Movies

A quick clip from a contemporary U.S. Army news broadcast concerning the development of the U.S. Army in World War One.

A terrific collection of images mixed with the music of the era.

Yeats made these recordings for the wireless in 1932, 1934 and the last on 28 October 1937 when he was 72. He died on January 28 1939. The photograph shows him sitting before the microphone in 1937.

The filming of the spontaneous celebration that broke-out on San Francisco’s Market Street the day that Japan surrendered, in August of 1945.

Real colour footage of the celebrations at the end of World War Two, starting with VJ day in New York and then VE day in Britain and across europe. I thought these images were amazing, as we usually only get to see this period of history in black and white.

A special edition of ‘Seven Nightly News’ from the studios of ATN7 in Sydney, announcing the surrender of the Japanese to the Allied forces and thus signalling the end of the Second World War and presented by Ross Symonds (who bears an uncanny resemblance in appearance, voice and career path (not to mention, name) of another Ross Symonds, who would join the ATN7 news team some years later).

The news bulletin was preserved for posterity and was only put to air 50 years to the day later, during Channel Seven’s telecast of Victory in the Pacific (or ‘VP Day’) remembrance services held in Sydney and Brisbane.

Newscast celebrating the end of the war.

The worst acting you’ve ever seen can be found in this miserable 1950’s women’s prison drama – with excerpts from the performance of Clementine Drew Judge. Produced and directed by Barry Mahon, dir of photography, Merrill S. Brody, editor Alan Smiler.

More than 3,500 Canadians died taking the Ridge and 7,000 more were wounded. Previous French attacks came at a cost of 200,000 dead with little or no ground gained. The Canadians accomplished what was said to be “impossible” as the ridge was thought to be impregnable.

A short account of the battle of Vicksburg as presented by the U.S. Army.

A segment of a larger documentary made up of color footage and reenactment footage, combined with the knowing American veterans reminiscing on the topic of “the Devil’s own cesspool”: Okinawa, Japan.

The theatrical trailer for the 2008 movie starring Tom Cruise, Kennith Branaugh, Bill Nighy and directed by Bryan Singer.

A clip from the 1929 RKO film “Vagabond Lover” starring Rudy Vallee. Vallee can be seen crooning the title song in this short segment.

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The Angel Island Immigration Station, once known as the “Ellis Island of the West,” is reopening after a multimillion-dollar restoration of the historical landmark.

Scenes from the coronation of Russia’s last Tsar Nicholas II in May 1896; this is one of the oldest filmed moving images in existence, and one of the first examples of a significant news event being filmed to be shown to audiences worldwide.

This is a slide show made of the best photos of Tsar Nicholas II and the Romanov family.

Recently, a retired American army officer retraced the steps of Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant Alvin York during his heroic stand-off in the Argonne Forrest in the autumn of 1918. Nothing new seemed to have been discovered, but it’s fun to watch anyway.