GREAT CITIES - MEGALOPOLIS

Year Published: 1963

Description:

This 1963 film "The Middle Atlantic Seaboard Region: Great Cities Megalopolis" depicts the growing cities interconnected in the Middle Atlantic Region of the United States. As populations increase, the larger cities and smaller interconnected cities attach to create a sort of large city known as Megalopolis. Clyde F. John was a geographer and notable author (:14) at the time operating out of the Department of Geography in the State University of Iowa (:13). The middle Atlantic seaboard (:31) is highlighted on a map. Larger cities such as Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia are noted (:42) as well as smaller cities including Camden and Trenton (:48). Suburbs and towns dot the spaces in between (:55). The term ‘megalopolis’ is broken down (1:09). Scenes of the megalopolis’ early origin appears (1:23). Modern images show barges on the river; traditionally rivers operated as main highways (1:32). Philadelphia (1:46) city scrapers cut over the Delaware River. Baltimore (1:52) follows on the Patapsco. Merchant vessels unload cargo at the port (2:11). A large black and white ferry liner swims in (2:17). New York’s shipping port (2:28) is notably one of the greatest in the world. The middle Atlantic megalopolis produces and distributes much of the goods used globally (2:55). Fashion show. Clothes buyers sit cross legged with clipboards (3:18) as they preview new fashion styles for local stores. Industry of megalopolis is explored. Workers at an electronics assembly plant fashion components for radio sets (3:36). Stacks of pencils (3:44) are pumped out on the assembly line. Crated eggs are stacked up (3:53). Whole eggs run down the conveyor belt (3:59) for a machine which cracks them with ease (4:09). Jars of mayonnaise are capped and sealed (4:19). Hamburger patty meat runs down the belt at a meat packing plant (4:34). Packaged foods are craned up for transport overseas (4:50) at the shipping yard (4:56). The NS Savannah (4:58); the first atomic merchant ship under construction outside the city of Philadelphia. An aerial shot of the city and port follow (5:08). Red hot steal spills around in a steel mill (5:26) at Sparrows Point in Baltimore. Hot steel plates are pictured (5:41). A petroleum refinery (5:52). Oil is brought into the city by ocean tankers (5:56), railroad tank cars and pipeline. Raw material is scooped up by industrial machinery for building construction (6:19). Construction workers hammer on metal atop a skyscraper (6:26). Major headquarters in megalopolis include the McGraw Hill building, RCA, US Rubber Company (6:41), Columbia Pictures (6:43) and the Diamond National building (6:46). Clerical workers man cubicles (6:54). An automatic typewriter operates as a printer or teletype (7:02). Taxi cabs pull from the curb on Wall Street (7:10). A thick steel safe door is pushed shut at a bank (7:21). Stock brokers of Wall Street (7:32). Suburban homes (8:10). Suburbia offers a change from the busy city life. Budd style electric trains cart suburban commuters to work in the city (8:35). Pedestrians fill the sidewalks (8:46). Transportation within the city is discussed including city bus lines (8:50), PCC trolley cars (8:53), ferry boats (8:55) and underground railways (8:58). Subway riders entertain themselves on the bus (9:08). Trash collectors pick up cans (9:15). Garbage trucks move down the line (9:23) and a Checker cab is visible in traffic (9:29). A nurse adjusts x-ray equipment for a patient (9:41). Students run across the black top (9:48). Schools of the area include the City College of New York (9:53), Columbia University (10:03) and Princeton (10:07). The Guggenheim Museum (10:20). Civilians enjoy art along the wall (10:30). The Civic Center (10:37) follows. The camera pans out over lush foliage (10:48) of city parks. A family plays in the grass (11:01). Boat riders row across the water (11:07). The three major busy seaports of megalopolis are New York (11:21) on the Hudson, Philadelphia (11:25) on the Delaware and Baltimore (11:28) on the Chesapeake Bay. Crowds unload from the ferry (11:35). New apartment buildings are erected to house incoming residents (11:39). A suburban family (11:44) plays in the yard. Ice skaters dash across the rink (11:58). A McGraw Hill Book Company Production (12:11).