TREETOP DAREDEVILS

Year Published: 1953

Format: 16mm

Description: The Monty Python song "I'm a lumberjack..." might have been inspired by this wonderful film from 1953 "Treetop Daredevils", shot in the Pacific Northwest. Despite the mocking commentary it provides insight into a lost era in American logging. This short film that shows lumberjacks and axemen working in an era before power tools were brought to bear on the forest, and almost everything was done by muscle. In addition to showing the cutting down of old growth forest logs and their floating down the river, the film includes a lengthy segment showing lumberjack games and sports, including climbing a tree and taking the top off, tree climbing races, log hurtling, throwing axes, shaving with an axe, etc. Despite the mocking commentary, it provides insight into a lost era in American logging. Film opens, opening credits, title page (0:06). Scenic nature shots around Pacific Northwest: Snow-covered mountain peaks lined with pine trees (0:18). POV from within pine forest, camera pans upwards to emphasize sheer height of trees (0:32). Nature shots continue: Waterfall, moose walking through tall grass, beaver swims in river, man proudly holds up large fish he caught in stream, salmon jump out of white water, mother bear and cubs (0:43). Lumbermen scale large pines, manually saw off branches and trunks from top of trees (1:45). Dramatic scene as lumberman hangs on tightly to tree as it sways, saws also swing from man’s body (2:08). Close-up chest of shirtless lumberjack, emphasizing sheer strength of men (2:20). Example of men using two-bladed axe and two-man saw (2:32). Men quickly flee the scene as large trunk comes flying down, spot yells "timber!" (2:43). Log driving/ Spring timber ride: Logs plunge downstream in whitewater of river to timber mill, lumberjacks stand on either side of river bank helping guide logs along and prevent "log jam" (3:02). Men in small row boat fight white water of river to help guide logs along, intervene on big jams (4:05). For extra tough jam, men tie dynamite together, shots of dramatic explosions (4:16). Various views of raging forest fires, lumberjacks rush into heart of forest to try and contain the blaze (4:41). Lumberjack shaves fellow lumberjack’s beard using blade of axe (5:15). "Lumberjack Olympics:" Lumberjack games and sports (5:29) including wood chopping competition (5:39), speed cutting wood log (5:51), logrolling (6:22), climbing a tree and taking the top off (7:16), axe throwing (8:12). Closing montage scenic nature shots (8:40). Closing credits (8:45). Film ends (8:47).

Complete Record:

Transcription

this is the Land of the Giants the country of the big trees and man of a size to match this is the home of the treetop Daredevils who work and play among the kings of the forest here in the Northwest is the land of high adventure amid the Tall Timber this great natural playground has always been rich in game here's the original landlord who carries his own hat rck among his tenants is the world's first Lumber man the Eager Beaver whose sharp teeth carve the tree trunks of the Northwest long before they ever felt an [Music] axe in this part of the country Mother Nature did everything in a big way she stuffed the streams with fish she filled the River Rapids with leaping silver salmon [Music] a canny fisherman need never go hungry dinner is served in this heroic landcape was created a new kind of American hero The Lumberjack Giants among men who cut the forest down to size to conquer the rugged Timber country is Risky Business topping one of these soaring Timbers is the equivalent of dropping a 50-ft tree past your ear it sets up a backlash like the crack of a whip and the lumber man literally hangs on for dear [Music] life machinery and mass production have made most Industries tame but the only mass production in filling a tree is the mass of muscle behind the tube blade ax or the twom man [Music] saw these Woods Woods can drop a big TR of given line as neatly as laying a pencil in a pencil box a good thing too for there's no time for dodging when the woods ring with the old cry Timber the most exciting part of a lumber man's life comes during the Spring Timber Run when the entire cutting of a winter season goes roaring down the river on the way to the mill the Big Sticks go plunging through the white water in a tremendous Timber stampede [Music] when the logs go cruising down the river the lumber man forgets to sleep he becomes part acrobat part sailor part ballet [Music] dancer oldtimers keep a sharp eye out for the first sign of a log Jam yes they've got traffic problems even up there in the northwest when the logs won't go sailing the lumber man [Music] must sometimes the logs just won't cooperate and a little subtle encouragement is needed [Music] well traffic is moving [Music] again fire is the one word that strikes Terror to the heart of the most daring Lumberjack now Timber Toppers become Smoke Eaters as they struggle desperately to control a blaze that can eat up hillsides mountains millions of Acres of Irreplaceable virgin Lumber [Music] a shift of the wind can trap these men but fearlessly they battle the red enemy till the fire lies in smoldering defeat after hard work comes time for play and The Woodsman plays as hard as he works this shave with an axe is no joke for every Lumber man's axe is actually honed to razor sharpness for the day's work it's Lumber man's Olympic day and every man is ready to raise a few calluses to prove he's the nearest thing to Paul bun in that legendary logger what does a wood Chopper do on his day off chop wood of [Music] course now for a tournament with teeth in it the contest seesaws from one man to the next as each man makes four cuts through a hardwood [Music] log the world's record believe it or not is four 4ft slices on the log in 54 seconds in the Rolo the men try to keep the kettle Burling but many a man winds up making a Big Splash in life here's a little number called the lumber Rumba when the ladies get into the act and new hairo is as easy as falling off a log an ordinary boat race would never suit these paddle pushers It's Over the River and Through the Woods both at the same time the lumber man also provides a switch on the pole vault the pole stands still and the lumber man vaults next stop heaven [Music] once at the top our hearty friend proves he can still move by sawing through the Slender [Music] trunk next stop terraferma and this is not being done by running the camera backwards can't hurt that fellow he's a lumber man [Music] if you think those events were strange just watch the Lumberjack's version of Target practics it's pinpoint control of a tool that serves them both in work and play Watch Out Tree [Music] out of the forests comes a breed of men who work big play Big live Big Tree Top Daredevils as great as The Great Outdoors


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