WINTER OLYMPICS 1948

Year Published: 1948

Format: 16mm

Description: This documentary film shows the Winter Olympics of 1948 held in St. Moritz, Switzerland. These were the first games to be celebrated after the Second World War. Switzerland was chosen as a neutral country in order to soothe the political atmosphere of the post war world. One of the major issues presenting this Olympics game was that much of the country’s human and financial resources had been depleted during the war effort. The film was written and directed by Hans Thorner (:16). It opens with skiers running down a snowy slope (:23). The Alps rise covered in frosty snow (1:13) near the host town. The Olympic torch burns (2:12). The flags of 28 participating nations wave (2:45). The hockey game opens (3:20). The American team face the Swiss (3:27). The Swiss take the win of the first game (4:42). Crowds light up as a goal is hit (4:37). The Canadians take a turn against the Swiss team (5:02). Canada wins (5:42) putting Czechoslovakia in second and the Swiss in third (5:42). A rider takes a close call in the finals of the bobsleigh race (6:54). Spectators rush over to investigate (7:04). An American athlete took second (7:21) and the Italian athlete takes the win (7:38). The 18 kilometer cross country ski begins (8:06). The teams from Finland and Sweden were leading contenders for this event (8:22). Skiers bump down a slope over an 11 mile long track (8:40). The athlete from Finland takes fourth place (9:03). The race ends after an hour and thirteen minutes (10:07). Martin Lundstrom of Sweden takes the win (10:13). Another Swedish athlete places as nearly all fifteen medals were won by Sweden, Norway or Finland (10:53). Two skiers, a Swedish man and Swiss raced side by side (12:23) down the final stretch. Speed skaters take to the 500 meter race (13:02). The winner; Riedar Liaklev of Norway is pictured celebrating the win (14:05). A three way tie existed between the Americans (14:11); Fitzgerald and Bartholomew, and Byberg of Sweden for second place. Forty contestants competed in the 5,000 meter race (14:26). Two athletes are pulled off the race after injury (14:45). Another skater is scooped up by medics (15:04). The gold goes to Norway (15:17). Norway and Sweden were awarded second and third place respectively (15:39). The 10,000 meter race follows (15:50). Contestants change track as the flagman drops a signal (16:25). A Swedish athlete (16:40) finishes with a tie of 17 minutes and 26.3 seconds. The magnificent Alps are captured again (16:48) from a location known as the ‘Big Dip’. Skiers plummet down a terrifying slope (17:27). A Canadian athlete takes a tumble (18:12). A female rider from France finishes sixth (18:50). Austria wins second place (19:03). Switzerland (19:14) takes the win. Italy lands in fourth (19:30). Hedy Schlunegger of Switzerland is pictured celebrating her win (20:56). Henri Oreiller of France begins his run (22:18). A skier from Utah jumps into his run (23:16) of the special slalom. Karl Molitor of Switzerland (24:08) runs between flag posts. Franz Gabl of Austria appears (24:15). Edy Reinalter takes the gold medal (24:22). A skier from Colorado follows (24:34) crossing the finish. Jack Reddish from the United States (24:55) slides under the finish banner as the film concludes (25:04). This film was distributed by Sterling Television (25:04). Jack Nichol Reddish was an American alpine ski racer who competed in the Winter Olympics in 1948 and 1952. Known as "Red Dog" during his racing days, he later worked in the entertainment industry, behind the cameras in film and television.

Complete Record:

Transcription

foreign of the present-day better expresses The Olympian Spirit than winter sport because with its boundless Treasure of strength Health and Beauty it can give to all mankind joy and restitution foreign [Music] into the light into the sun and the snow up and up to where the mountains meet the sky the roof of the world the owls together thank you [Applause] [Music] [Applause] down below us lies celebrated memories the winter sports Metropolis of universe and hosts to the 1948 Winter Olympic Games foreign [Music] the Alpine Sunset gives promise of a smiling sky on the great tomorrow to come that promise was fulfilled the day was full of sunshine [Music] no a solemn moment as hundreds and hundreds of athletes representing 28 Nations repeated the Olympic oath foreign [Music] the American team presented each of the Swiss players with a jacket [Music] this was the first game of the series the ice was good the play Fast yet Fair [Music] the Swiss finally won by the narrow margin of five to four later on the Canadians played the swedes this was a half fourth game but the man of Sweden had to give way to the superior play of the Canadians the final results were Canada first Czechoslovakia 2nd and Switzerland third at the restaurant for the finals of the skeleton [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] foreign here's a close call but this one's over [Music] here he is disappointed but fortunately not greatly damaged after finish eating of America who placed second describes a near spell foreign [Music] but he doesn't know it yet no he does [Music] the start of the 18 kilometer cross country foreign [Music] the heavy favorite is operator terrific rate among the runners representing 15 Nations the swedes and the fins were the leading contenders for cross country is two Scandinavians what baseball is to Americans [Music] a 30-second intervals the men were sent off under long hard task over better than 11 miles of snowy track uphill downhill over long Flats through the woods over dips and bumps and never-ending variation of terrain here at the halfway mark is finland's azuhaiki who finished fourth [Music] [Applause] foreign [Music] at The Nine Mile mark his speed was amazing his powerful Sprite barely ate up the course this after one hour of steady all-out going [Music] back at the finish one hour and 13 minutes after he started one final flurry of speed brought lunch throne in the winner and Olympic champion [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Niels Carlson another sweet finished in fifth place [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] number 50 Niels Austin also of Sweden finished in second place 32 seconds behind the winner [Music] thank you one by one the contestants made a final effort to reach their goals [Music] um these two men a Swede and the Swiss have bottled one another over the entire 11 Mile Stretch and taxed their energy to the utmost [Music] these pictures tell far better than words what a race of this Soul takes out of a man [Music] foreign speed skating was one Mad Dash from start to finish [Music] foreign [Music] heat after another flash by as the man raced against time [Music] not always helgeson was the winner with byberg also of Norway in a three-way tie for second place with America's Bartholomew and Fitzgerald [Music] body contestants were entered in the 5000 meter race in this three and one eight mile event the skaters averaged well over 20 miles an hour [Music] Henry of America and McKay of Canada went all out [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Applause] [Music] who was timed at eight minutes 29.4 seconds [Music] Lundberg also of Norway was second with Headland of Sweden in third place [Music] next came the 10 000 meter or sixth one quarter mile event this was definitely the most strenuous Ice event and the great strain coupled with the high elevation forced many contestants to abandon the race foreign [Music] travels the same distance the contestants change track upon a signal from the flag man [Music] safer of Sweden captured top honors with a time of 17 minutes 26.3 seconds this is the view we enjoyed from our vantage point at a spot called the big dip about the halfway mark on the ladies downhill cross [Music] the Young The Not So Young and the very young over here [Music] the time is up the races are here is number one foreign [Music] of Canada takes a spill our chances are gone Gretchen Fraser [Music] Andrea me roller Khan further down the course this is Lena mitner she finished fifth Georgia Miller Falls losing lots of time [Music] Suzanne tioliere of France who finished sex [Music] Rudy beiser of Austria took second place [Applause] Eddie sluneker of Switzerland she had the fastest time [Music] fourth place winner chalina Sega of Italy [Music] foreign of Norway tied for seventh place [Music] with Housewives genu of France [Music] Lucian Schmidt kutte of France finished in 10th position [Music] third place honors went to Austria's crazy hammer [Music] there was only a difference of seven seconds between the times of the first and tenth places that tells the story of Team competition among the girls Teddy schluenegger the new Olympic downhill champion at the top of the combination slalom we see nogler of Austria Albero of Italy monitor of Switzerland [Music] of France laughs Hansen of Sweden good day for France [Music] Jack reddish from Utah [Music] entering the last gates at the finish of the special slalom is Austria's Eddie Mall ore of France good day also of France Switzerland's Molly tour Battle of Austria Eddie reinhaldder of Switzerland heading for the gold medal Sweden's handsome [Music] Barney McLean of Colorado [Music] chironi of Italy Colo of Italy America's Jack reddish [Music]


1 user has this film:
Periscope Film


No related films.