YESTERDAY'S NEWSREEL - ITALIAN-ETHIOPIAN WAR, NEW YORK WORLDS FAIR 1939

[Music] Television highlights of the news of yesteryear. History is in the making early in 1934 as Italy trains for war. King Victor Emmanuel and Marshall Badoglio, one-time commander of Italian forces in an earlier conflict with Ethiopia, inspect graduate officers. Soon this make-believe is to become real combat, for on December 9th, 1934, there is to be the initial clash between Ethiopian and Italian soldiers in Italian Somaliland. Africa, January 10th, 1935. Italy, refusing to arbitrate its frontier dispute, sends its fighting forces to battle. Marshall Badoglio, in command of many of Italy's 70,000 troops. You are seeing actual battle scenes as Italy attacks Haile Selassie's men on two fronts. Ethiopia's protest to the League of Nations is in vain, and the Italian advance continues. [Music] Italy's General Graziani, heading the southern frontal attack. Ethiopia counts on its rainy season as an ally to bog down Italy's mechanized forces, but the rain holds off, and Graziani penetrates 125 miles up the Webi Shebelle River Valley. Meanwhile, Emperor Haile Selassie, revered Ethiopian leader, urges his subjects to repulse the invader, and his tribesmen respond with a frantic fury. Badly equipped, woefully ill-trained, the Ethiopians match their spirit against the enemy's armor. Final battle of the war. Italian guns rake the road to Addis Ababa. [Music] Stark horror is in the wake of Italian bombers blasting native fortifications and clearing the way for charging hordes of Italian trained cavalrymen, clearing out the Ethiopian defenders left after bombs and bullets have claimed their toll. Last stage of the war. Selassie, Lion of Judah, has been forced to flee to Palestine, leaving a lost land behind. [Music] In Rome, May 5th, 1936, crowds rush to hear Benito Mussolini at the Piazza Venezia officially announce the end of the war. Ethiopia has been annexed. A 40-year-old defeat avenged. Mussolini's moment of glory. The crowd, which in 1945 is to tear him to pieces, hails him as a conquering hero. April 1939, and New York prepares for its greatest exposition, the World's Fair. Wait a minute. What's this? Don't be alarmed, friends. It's merely men putting the finishing touches to the huge diorama of New York City, which will be a feature of the fair. A model city of 4,000 buildings, covering almost a city block and nearly 40 ft in height, designed to tell the story of New York to Flushing Meadow visitors. April 30th, Mayor LaGuardia and Grover Whalen officially open the New York World's Fair, with Mayor LaGuardia receiving the first passport. Symbolizing the theme of the exposition, the Trylon and Perisphere. It's opening day, and New York is waiting to welcome the world. 1929, and fighting Georges Clemenceau, French premier, dies in his 88th year. Member of the Big Four, which headed the Peace Pact Committee of World War I, Clemenceau, shown here reviewing French troops, suffered a severe cold at Versailles. Volcanic, vigorous, and impetuous, he worked tirelessly for France throughout his life. Shortly after inspecting war ruins, he visited America, doing much to cement Franco-American relations. At Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., Clemenceau pays his respects to the Great Emancipator. First named premier in 1906, then again in 1917, this was Georges Clemenceau, the fighting tiger of France. [Music] [Applause] She waves, she wiggles, she dances. Most famous shimmy shaker of them all, Fatima, star of the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, immortalized by these museum piece movies, among the first ever made. Look at that gal go. The one, the only, the inimitable Fatima. [Music] Charles Evans Hughes, after 20 years of public life, retires in 1923. Hughes, who in 1916 went to sleep believing he was the president of the United States, only to have a latent California vote of Wilson, is succeeded as Secretary of State under Coolidge by Frank B. Kellogg. Newport, Rhode Island, and Lieutenant Ralph Pulitzer, famous publisher, gives the government a submarine chaser. Lieutenant Pulitzer is the son of Joseph Pulitzer, who endowed a series of literature prizes that bears his name. 1929, and the Ile de France arrives in New York, bringing the French theatrical idol, Maurice Chevalier. The smiling, singing comedian is en route to Hollywood to make his first movie, Innocents of Paris. Florida in 1936, and fashions have gone to the heads of some girls. This is the latest in hair dos and don'ts. Forerunner of the up-sweep is this curl creation. [Music] I hope the Greeks had a word for the style now being created. Woman's crowning glory gets a good going over as the Florida season gets off to a head start. [Music] We're still in Florida to see some seaweed costumes and meet Annette Kellerman, dancing belle of granddad's day. It's a bathing suit fashion show, and the accessories of old are on display for Father Neptune and company. Here's a fetching number and some 1890 novelties. The Annette Kellerman overall coverall. And now for the 1936 stuff. First to the scanty suits, leaving much to the elements, but little to the imagination. Personal record of the crash that almost cost the lives of Amy and Jim Mollison, British transatlantic flying team. July 23rd, 1933, and an attempted non-stop flight from the coast of Wales winds up in disaster near Bridgeport, Connecticut. [Music] Injured, but thankful for their escape, the Mollisons tell their story. No one could have been kinder or more considerate. And it's largely owing to their help that Well, I am feeling really feeling almost myself again. I'm afraid Jim got the worst of it, but he'll be all right in a day or two, won't you? Anyway, we are very, very grateful to everyone. Well, I would just like to repeat what Amy has said to you. But I'm more than grateful to everyone in Bridgeport. And I'm officially glad to be back in New York again. Long before they bettered Steel, which ironically was the objective of their original plans, the Mollisons have to be helped from the plane. More seriously injured of the two is Jim Mollison, but the undaunted pair insist they'll try it again. Better luck next time. [Music] Central Park, New York, 1932. And Georgia Coleman gets into the swim with a dive. The national champion with a somersault one and a half. Georgia again in a front jackknife with a half twist. Championship form in this front one and a half somersault. Let's hear from you, Georgia. Glad to be diving again at Central Park. Just can't keep away. Helping to bring home the bacon. Swimmer Stella Madison after a record in the 500-meter freestyle. [Music] Martha Norelius holds the world's record now, but will there be a new title holder when Helene hits the finish? Only seconds now. Let her tell you herself. I'm very happy to say that I broke the world's record in the 500 meters today. This record was held by Martha Norelius. And I never expected to break it, let alone break it by 10 seconds. Thank you. Still 1932, Jersey City, New Jersey. The track's fast and so are those gals. In the lead is Stella Walsh, loser in two events today. But this one's different. I'm very happy to have won the final of this 220-yard race. It was very tough going, but came through all right. Had some hard luck today, too. Just been my off night, though. The 80-meter hurdle with America's leading women athletes in competition for the AAU championships. Winner, Mildred Babe Didrikson. I'm certainly glad that I won this race, and they say that I broke a new world's record in 12 flat, which is Oh, and hold it up there. And I'm certainly glad that I won it, and glad to be here in New Jersey. [Music]