HOME MOVIES: PRE-WWII MACY'S THANKSGIVING PARADE

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1939

Format: 16mm

Description: This silent 16mm home movie shows the annual Macy's Day Parade in New York City. It likely shows at least two different years. The first segment is in b&w and features a turkey balloon at :21, a Columbus or possibly Mayflower float at :26, Indian teepee float at :38, Indian balloon at :48, Pluto balloon at 1:08, Porky Pig (?) at 1:28, and Mickey Mouse balloon at 1:38. At 2:10 a trolley car rumbles down 34th Street as a large mouse balloon (evil Mickey?) is seen. At 2:41 Santa rumbles by on a special float. At 2:54 the vantage point of the cameraman changes and the film switches to color. A second change in vantage point (and likely the year shot) occurs around 5:55. This material after 5:55 appears most likely to date to 1939. It was in this year that the parade featured characters from "The Wizard of Oz". You will see the Tin Man ballon at 6:19, the Cowardly Lion at 7:03, the Good Witch at 7:08. Old King Cole at 7:34 and Gulliver glide past at 7:56 followed by Uncle Sam at 8:08, and Three Men in a Tub at 8:29. Santa appears at 9:03. Portions of the film were shot outside the San Remo building at 145 Central Park West, you can see the facade at 9:14.

Complete Record: This silent 16mm home movie shows the annual Macy's Day Parade in New York City. It likely shows at least two different years. The first segment is in b&w and features a turkey balloon at :21, a Columbus or possibly Mayflower float at :26, Indian teepee float at :38, Indian balloon at :48, Pluto balloon at 1:08, Porky Pig (?) at 1:28, and Mickey Mouse balloon at 1:38. At 2:10 a trolley car rumbles down 34th Street as a large mouse balloon (evil Mickey?) is seen. At 2:41 Santa rumbles by on a special float. At 2:54 the vantage point of the cameraman changes and the film switches to color. A second change in vantage point (and likely the year shot) occurs around 5:55. This material after 5:55 appears most likely to date to 1939. It was in this year that the parade featured characters from "The Wizard of Oz". You will see the Tin Man ballon at 6:19, the Cowardly Lion at 7:03, the Good Witch at 7:08. Old King Cole at 7:34 and Gulliver glide past at 7:56 followed by Uncle Sam at 8:08, and Three Men in a Tub at 8:29. Santa appears at 9:03. Portions of the film were shot outside the San Remo building at 145 Central Park West, you can see the facade at 9:14.