Movies

A slide show featuring advertisements and mail order catalog illustrations, with some magazine feature and manufacturer’s material. Also shown are a few stocking ads that should amuse. The absence of the garter (in widespread use until 1930) from this material, seems odd – presumably they were covered by the lengthy bloomers. Also, in order the better to display their wares, manufacturers’ photos for ads etc always show models wearing their underwear beneath, say, a hip girdle although from the early to mid 30s (and from the late 20s, in the case of the suspender belt) when corsetry could be worn next to the skin, it would be worn over it, in real life.

A fashion newsreel featuring color footage of the hats and dresses of 1927 with Raquel Torres, Edna Murphy, Corliss Palmer, Laura La Plante, Ruth Elder, Jeanette Loff, Barbara Bedford.

Amusing predictions by American fashion designers from the 1930s concerning what the well-dressed man and woman would be wearing in the year 2000 (although they did figure out that we would all be sporting telephones).

An extract from a documentary on F. Scott Fitzgerald, includes interviews with friends and scholars.

F. Scott Fitzgerald, in the army at Camp Sheridan, courts Zelda Sayre–an Alabamian socialite and high school girl (“Wild as a march hare”).

Kitty Werthmann, an Austrian World War II survivor, gives her account of Hitler’s takeover of Austria.

Even before the war ended the first Allied war trial found German General Anton Dostler guilty of war crimes. He was sentenced to death by firing squad. This remarkable footage shows General Dostler’s last minutes on December 1st, 1945.

Here, from November(2007), is the “Good Morning America” broadcast in which Diane Sawyer interviewed her childhood hero, Esther Williams, and the two of them recalled her career with some wonderfully colorful film clips.

A segment from a longer documentary showing assorted clips and black and white images from the early Twentieth century of European immigrants on Ellis Island. The narration includes the aged, accented voices of those who had arrived at the island as children so many decades earlier, recalling their family’s elation for having at last arrived.

Haunting images of the crumbling Ellis Island with voice over narration by those who had passed through it.

This documentary was made in 1974 by Phil Buehler and Steve Siegel, who were seniors in high school and members of the Young Filmmakers Foundation’s Film Club.

First in the series of mini-documentaries on the women and labor leaders in the “We Stand on the Shoulders of Giants” videos.

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It is not commonly known that French artist Edgar Degas visited New Orleans in 1872. He came to see his mother’s family and was enchanted by his new environment. “Degas in New Orleans” is a dramatization of the pictures he painted under the influence of this seductive and gracious city. The film is narrated by French film director Louis Malle, whose gentle voice and lightly accented English complement the tone of the film perfectly. Produced and directed by Gary Goldman.

A selection of hats taken from an Eatons catalogue of 1920. Several eatons catalogues from the early twentieth century full of fashion, toys, household items and more.

A nice color slide show depicting the W.W. I Uniforms and Weapons found on the Eastern Front. The clip is short and only German, Russian and Austrian uniforms can be seen.

Legendary Dandy, the Duke of Windsor, reads his abdication speech, giving up the throne of England for the Woman He Loves.

Dogs, pigeons, horses and mules served on the front lines of WW1.

Diana Vreeland talks about the demi-mondaine of the 19th century. Filmed in New York, 1983.