REDWOOD SAGA LOGGING CALIFORNIA'S GIANTS OF ANTIQUITY

Year Published: 1946

Description:

“Redwood Saga” is a retro silent about the redwood lumber industry of northern California. The 1946 educational short shows stunning shots of the loading, transportation, mill sawing and finishing operations required for lumbering massive redwoods from California forests. These historic giants are a rare breed; and rather dangerous to cut, making the footage itself historic. It is a Guy D. Haselton Travelettes (:12). Black and white footage swings in as a tree tips over (:46). The history of the redwood trace to prehistoric eras (1:05). The origin of the name is discussed (1:27). Wawona is the best known big tree of Yosemite National Park (1:52). Qualities, characteristics (2:11) and uses for the tree (2:36) are discussed. A wooden faced building crafted from redwood follows (2:45). Lumber yard employees hack at wood with an axe (2:55). Stacks of lumber await shipment (3:09). A white chapel stands erected from redwood lumber (3:15). Fuzzy images of the antique interior follow (3:24). Beautiful shots watch a 1946 Chrysler run over a street cutting through a redwood forest (3:33). Preparatory measures for logging are featured (3:56). Steam trains (4:08) stand in the middle of a lumber yard. A high line sky rigger carries logs by cable (4:20). The aerial lumber jack tops selected tall trees (4:33). A white axe cuts into a redwood (4:39). The logger shimmies up the thick tree base (5:04). He hacks an axe into the top of the tree (5:23) leaving a fat white smile. A toothy thin center remains as he continues to cut around the center of the tree (5:32). The logger waves as the tree snaps off (5:51). The rigging slinger goes aloft to attach cables (5:54). The logger is pulled up (6:03) the red wood. A cluster of wood swings over ground by crane (6:15). Shots show a logger throwing axe hacks at the base of a redwood as the camera view pans up (6:49). A logger work with a large gun stick in order to guide the tree to fall in the right direction (7:25). The giant tips (7:36). A note reminds viewers of the rich history of the redwood (8:10). A logger on wooden planks sticks a saw through the middle (8:32) and the fat tree falls (8:50). A Caterpillar diesel tractor ‘cat logs’ (9:12). They pull the wide loads down the thick wooded hill (9:32). Steam trains (9:53) crane up the wood for transit. A man peers through a set of 1940’s binoculars (10:52). Logs are cut down and set into stacks (11:06). The logs move down a cart running over specialized railroad tracks (11:13). A steamer burns over a bridge for the logging mill (11:45). Two loggers work; one with a double sided saw (12:06) and the other with an axe. A logger on a stage pounds in wedges with a sledge hammer (12:19). Wedges protect the saws. A pair begin sawing (12:33). One makes a quick sprint from the prehistoric tree as it begins to crack and fall (12.42)