HOME MOVIES: 1930s

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1940s

Format: 16mm

Description: Dating to the 1940s, this silent home movie begins with images shot in the tropics, possibly the Panama Canal Zone. At 2:04 the SS Imperial is shown in port next to an American flagged passenger liner SS Cristobal (the flag at 2:24 is likely a symbol for U-boats to be aware that the ship is neutral). The images date from before January of 1942, as in that month S.S. Cristobal was requisitioned from the Panama Railroad Company by the U.S. Army and re-painted with camouflage. Cristobal was a reconditioned freighter, formerly known as the SS Tremont, that worked in U.S. Government service for most of its career. At 2:30 are images shot aboard the ship including a swimming pool. At 3;45 the ship arrives off a port, probably Samboa, where a steam engine and port facilities are seen. At 5:45 overexposed footage of another ship is seen. At 6:09 green bananas are loaded by groups of workers. At 7:20, the bar Amenaza is seen -- probably in the Dominican Republic / Santo Domingo. At 8:22 an overturned automobile is seen -- a car accident. A flag flying at 8:30 in the distance appears to be that of Mexico. A large square with hotels and various buildings is seen -- possibly Lima, Peru. The building at 9:42 seems to have the red white and red flag of Peru. This appears to be the Presidential Palace in Lima. At 10;20 a botanical garden is sen. At 10:53 tourists climb a hill so as to get a good view of an auto race.

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