Produced by M. Minter Culver in 1940-41, the “Story of Civilization” was a series of educational films intended to tell the story of mankind through the use of stock footage culled from industrial films. This episode “Story of the Oceans” used material supplied by the Panama-Pacific Steamship Company and numerous other companies.
Film starts with shots of a globe turning, oceans marked (0:21–0:53). “Chapter 1: Conquest of Fear” (1:15–6:37). Happy toddler by pool. Mother swimming with young children (1:35), splashing / laughing. A line of swimmers stands poolside, elaborate architecture behind. A woman appears in foreground on diving board; she demonstrates breaststroke in air; students mimic. Students lie on ground and practice scissor kick—“land practice” (1:42). Instructor jumps in pool, demonstrates breaststroke / breathing (2:07). Young boys swimming (2:21). Row of teenage boys dives from dock in sequence, arms linked (“chain dive”) (2:27–2:45). Champion swimmers featured: Johnny Weismuller (2:45–3:23) including tandem swimming with Martha Norelius (3:46–4:24), diver Helen Meany (4:24-4:52), diver Pete Desjardins (4:52–5:15). A woman dives from board, then “underwater swimming” (underwater camera). People swim after each other / through underwater hoop (5:45). Women release turtle from underwater trunk (6:16). “Chapter II: Creatures of the Sea” (6:37–14:31). Goggle-eye fish (7:03), gills (7:09), fish eating coral (7:15). Large eel by reef, eating (7:21). Wide-mouth fish lies in wait (7:45). Shark with remora sucker fish (7:53). Porpoises (“friends of the sailors”) dance near boat, clouds reflected (8:17). Tuna fishing boat (“chickens of the sea”): man throws bait, others use rods to yank in abundant fish, which pile on deck (8:39). Fisherman baits line with fish (9:45), catches giant sea bass. Fisherman holds open bass’ jaws (10:28). Caught shark writhes in rope. Sharks pulled onboard with difficulty (twisting to get free) (10:41–11:36). Closeup of dead shark jaw / teeth. Sucker fish removed from shark (11:50). Man looks out from deck (12:16). Multiple whales surface nearby (blowhole) (12:30). Fishermen load harpoon gun (12:32). Whale swims in waves. Man readies to shoot. Whale with harpoon attached dragged through waves to ship. Fisherman at stern points to something (13:06). Seals on rocky shore, baby seals in shallows (13:13–14:24). Sea elephant (4:10). “Chapter III: Achievement of Engineering” (14:31–25:00). Map of Panama. Vasco Núñez de Balboa statue (14:53). Tourists traverse ruins of old Panama City (15:02). Kids in New Panama City. People at work, women hanging clothes, men (possibly of South Asian descent) in head wraps chat in park. (16:33). Rural, mountainous landscape (15:41). Couples dance outside to accordion and percussion (16:51). Man cuts coconut (17:06). Panama canal construction (17:33). Heavy machinery (17:55), hill removal by water (18:1). Concrete walls (18:20). Explosion of final canal barrier (18:28). Theodore Roosevelt (18:45). Ship passes through canal (18:53). Elevations (19:27), marked: Colon and Cristobal, gate locks. Ship at lock gate (20:00), engineer operates buttons to open gate (20:12). Electric mules tow ship (20:39). Sped-up lock float process from ship’s viewpoint (22:01). Diagram of canal with Gatun Lake, continental divide, Gold Hill, Galliard cut (22:14) Ship passing Gatun Lake scenery, women lounge, passengers dine (22:28–24:07). Ship passes gates into Pacific Ocean (24:07–25:00). “Chapter IV: Victory of Science” (25:00–35:20). Pod of dolphins surfaces (25:1). Map of Newfoundland / Azores / Atlantic Ocean (25:17), deep sea Atlantic Cable line marked. Robert Bay, Newfoundland (25:30). Workers begin cable installation (25:39). Halifax Western Union Cable Ship SS Cyrus Field with cable passing through spools, buoy (26:04). Illustration: C.S. Dominica (“the largest cable-laying ship in the world”) in action. Cable spools, pay-off machine (26:00-29:23). Echo depth-finder (29:23), illustration: sound transmitter, sound waves, hydrophone.(30:03). Clouds gather (30:29), captain and first mate assess (30:34). Sailors awoken by “all hands on deck” (30:45–31:05). Ship workers climb ladders, work ropes, steer, tend engine; waves increase, cable is under stress (31:10–33:46). Captain smoking pipe (33:46). Windmill by rocky shore (34:00). Azores. Ship docks, cable prepared for onshore installation (34:17). Diagram of ship / Horta / distance, cable dropping to ocean floor (35:12). Story of Civilization logo.
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
