California’s Golden Beginnings

Year Published: 1949

Creator: Paramount Pictures Inc.

Complete Record: Recreates the colorful gold-rush chapter of California's history and shows subsequent development of the state. Opening shot of state seal of California then pan down to MS of man at a desk looking over papers on his desk. WS of two more men in room shaking hands with the man at the desk who is acting as the governor of California. After the men all sit down we MS of governor and the two other men as they discuss California’s centennial. The two men are ask the governor what is the most important historical event in California’s history. The governor responds with the discovery of gold in Sutter’s mill. Panning WS of all men getting up from chairs and the governor showing the men on a map where this event took place. The film then goes on to show natural beauty of California starting with three WS of sunsets in California: behind trees, mountains, and at a the beach. At this point music fades in with a chorus singing and a narrator describing the shots of nature and giving some brief insight on what is being shown. WS of a beach during the day with waves slowly lapping up on the shore. The next two shots start at high angles and slowly tilt from the top to the bottom of a red wood tree and of a water fall. The narrator mentions how man and nature have come together in California showing a panning WS of a monastery, rugged mountain landscapes, desert, and open grasslands. WS panning over several horses and covered wagons traveling through paths in a small valley. There is a MS of men working on a wagon wheel followed by a WS of several people, horses, and covered wagons crossing a rocky terrain on their way to California. There is a film dissolve to reveal a WS of Sutter’s fort with the narrator giving a brief history about the fort with a MS of the fort from ground level a close up of a seal or plaque located on the fort and finally MS of an office building where Sutter met with James Marshall. The film goes to an interior MS of Sutter seated wearing a dark colored jacket, but in more formal clothes and Marshall a man in dressed in dark green jacket has a beard and cowboy hat on and looks more rugged looking. The two discuss a lumber problem and the two decide on building a saw mill near a river the two shake hands, fade to black. Fade up to a WS of men constructing a wooden saw mill near a river. MS of the construction with men sawing, moving wooden planks and hammering in the background. Marshall walks into frame followed by another man and Marshall tells him that they need to use the river more to help with the construction, fade to black. The narrator comes back as the film fades up to the construction site again with a WS of Marshall walking through and kneeling down to the ground. CU of Marshall’s hands as he finds gold in the river bed where the construction is taking place. MS of Marshall walking around site and kneeling then a CU of his hands as he lets the gold fall from hand to the other cut back to a MS of Marshall and camera slowly moves closer into CU. Camera cuts away from Marshall as he shouts out his discovery to several other men at the construction site who then try to find their own gold, fade to black. Fade up to a WS of Marshall in Sutter’s office near the fireplace the camera pans with Marshall as Sutter enters the room. Marshall shows Sutter what he has found in the river and the gold is tested by the two men. CU of a chemical test with gold in a small bowl and the testing liquid is poured in and confirms that what was found was indeed gold. The two arise and Marshall leaves the frame leaving Sutter, as he sits back down in his chair the narrator mentions Sutter’s doubts of the future of his project with gold being found, fade to black. Fade back up to the saw mill under construction, cut to WS of Sutter standing above men saying that this discovery must kept quite. The men agree to keep what they find while finishing the saw mill, fade to black. WS interior Sutter’s office and several Indians are seated. A contract is signed for some land and Sutter sends one of the construction workers with the contract to be validated. Dissolve to WS interior bar where the man sent mentions the gold discovery. WS of Sutter in office and he finds out that other know about the gold found in the river. Montage of several MS of men talking about gold. WS of horses and covered wagons crossing grassy plane, followed by several shots of people rushing to get to California by horse and covered wagon. WS of debris scattered over a grassy landscape. Narrator comes on about the positive aspects of finding gold in California showing a WS of Washington Monument, WS of crowds cheering on trains, dissolve to WS over San Francisco with bay bridge inn background, dissolve to WS of cattle in field, orange fields, vineyard, grain fields, dams, and oil derricks. Dissolve to WS panning over city, dissolve to children playing at school, WS of other school buildings. WS of Colma valley and ends with a WS of a James Marshall monument.