DEATH VALLEY CENTENNIAL

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1949

Description:

This heat damaged, silent home movie shows images from the “Death Valley Centennial”. This event was hosted by actor James Stewart in Desolation Canyon and took place on December 3rd, 1949. From the 1948 to 1950, Californians held annual birthday parties for the state composed of cavalcades, exhibitions, parades and festivals in order to commemorate notable historic events which shaped history of the incredible Golden State. This includes the first gold discovery, the subsequent gold rush and later statehood. This particular year included a reenactment of the Manly Party 1849 Crossing. This took place as William Lewis Manly and John Rogers walked westward from Death Valley to San Fernando Valley in order to assist stranded comrades. Composer and conductor Ferde Grofe conducted a symphony orchestra for his own Death Valley Suite. The speech James Stewart initially planned for the event was to be read for a crowd of 5,000, however 65,000 ended up showing up!

Opening scenes show the stream of traffic and car jammed parking lot prior to the show (:08). Cars pull into a Richfield Service Station (:16). Hollywood stars touch down on the runway for the show (:26). Aerial views pass over the beach (:36) sunbathers and umbrellas fill the sand. Death Valley passes below (1:18). Pedestrians head for the show (1:47) quickly filling the stadium seats (2:50). Mayor Fletcher Brown arrives (3:10) and composer Ferde Grofe bends for the band (3:24). Jimmy Stewart then arrives to deliver his historic speech (3:48). The reenactment begins (5:09); covered wagons and pioneers cluster around the water. Wagons and horses drive forward (7:54). Close shots follow the covered wagons from the front view (9:49). Ridges cut over the mountains (11:34). Aerial shots pass over Death Valley (12:00). The pioneers head back for the covered wagons (12:10). The film concludes with stunning shots of the equines and pioneers crossing a high ridge (12:28).