WHAT YOU WISH.”) Note the touring bus visible in the front of the restaurant, as this will be how the people who shot the movie get around for the next segments. At (1:57) is shots of Santa Monica beach from the Palisades, with the Pacific Coast Highway visible. The building on the far right appears to be the Hearst Beach House. At (2:21) a trip to Catalina Island aboard the steamer SS Avalon. Some footage is blown out but the town and Casino is visible as well as footage of parrots (3:35) and an ostrich. At (4:15) what appear to be shots of the San Fernando Valley and farmland. At (4:42), the tour bus loads up its passengers for another destination. At (4:47) the Santa Barbara Mission is shown. At (5:31) a sign for the Mission on the El Camino Real followed by images of the grounds. At (6:48) shot of the Pacific Daylight passenger train as it winds up the coast. At (7:35) it passes the passenger station at Santa Barbara. At (7:55) the railroad station at San Luis Obispo is shown, with a cafe and coffee shop visible. At (8:42) the locomotive of the Coast Daylight is visible and it gives an idea how long this train really was — dozens and dozens of passenger cars! At (10:24), the sign of the Palm Springs Hotel. At (11:06) the golf course at the hotel. At (11:41) front of the hotel with sign visible. At (13:08) sign for the St Frances S Stevens School, now a cultural art center located at 550 N Palm Canyon Dr. At (13:20) what appears to be shots of downtown Palm Springs with a Date Shop and the Royal Palms visible. At (13:35) a beach view of what is probably San Diego harbor with many Navy ships visible. At (13:50) a billboard for Sunny Brook liquor is visible over the buildings. At (14:10) a sign for the U.S. Grant Hotel located at 326 Broadway, San Diego. At (14;20) a man, possibly the filmmaker, poses for the camera. At (14:35) the Hotel Del Coronado hotel on Coronado Island is shown, as well as a marina for the hotel (14:33). At (14:48) Ramona’s Marriage Place, a famous tourist attraction in San Diego’s Old Town, is shown. At (15:34) shots in San Juan Capistrano including the Mission, concludes the film.

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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