This black and white episode of the television series “Expedition!” entitled “The Frozen Continent” originally aired September 20, 1960, and follows the exploits of the United State’s Operation Deep Freeze II of 1957-1958, in which the first permanent base of U.S. operations, Ellsworth Station, was established on the continent of Antarctica. Narrated by the expedition’s leader, Captain Finn Ronne, USNR, we see men journeying by ship, arriving, and constructing Ellsworth Station. We also see them conducting experiments, maintaining the camp, chow time, and even leisure activities. In the second half of the program, we follow a summer traverse expedition as it roams and maps the ice-covered countryside, a C-47 transport plane as it resupplies Sir Vivian Fuchs Antarctic expedition, and a waddle of thousands of emperor penguins. Hosted by Col. John D. Craig, narrated and photographed by Capt. Finn Ronne, produced by V. Fae Thomas, written by P.T. Furst, directed by Lee Sholem, an Insight, Inc. production of an ABC Films Inc. presentation, copyright 1960

00:09 OPENING TITLES 00:46 Introduction by host Col. John D. Craig 02:11 Capt. Finn Ronne introduced 02:21 USS Staten Island (AGB-5) 02:35 USS Wyandot (AKA-92) 02:54 Map of Antartica showing route of approach to Edith Ronne Land 03:06 Staten Island and Wyndot in rough seas 03:30 Icebergs in the Weddell Sea 03:39 Pod of orcas 03:51 Ships move through pack ice 04:00 USN Bell H-13 Sioux helicopter fitted with pontoons lifts off from USS Staten Island, lands 04:33 USS Staten Island breaks ice, viewed from chair suspended from crane 05:06 Sailors on deck 05:15 USS Staten Island slams into pack ice wall, gets stuck 05:57 Sample brought up from seabed 06:32 Helicopter lands on USS Staten Island 06:42 Ronne disembarks from Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw helicopter (USN designation HO4S) 07:14 USS Wyndot unloads supplies 07:44 Caterpillar SD8-LGP bulldozer 07:51 Illinois Route 80 sign 07:57 Seabees assemble Ellsworth Station 08:16 Ellsworth Station sign, American flag raised 08:37 USS Staten Island departs 08:49 Supplies unpacked, construction continues 09:17 The Aurora Tower, man loads camera 09:39 Ellsworth Station from the air 09:51 Sun setting 09:57 Man monitors generators 10:11 Fuel drums dislodged 10:16 Men move in tunnels (“streets”) between buildings 10:46 Men arrive at chow 10:56 Man cooks steaks 11:14 Men eat, drink 11:25 Fresh baked bread sampled 11:44 Capt. Ronne’s quarters 12:03 Men conduct science experiments 12:53 Men at leisure; playing billiards, building a model ship, listening to records, painting a paint-by-numbers kit 13:15 Men get haircuts, read magazines 13:34 Col. Craig returns, commercial break 13:57 Explorers Club flag whipping in a storm 14:01 American flag raised 14:12 Tractors dislodge equipment from snow 14:21 Seal cow and pup 14:59 Man in cowboy hat rides seal 15:16 Radar dome, anemometer 15:22 Men launch weather balloon, study instrument panel and map 15:50 Tucker Sno-Cat and sled with electronic crevasse detectors 16:24 Man checks instrument outside Sno-Cat 16:53 Men dig pits, take core samples 17:10 Airplane flies over Sno-Cats, men read mail 17:29 Sno-Cat stuck in crevasse 17:51 U.S. Air Force Douglas C-47 Skytrain (R4D-5L variant) lands to help stranded traverse party 18:28 Men de-ice wings of C-47, load supplies 18:54 C-47 starts up, takes off 19:25 Vivian Fuchs expedition from the air 19:33 Sir Vivian Ernest Fuchs 19:54 Supplies unloaded 20:23 Waddle of emperor penguins; extensive penguin footage 22:12 U.S. Navy Sioux helicopter lands at Ellsworth Station 22:27 USS Wyndot gangway 22:32 Capt. Ronne speaks into ham radio, gangway lifted and ship departs 23:00 Col. Craig returns, signs off 24:00 CREDITS

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