[1939 HOME MOVIE SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES & CATALINA ISLAND CALIFORNIA TRIP]

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1939

Description: Created in 1939 by an unknown amateur filmmaker, this elaborate home movie shows a trip from Pike's Peak in Colorado to San Francisco and Los Angeles, California, including Catalina Island and the Santa Anita horse racing track. The film starts with images shot from Pike's Peak in January, 1939. At :29 are shots from a moving railway passenger train window. At :40 the Fisherman's Grotto Restaurant (established 1935) is shown at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. At :55 the SS Rialto, apparently part of the Wilson Line of ships, sits at the dock. At 1:05 a Coast Guard patrol boat the CG-412 is visible. This was an 80-foot cutter that was part of the "CG-400" series boats, and capable of making 26 knots. It was built by the Harbor Boat Bldg. Co.on Terminal Island and retired in 1947. At 1:16 Alcatraz Island is visible in San Francisco Bay. At 1:19 the Southern Pacific Golden Gate Ferries vessel "Santa Rosa" is visible. Santa Rosa was a Steel Electric-class ferry built in Alameda, California which is still active in the Bay Area. At 1:36 a view of the Oakland Bay Bridge, completed in 1936, and views of the city of San Francisco and Treasure Island with the Golden Gate Exposition site visible. At 2:01, views of the San Francisco World's Fair of 1939, including the Elephant Tower at 2:36. At 3:11 a Pan Am Clipper -- a Sikorsky S-40 -- is anchored off the island. At 3:21 an air show over the Bay. At 3:38 a rare view inside the Pan Am Airways hangar with a new Boeing 314 Flying Boat being serviced. At 4:05 the Japanese Pavilion is visible at the fairgrounds. At 4:25 the State of Johore Pavilion is visible. Johore is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula, followed by the Chile Pavilion sign, the Philippines. At 4:45 animals at a zoo are shown, at briefly at 4:47 what appears to be a massive ski slope covered in snow. At 4:51, scenes in Los Angeles including Broadway at 4:57 with trolley cars, the ocean at 5:08 and what might be the Santa Monica or Venice pier (?) which is visible at 5:20. At 5:32 a rare glimpse of what is apparently Los Angeles' "new" Chinatown when it really was new. (Note: The original Chinatown developed in the late 19th century, and was demolished to make room for Union Station, the city's major ground-transportation center. This neighborhood and commercial center, referred to as "New Chinatown," opened for business in 1938.) At 5:33, unidentified bell tower, at 5:58 views of Pershing Square and the Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel. At 6:18 views of what appears to be MacArthur Park (then called Westlake Park). At 6:35 are shots of a trip to Catalina Island, starting with shots from a moving ship of the Los Angeles harbor and the Los Angeles Harbor Light lighthouse at 7:10. At 7:19 the Avalon Casino is visible. At 7:33 the steamer SS Avalon is shown at dock. At 7:52 scenes in Avalon including some mariachis at the El Encanto Cafe and Shops complex at 163 Crescent Avenue. At 8:03 shots of aviaries at Catalina. At 8:12, mariachis perform for the camera. At 8:35 the sun sets over the Pacific. At 8:45 the film ends with views of the Santa Anita racetrack and various horse races.

Complete Record: Created in 1939 by an unknown amateur filmmaker, this elaborate home movie shows a trip from Pike's Peak in Colorado to San Francisco and Los Angeles, California, including Catalina Island and the Santa Anita horse racing track. The film starts with images shot from Pike's Peak in January, 1939. At :29 are shots from a moving railway passenger train window. At :40 the Fisherman's Grotto Restaurant (established 1935) is shown at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. At :55 the SS Rialto, apparently part of the Wilson Line of ships, sits at the dock. At 1:05 a Coast Guard patrol boat the CG-412 is visible. This was an 80-foot cutter that was part of the "CG-400" series boats, and capable of making 26 knots. It was built by the Harbor Boat Bldg. Co.on Terminal Island and retired in 1947. At 1:16 Alcatraz Island is visible in San Francisco Bay. At 1:19 the Southern Pacific Golden Gate Ferries vessel "Santa Rosa" is visible. Santa Rosa was a Steel Electric-class ferry built in Alameda, California which is still active in the Bay Area. At 1:36 a view of the Oakland Bay Bridge, completed in 1936, and views of the city of San Francisco and Treasure Island with the Golden Gate Exposition site visible. At 2:01, views of the San Francisco World's Fair of 1939, including the Elephant Tower at 2:36. At 3:11 a Pan Am Clipper -- a Sikorsky S-40 -- is anchored off the island. At 3:21 an air show over the Bay. At 3:38 a rare view inside the Pan Am Airways hangar with a new Boeing 314 Flying Boat being serviced. At 4:05 the Japanese Pavilion is visible at the fairgrounds. At 4:25 the State of Johore Pavilion is visible. Johore is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula, followed by the Chile Pavilion sign, the Philippines. At 4:45 animals at a zoo are shown, at briefly at 4:47 what appears to be a massive ski slope covered in snow. At 4:51, scenes in Los Angeles including Broadway at 4:57 with trolley cars, the ocean at 5:08 and what might be the Santa Monica or Venice pier (?) which is visible at 5:20. At 5:32 a rare glimpse of what is apparently Los Angeles' "new" Chinatown when it really was new. (Note: The original Chinatown developed in the late 19th century, and was demolished to make room for Union Station, the city's major ground-transportation center. This neighborhood and commercial center, referred to as "New Chinatown," opened for business in 1938.) At 5:33, unidentified bell tower, at 5:58 views of Pershing Square and the Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel. At 6:18 views of what appears to be MacArthur Park (then called Westlake Park). At 6:35 are shots of a trip to Catalina Island, starting with shots from a moving ship of the Los Angeles harbor and the Los Angeles Harbor Light lighthouse at 7:10. At 7:19 the Avalon Casino is visible. At 7:33 the steamer SS Avalon is shown at dock. At 7:52 scenes in Avalon including some mariachis at the El Encanto Cafe and Shops complex at 163 Crescent Avenue. At 8:03 shots of aviaries at Catalina. At 8:12, mariachis perform for the camera. At 8:35 the sun sets over the Pacific. At 8:45 the film ends with views of the Santa Anita racetrack and various horse races.