PROGRESS PARADEHISTORY OF GASOLINE & OIL IN USA

[Music] progress parade brings you a collection of true stories of america at work this is the story of a romantic young man born too soon bill thompson has just married carol cook the prettiest girl in town and he's pretty proud of his roadster which will carry them off on a glorious honeymoon [Music] and if a few tin cans and shoes drag along with an embarrassing sign well bill's too happy to care let the fellows have their fun he's on his way to a happy honeymoon it's a thrilling sensation to be hurtling along the road at 25 miles an hour with your own fair lady sparkling in the sun but in these days a country road is like a trackless waste with no friendly service stations at convenient locations to help you in time of need and when your engine starts to splutter and your wife starts to mutter well billy boy you're in trouble but bill is the confident type he's got everything under control there's a reserve can of gasoline strapped to the running board so don't worry about a thing he tells his wife as he lifts the front seat to get at the fuel tank picks up the reserve can of gasoline and nothing he'd forgotten to fill it the last time this happened a half an hour later bill's happy honeymoon is beginning like this and if this is romance bill thinks it's for the birds country which began with the development of the internal combustion engine in 1879 by george selden now builds millions of cars each year for america's mobile population and the oil and automobile industries have cooperated over the years in developing more efficient engines and fuels for the american motorist millions of dollars in research have been spent to develop today's high octane gasoline for example it has been estimated that it costs the oil industry almost 200 million dollars each time the octane rating of gasoline is raised just one point but high octane gasoline and the thousands of service stations throughout the country have given the american family a new freedom the freedom to go wherever they desire swiftly and comfortably and without the worry that plagued motorists 40 years ago [Music] that's right dad we don't want to run out of gas like a certain fellow i know i wish i'd never told them that story they'll never forget it i won't even the seneca indians who made their home in pennsylvania in the early 1800s used to splash through a mysterious oily substance that bubbled from underground the indians thought this was heap good medicine and many a [ __ ] used it to ease the pain when her warrior hurt him bad news of this strange medicine quickly spread a businessman named samuel kear heard about it and started bottling it as a medication for sale around the country kier called it rock oil and advertised it as a cure for almost every and any ailment then the man who was to revolutionize a century heard of the new substance edwin l drake a retired railroad conductor was assigned in 1858 as general agent of the seneca oil company and told to investigate the land holdings of the company near titusville pennsylvania to see if he could obtain oil in large quantities to be sold as an illuminant for lamps through ridicule and lack of capital drake persevered but he soon realized that oil could not be found by digging and there was no market for mud [Music] so he tried drilling his driller was a blacksmith called uncle billy smith but for a long time all the drill bit found was more mud old-fashioned methods of drilling wouldn't work until drake thought of drilling through pipe a method which is still used today drilling three feet a day they reach 69 feet on august 27 and then quit for the weekend still without oil hold on a second [Music] take a look down there soon you see anything no gosh time we get this official ah wait wait wait wait dude [Applause] [Music] so run quick to town find colonel drake and tell him we struck oil go on run run [Applause] [Music] this year the oil companies celebrate the 100th anniversary of that great moment in man's history the drilling of the first well for oil which ushered in a new era of abundant low-cost energy that changed our way of life improved our standard of living and set the stage for the greatest period of industrial and economic growth in the history of mankind the story of drake and his backers is a story of free enterprise in the american way braving hardships and the risk of financial disaster the oil pioneers gambled and won today that spirit of enterprise is still america's greatest asset but nowadays finding oil is a far more costly business than in colonel drake's day colonel drake had to pay uncle billy approximately a dollar a foot for a well less than 70 feet deep today most of the oil near the surface has been discovered and oil men must sometimes drill as deep as 25 000 feet it costs as high as 110 dollars per foot and drilling in the ocean offshore adds fantastic amounts to the investment but men with the spirit of edwin l drake are still drilling risking their personal resources to find and bring the precious oil to the surface to continue to build america's economy the lindy hop the charleston and the black bottom were some of the most popular dances ever known in the roaring 20s they were all the rage and so was a man called lindy who made a historic hop of his own [Music] before charles lindbergh brave men had been experimenting with flight a long time most of them didn't even get off the ground and the ones who did often regretted it the flight of the wright brothers culminated man's search for a flying machine that worked but the man who was to dramatize the potentials of flight did not move into the spotlight until 1927. in that year lindbergh climbed into a frail little plane and took off from roosevelt field long island new york when he landed in paris lindy was exhausted and world famous the first man to fly across the atlantic alone today we've come a long way from the days of lindy's solo flight his plane the spirit of saint louis looks tiny and primitive compared to the huge modern jets which crisscross the atlantic daily and the gasoline which carried lindbergh across the ocean would not run your own automobile satisfactorily in fact today's gasoline is the same quality of fuel which powered airplanes in world war ii yet since the middle twenties the cost of living has risen almost sixty five percent while the cost of a gallon of gasoline has risen only about seven percent not including taxes based on the national average not including taxes you'd only be paying approximately 21 and a half cents a gallon today so remember the next time you take your car out for a little trip to the neighborhood grocery you've got more power in your gas tank than lindbergh had to carry him across the atlantic yet gasoline prices have changed very little since the days of the lindy hop december 7th 1941 a date which will live in infamy in the smoke which hung over pearl harbor during the japanese attack one important fact was obscured the japanese caused heavy damage but they missed the most important target of all the oil supplies the loss of this oil would have prevented our forces from counter-attacking and victory would have been delayed for many months but the oil supplies were saved and we were able to mount the counter-attack which eventually led to victory in the pacific military men know how important oil is in warfare look at the normandy invasion will show how oil played a vital role aiding our fighting men in every phase of the attack [Music] the bombers could not have flown without high octane gasoline without oil the huge ships could not have moved across the channel to disembark the troops ashore the armored divisions each use 60 000 gallons of gasoline a day oil was everywhere fueling ships at sea providing vehicles with the gas they needed to keep going in battle and even in the form of medicines helping the wounded at the beginning of the war admiral chester nimitz said that winning was a matter of beans bullets and oil by the war's end he had changed that statement now he said it's oil bullets and beans and general george marshall added his tribute no plane has failed to fly no ship has failed to sail for lack of oil faced with the tremendous needs for fuel the oil companies responded and made certain that oil was on the spot wherever needed today the military story shows an even more urgent need for oil modern jet bombers consume much more fuel than the old-fashioned propeller planes and oil-derived products power the missiles which are becoming our first line of defense the defense of this nation depends to a great degree upon the oil that can be found to fuel its machines and weapons new fields must constantly be found and developed so that in the event of a national emergency america would know not just hope that she had enough oil available faced with this responsibility oil companies must continue to invest in the risky business of searching for oil today only one out of nine wildcat wells drilled has oil and only one out of about 50 brings in enough oil or gas to make the strike commercially profitable but oil must be found if americans are to be prepared in the event of another day of infamy [Music] there's no business like show business and the movie industry is no exception here on this sound stage every detail appears with compelling realism thanks to a fascinating combination of many talents and materials cut calls the director at the end of a take then he checks a potted plant of ivy to improve the decor of a scene looks like real ivy doesn't it well it isn't this and much of the foliage you see in films is made with an oil-derived plastic ever wonder how fog or mist gets in movie scenes obviously you can't bottle it and bring it in the answer is a fog making device such as this that expels fine droplets of petroleum to swirl around the set and what would a cloak and dagger opera be without cobwebs here they are created with an intriguing mechanism using petroleum products confidentially this mechanism has turned hollywood spiders into a bunch of shiftless loafers the makeup man also has a wide variety of oil-derived products at his disposal in addition to the many forms of grease paints rouges lipsticks shadows and mascaras to help him achieve a dramatic effect he also works with special petroleum plastics to create or change a face using a mask base such as this thus the normal pleasant face of the actor is transformed into a grotesque one perfect for the part thanks to petroleum and the talents of the makeup artists and here's the end result how the actual scene will look in theaters for an eerie mystery drama with petroleum's assist to movie-making it all adds up to entertainment by the [Applause] barrel this is vacation time in 1917 40 long years ago and here we are the whole family getting started this year we intend to travel the easy way and make the entire trip by automobile ah how easy how simple it is baggage is no problem providing you enough oops enough for it too food for the journey is neatly packed in an appropriate hamper too heavy and burdensome for mother to carry it's a big hamper but then we'll need a lot of food after all from home to the lake is 200 miles and that's a pretty long journey in 1970 now we're about ready to depart of course we don't have a self-starter in 1917 to start the engine but the car can be started with the coordination of mom and with plenty of determination by dad just a few simple turns of the crank and there you are all a man needs is the strength of hercules and the courage of a lion for about all the auto tourists can expect to find in the open road is dust or mud yes sir it takes a real man to face this unknown in 1917 it takes a real man also to know what's wrong when the engine begins to sputter and die because service stations are few and far between [Music] we're out of gasoline it's as simple as that or is it because the gasoline of 1917 is apt to contain impurities even water the truly efficient motorist of this era always carries a piece of chamois as standard equipment to strain the fuel incidentally this 1917 gasoline would be completely inadequate for today's automobiles soon again we're off ah the speed the eve the convenience of it all every member of the family every piece of baggage transported from door to door except of course when they're faced with a steep hill what goes up must come down which is what we do backwards you see we just don't have the power we need [Music] so it's everybody out to help unload for another try at the steep grade such good fun and so relaxing [Music] later to our horsepower we must add woman and children power too dad finally makes it carrying the baggage up the hill the old-fashioned way it takes a mighty strong man to travel by auto in this day and age but we get there finally it takes us two whole days mind you to travel 200 miles but we made it ah but next day vacation time blooms in earnest for every member of the family no one has a worry in the world no one well you see there are no service stations around here in 1917 so dad makes his own repairs and motor tune-up for the eventual trip back home yes vacation time 1917 provides fun for everyone almost everyone that is now it's vacation time 1957 and here we are the entire family about to leave for our favorite lake we travel by car of course as we always do today's light durable plastic luggage makes loading the car a snap and the roomy interior of today's cars provides more than enough space for vacation needs we've come a long way in automobile travel since 1917 family comfort assured with tough plastic seat covers able to take any kind of a beating no fuss no bother just the fun of getting started for mother well she always says that driving to the lake is the happiest part of her vacation dad has to agree happy because of the economy of vacation travel by car he knows that with today's gasoline he is driving one of america's best bargains we've come a long way since 1917 in the improvement of automobiles and the fuels that power them for instance today's regular gasolines are as good as the premium fuels of only five years ago and today's premium gasolines are as powerful as those used in our combat aircraft in the last war so we climb hills as though our car had wings choice of roots is easy and sure especially with the individually prepared map and touring services provided by oil companies if desired side trips and scenic areas are indicated on the maps for the enjoyment of the whole family and no matter where we travel over the wide smooth asphalt highways that crisscross the nation we are never far from one of the thousands of service stations operated by independent businessmen who are mighty proud of the services they provide even prouder of the products they sell for today's gasoline is the biggest bargain on our vacation budget approximately two cents a mile including federal and state gasoline taxes and everybody travels for the price of one service stations are handy places for information of local interest such as the location of beauty spots and the places where fish are big and hungry refueled and refreshed we're on our way again and before we know it here we are at our favorite lake the 200 miles traveled comfortably in a matter of hours where we drive and our vacation is of course up to us for in this great land of ours there is a favorite vacation spot for everyone and it is significant to remember that in our country the only passport required for travel is a driver's license [Music] so [Music] progress parade brings you a collection of true stories of america at work oil is where you find it and you sometimes find it in the strangest places one of the most unusual places oil has been found is in the backyard of the movie capital of the world hollywood here at the 20th century fox studio in west los angeles california the main order of business as we all know is movie making [Music] this is where great extravaganzas are put on film for all of us to enjoy at the moment a procession of costume players rehearses a complicated scene of a fabulous musical one of the tallest stars in this movie lot is not an actor or an actress and very few people have even heard about it it's an oil drilling rig that's completely soundproof entirely encased in a modern plastic material so that no drilling sounds are hurt outside the ring in addition to the huge investment in drilling an oil well this costly soundproofing shows how far oil companies go to consider the needs of other industries the giant door similar to those in motion picture sound stages is closed so that the drilling operation may continue without interrupting or disturbing a dramatic scene in the making while the actors emote the petroleum operation continues and neither interferes with the other oil is found in the most peculiar places and finding it is a free and open challenge to anyone who is willing to take the chance try his luck and risk his money but remember oil is where you find it [Music] this is material on which some unusual underground detective work is being performed the material is a sample of rock strata taken from the depths of the earth [Music] and this is a special underground detective agent you might say although he is by profession a skillful highly trained geologist who specializes in paleontology the rock known as a core sample was brought out of the ground by an oil drilling rig using a special bit the drilling operation has gone on for several weeks and has reached a depth of more than a mile how much deeper should they drill are they coming closer to oil to help answer these questions the thousands of feet of drill pipe must be brought up and stacked in the derrick and then lowered again with a special bit so that a core sample may be cut at the bottom of the hole and then brought up for examination and study in a nearby field laboratory petroleum's underground detective starts his third degree on the sample and by the time he is through he will make the rock reveal a fascinating story of what the surface of the earth was like millions of years ago scrapings from the rock contain tiny fossils the prehistoric remains of minute shellfish and one-celled animals the fossils called for aminifera or forearms provide clues to help the geologist determine the age of the underground formations here are some of the fossils most of them are smaller than a grain of sand under higher magnification however they become recognizable as marine life like little seashells [Music] uncounted trillions of these tiny creatures swarmed in the warm shallow seas that covered much of the earth's surface millions of years ago they filtered down to the bottom of seas and were incorporated in layers of silt the silt piled up over a vast period of time and was compressed into layers of rock the type of rock from which the core sample is taken it is thought that petroleum was formed at a certain age from the remains of the foraminifera upheavals within the earth or of the earth's crust form traps in which oil accumulated scientific analysis of foraminifera is representative of the many modern scientific advances brought about by free competition among the nation's privately owned oil companies this unique underground detective work is undertaken to help obtain more petroleum to serve all america through a study of core samples taken from the depths of the earth this is my magic suitcase in it are about 2400 products of petroleum products we all use every day the suitcase itself is made of petroleum and everything in it was once crude oil locked far beneath the surface of the earth for example here are a pair of nylons like the ones i'm wearing as a matter of fact i'm dressed entirely in oil in new fabrics developed from petroleum in our homes there are hundreds of petroleum derived products from drapes to detergents to plastic refrigerator bags and they're all right here but for the moment we're going to talk about one part of the magic suitcase story and that's petroleum's aid to glamour have you ever thought how women in past ages work to beautify themselves let's suppose for instance we were living in a time before the use of petroleum say in egypt of cleopatra whether or not you agree that i resembled the fabulous cleopatra the point is that she used eye shadow black above and green below wrinkle removers hair and bathing lotions all made from vegetable oils and animal fats the big drawback was that the oils and fats had an offensive odor so she had to apply perfume to camouflage the disagreeable smell perfume made by the priests which was one of the high dark arts [Music] in roman times a young matron had the cosmetic arts of the whole world at her disposal and her makeup was correspondingly elaborate she used hair bleach and oils eye shadow lip and chic rouge face powder creams and perfume her cosmetics were made with animal fats too combined with a metallic substance usually lead so you can imagine what it did to her skin [Music] later in the 18th century french court marie antoinette used a lotion of talc buttermilk and honey to form a kind of mask rouge powder and eye makeup were applied on top of the mask then the veins in the temples were penciled a light blue to show the difference between a blue blood and the vulgar red-blooded commoners well here i am back in modern times and let me remind you those cosmetics of yesteryear not only smell bad but very often were harmful to the skin it got so that by victorian times nice girls didn't use any makeup at all just soap and rice powder then about 1890 a chemist thought of using petroleum white oils as a cosmetic base and a whole new era of beauty was born today's petroleum-based cosmetics have three wonderful advantages that ladies of past history never dreamed of convenience of application built-in skin care and durability of wear of the pleasingly scented beauty aids once they are applied cold cream was the first of a whole host of petroleum-based products and here's a modern indispensable item that many women say is the most important beauty aid they have lipstick once it's on it must stay put through eating and kissing science and industry have teamed up with a quality known as free enterprise to bring modern serviceable lipsticks to us all about 2400 petroleum-based products are in use today and touch every aspect in our lives we've only discussed a few of them in the cosmetics line the rest of them are all around us in our living rooms in our kitchens and in our transportation and that explains the magic in the magic suitcase beauty aids and a standard of living that would make cleopatra a little wild-eyed with envy one of the great advantages in this land of ours is that we are free to go where we want when we want we are a nation on wheels and wherever we go there is always available the fuel to power our cars the gasoline we get in service stations such as this typical of the kind in moscow idaho whatever the needs of your car just name it gasoline sure tailor made for the season climate and whatever make or age your car might be american service station ingenuity born of free enterprise abounds with services check the water but of course service without having to ask for it it is one of the most important products of the modern independent dealers in america who operate our service stations check the oil naturally all a matter of established service and practice check the battery you bet and don't forget the tires this kind of complete service is so accepted by us in fact that few of us ever think about it twice but let's go from this station typical of those in moscow idaho usa to the ussr to see what kind of service you get in a gasoline station in that other moscow this exclusive film reveals for the first time an inside look at a soviet service station in moscow this is one of the five service stations in the capital of the soviet union a city of 5 million people the station features such attractions as a self-service pump an attendant whose only job is to collect government gasoline coupons and one brand of gasoline buying gasoline for a moscow citizen is a complicated affair first he must buy coupons from the government in order to buy any gasoline at all different cars in the russian capital take different types of gasoline but each moscow service station carries only one type so our moscow motorist can only go to the station that carries gasoline for his particular car since this is the only gasoline his coupons will buy at the moscow service station the motorist must first sign his coupon and give it to the attendant usually a woman then the motorist takes the hose from the pump and fills the tank himself in the soviet union the motorist provides his own service grims and bears it because there's nothing he can do about it and if his car breaks down he must fix it himself or find a garage all of this is how the motorist is served in the ussr there is however one consolation the average russian motorist has for this grade of government service there aren't really enough privately owned cars in soviet russia for it to make much difference anyway yes it's a long way from the russian service station behind the iron curtain to the one at any crossroads in the usa and the distance is measured in more than just miles america's competing oil companies vie for the american motorists business every day in every way just one of the big differences between life in soviet russia and in this land of [Music] ours [Music] you