This silent film “207 Comes to Town” was directed by Carroll R. Davidson and produced by the Minnesota Branch of the Prudential Insurance Co. of America, Mortgage Loan Department. The title of the film draws its name from Section 207 of the National Housing Act of 1934. This was part of the New Deal legislation which authorized mortgage insurance in order to make housing and home mortgages more affordable and stop the tide of bank foreclosures on family homes. The NHA created the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC). In 1938, Minneapolis, Minnesota’s Parklake development, on Lake Calhoun (now known as Bde Maka Ska Park), became one of the first projects funded under Section 207. Although the film refers to the building as the “Parklake”, it appears that the name was later changed to the Calhoun Towers and, in more modern times, The Original and West Lake Quarter Community. It was designed by Leon Arnal, principal designer from the firm Magney and Tusler.
The film follows the project from inception to occupancy, starting with shots of the development’s sign at 1:29. At 1:40, trees are cut down and cleared by the James Leck Co. contractors. At 2:24, a wall is painted and at 2:43, concrete bricks are laid, and foundations installed 3:07. At 4:01, lumber walls are shown going up, and at 4:28 bricks laid. At 4:40, planks are installed and at 5:13 concrete poured. At 6:41 an elevator is used to move concrete in wheelbarrows. At 8:00, 1930s cars line a street near the project. At 8:30 what appears to be a boiler is shown on the job site. At 10:00, bathtubs and sinks are installed. At 10:40, walls are plastered. At 10:55, mortar is moved by the bucket up to the higher stories of the development. At 11:40, a reel change from Part 1 to Part 2. At 12:06, the electrical wiring of the building is shown by Harris Brothers contractors. At 12:40, a surveyor is at work while excavations continue. At 13:00, another slab foundation is poured. At 13:47, steps are installed and at 14:00, painting. Landscaping is shown at 14:50. At 15:20 the sign for the Parklake, managed by Waterston, Inc. is seen.
At 15:30, color footage of the finished “Park Lake” development is shown, with a sign for Hallowell-Hanson and an address of 1515 Foshay Tower. At 16:30, children go down a slide at the park, others play on swings or in a sandbox.
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