YESTERDAY'S NEWSREEL - TOKYO AIR RAID DRILL PRESIDENT COOLIDGE FLAPPER FASHIONS

Television highlights of the news of yesteryear. Try out for terror in Tokyo. The planes and the people are real, but the raid is a mere rehearsal for war, or it's just 1934 as bombs burst and fires burn in Kyoto, Japan. With world at peace, Nippon prepares for war and for attack by nations which perhaps the land of the rising sun is already prepared to beat down. Yes, this is just 1934 and American bombing planes are not to appear in force in Japanese skies for a full decade to come. Doolittle and his 30 seconds over Tokyo are an undreamed of thing. Yet Japanese guns bomb a barrage of steel and planes that could be bombed. These are friendly aircraft and this is merely practice. But for what? For war and Nipponese made enemies to come. Destruction of such property as this is not part of pageant in the name of peace, but preparedness for war. The wounded here are only make-believe. Yet in spite of planning and preparedness, Japan still was able to make the world believe that there was no danger of global aggression from this land of picturesque pagodas and peace. Then came Pearl Harbor and the real thing. It's 1923 and here at Long Beach, California, bearded Albert DeWinton shows what it means to be tied up in work. To give him higher half but dropped into the drink, railroad bridge is raised. Look closely among girders of rising structure and you'll see handcuffed and bound DeWinton ready for the jump. And now, jumping. And here's the self-styled wonder backstroking toward the beach. Hey, what happened to that rope and those handcuffs? And the suit? Well, he didn't lose his hat or his hat. It's August 1924 and President Calvin Coolidge signs family heirloom as he plays host to such notables as Thomas Edison, Harvey and Russell Firestone, and magnate Henry Ford. Following the chief executive's lead, Ford signs the ancient sap bucket, too. While Edison proves his original movie camera works, hostess at historic gathering is Grace Coolidge, first lady of the land. Out in New York, it's 2nd of July, 1927 and here's first train of brand new New York, Westchester and Boston Railroad as it pulls into main station. Designed as swift and most modern of commuter trains, Westchester and Boston is welcome addition to then travel troubled suburbanites of swank Westchester County and environs. Company officials plan faster travel and more frequent service for workers who must train from home to office. And right of way is laid along shortest distance between two points. First train over tracks is on schedule and passengers on initial run seem pretty happy to be taking the maiden trip. At West Street Station, first run of railroad discharges passengers. This didn't happen often, for on January 1st, 1938, railroad ran out of passengers, money, and business. Here's motion picture director Victor Schertzinger on sandy side of his shack at Malibu Beach. It's 1931 and the brilliant director of Grace Moore's One Night of Love can't get a bit of emotion out of his two daughters, but he is not at all camera shy. Here are pictures which were part of every newsreel in 1923. For here's wedding of 17-year-old heiress Gloria Gould at New York's St. Bartholomew's Church on ultra swank Park Avenue. Following nuptials, Gloria and husband Henry Bishop appear at Sherry's for wedding breakfast. And 17-year-old Gloria is in all her glory as the new Mrs. Henry Bishop. Men at Malibu. Maybe you guessed it, maybe you didn't, but here in 1931 are Jackie Coogan and his brother Bob. But do you know which one is which? Well, the one with the Coogan haircut isn't Jackie. Jackie's the old man in the sailor suit, the kid and his kid brother. It's 3rd of September, 1935 and settlements of Key West, Florida are a shambles. Hit by winds of hurricane, island communities are wrecked. And here's closer view of damage. Hardly anything is left standing in one piece. Automobiles are damaged beyond repair as wind in excess of 100 miles an hour whipped out of tropic skies to toss this train from its tracks. Crush this house and leave hundreds homeless or injured or both. Early reports declared scores were either dead or missing. Some crushed under crumbling homes, many more killed by flying trees, timber, and heavy debris. Injured had to wait long, painful hours for aid to come across still stormy seas and some died while waiting. It's 1925 and in St. Louis, Missouri, monkeys in the zoo get a quarter million dollar home. That's really living in style. Opening of new home calls for official dinner and this sad-faced chimpanzee represents monkeys grateful for their mansion. Seated next to zoo director, chomping chimp gives good account of himself and no doubt takes back to his curly-tailed constituents good account of what he ate and drank. Flapper fashion. Here in the days of bootleg booze and bobbed hair, high skirts and a low IQ are very much the fashion. Don't let the teacups fool you. With smoking a newly acquired art, or rather a newly won freedom, Floppy and Flora flappers sported all the latest gadgets for lighting up. In fact, they had almost everything but a match. Notice Floppy flapper's shirt and tie and the pockets in her belt. This gives you an idea just how far equality could go in the early days of women's suffrage. Here's one of the reasons for short skirts of the time. You couldn't very well reach for a cigarette lighter at the knee if you were wearing skirts to the ankle. And think of the fire hazard of a hemline to the floor. If Flora flapper's slip shows, it's because she doesn't want mother to know she smokes. But this girl's feather in her cap is a cigarette holder in her hat. And that's one way to let smoking go to your head. Airlift, 1937. In Rochester, England, giant British flying boat rises from waters of its base carrying smaller aircraft on its back. It's historic test of midair launching of planes in quest of greater distances for non-stop flight. Big plane is type used by Britain's overseas airlines and small plane is no flying flivver. And big step is taken in man's prowess as flyer as little flying boat steps off transport's back and takes to wings of his own. Memorial Day masterpiece. It's 31st of May, 1926, and preliminary festivities are over. Daredevil drivers roll to start of Memorial Day race at famed Indianapolis Speedway. Among starters is 23-year-old Frank Lockhart driving in his first important contest against some of the greatest names in auto racing, and the vaunted veterans are seeing something called speed. And Lockhart thrills the crowd as he streaks lap after lap of the oval track at more than 90 miles an hour. This is just 1926, when few go 90 and live. To make time even more terrific, it's raining, and track is dangerously wet. A spin here means disaster and maybe death. After nearly 400 miles at breakneck average of nearly 95 miles an hour, Lockhart leads nearest rival by five full miles, and officials scan the sky and look at the rain-drenched track. Wonder how long it will take for speed and a skid to produce an accident. So, at 400 miles, race is called off, and Frank Lockhart, the winner, deserves to smile. The marvelous Miss Madison. It's 1931, and Miss Helene Madison can't break a swimming record unless she wants to crack a few of her own. And here, at the AAU National Championships, the 18-year-old Helene is doing just that. Gliding across the pool like a mermaid complete with propeller, Miss Madison swims away from her rivals in new world record time. In fact, by November 31, she'd broken 10 records, held 16 swimming titles.