HOME MOVIES: PRE-WWII MACY'S THANKSGIVING PARADE

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.