America For Me
America For Me is a short film from ca. 1950s released on 16mm. It is held in the Prelinger Archives collection.
Two young women take a Greyhound Bus tour across America. Includes a love story and a great song at the end - the whole bus breaks into song.
| America For Me | |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Fairbanks (Jerry) Productions |
Production company | Fairbanks (Jerry) Productions |
| Distributed by | Fairbanks (Jerry) Productions |
Release date | ca. 1950s |
Running time | 30:53 |
| Language | English |
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Shot List
14:24:51:14 VS cowboy wearing jean jacket and cowboy hat on greyhound bus flirts with two young women across aisle; MS two young women wearing pearl necklaces, one with large glasses wearing red lipstick shakes her friends arm and says you are missing the Garden of the Gods ; rock formation Garden of the Gods in Colorado desert; MS two women in bus taken aback by the view, Colorado landscape and the red rock formations outside the window; greyhound bus driving through the Arizona desert
14:25:18:27 Great shot inside bus looking out front window, back of greyhound bus driver behind the wheel steering through Colorado red rock formations; large rock in shape of steam boat, audio track woman s voice that s Steamboat Rock on the right pan to large precariously balanced rock.
14:25:26:23 MS two young women talking in greyhound bus one woman with large glasses represents the smarter of the two, great sound bites, woman with large glasses and red lipstick says the more we get around and see the country the more we know what makes America tick; LS greyhound bus cutting through mountainous landscape, snowcapped mountains in distance.
14:25:47:00 Young woman looks across aisle of bus at man sleeping under his cowboy hat, Colorado landscape passing by outside of windows in background, girl shakes her friend seated beside her and says the cowboy hasn t opened his eyes in hours; CU cowboy opens his eyes shielded by his hat.
14:26:03:01 VS greyhound bus driving though scenic landscape, snow capped mountains in background.
14:26:15:25 Young blonde woman wearing purple jacket and matching skirt lean across aisle of greyhound bus and wakes up cowboy sleeping under his cowboy hat; CU cowboy slouched in his seat with hat shielding his eyes; young woman flirts with cowboy great sound bites
Mr. Williams did you see that balanced rock back there? No mam I must have dozed off well you ought to stay away, you miss a lot Such as what mam? They say there are a lot of wild Indians around here Well I ll see plenty of wild Indians when we get to Gallup, if the tribal dances are still on Cowboy goes back to sleep.
14:26:44:02 LS huge Native-American statue; CU painted sign on base of statue Gallup, N.M. the Indian Capital Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial August 7-10.
14:26:51:12 LS Native American dance; VS American- ndians wearing colorful feathered costumes dancing in circle; MS 1950s White people watching, two young woman, older rich woman, older man in western style suit with boy tie, belt buckle and cowboy hat, and a city man in a suit, tie and hat; VS Native-American dance; young blonde woman in purple suit points at Indians and says oh look there s another kind of dance! I wonder what kind that is? ; Native-Americans in butterfly costumes dancing; Indian drum circle; young woman asks man next to her what kind of dance they are doing, man describes the Butterfly dance.
14:27:49:18 CU front of Greyhound bus headed for Flagstaff, passengers load into bus; bus drivers counts the passengers, two young women are missing, John Wayne-like cowboy says he will go get them. VS Native American dance and White audience watching, cowboy arrives to get girls so they won t miss their bus.
14:28:57:13 Young woman in Greyhound bus gives army man and cowboy seated behind her and across from her chocolates from a box, cowboy makes joke about sending his horse postcards then winks at passenger next to him.
Two 1950s women, smart ambitious brunette working on her Master s theme , and a ditsy blonde on cross-country Greyhound bus road trip. Brunette falls in love with a cowboy for Texas, blonde an army man. Great scenic footage greyhound bus driving through various parts of American landscape and cities as well as British Colombia Canada: the Southwest, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California, Oregon, Washington, British Colombia, Minnesota, Chicago, San Antonio Texas, New England, Massachusetts, New York.
14:24:51:14 VS cowboy wearing jean jacket and cowboy hat on greyhound bus flirts with two young 1950s women across bus aisle; MS two young women wearing pearl necklaces, one with large glasses, the art history major, wearing red lipstick shakes her friends arm and says you are missing the Garden of the Gods ; rock formation Garden of the Gods in Colorado desert near Colorado Springs; MS two women in bus taken aback by the view, Colorado landscape and the red rock formations outside the window; LS greyhound bus driving through scenic landscape, probably Colorado.
14:25:18:27 Great shot inside bus looking out front window, back of greyhound bus driver behind the wheel steering through Colorado red rock formations; large rock in shape of steam boat, audio track woman s voice that s Steamboat Rock on the right pan to large precariously balanced rock.
14:25:26:23 MS two young women talking in greyhound bus one woman with large glasses represents the smarter of the two, great sound bites, woman with large glasses and red lipstick says the more we get around and see the country the more we know what makes America tick; LS greyhound bus cutting through mountainous landscape, snowcapped mountains in distance.
14:25:47:00 Young woman looks across aisle of bus at man sleeping under his cowboy hat, Colorado landscape passing by outside of windows in background, girl shakes her friend seated beside her and says the cowboy hasn t opened his eyes in hours; CU cowboy opens his eyes shielded by his hat.
14:26:03:01 VS greyhound bus driving though scenic landscape, snow capped mountains in background.
14:26:15:25 Young 1950s blonde woman wearing purple jacket and matching skirt lean across aisle of greyhound bus and wakes up cowboy sleeping under his cowboy hat; CU cowboy slouched in his seat with hat shielding his eyes; young woman flirts with cowboy great sound bites
Mr. Williams did you see that balanced rock back there? No mam I must have dozed off well you ought to stay away, you miss a lot Such as what mam? They say there are a lot of wild Indians around here Well I ll see plenty of wild Indians when we get to Gallup, if the tribal dances are still on Cowboy goes back to sleep.
14:26:44:02 LS huge Native-American statue; CU painted sign on base of statue Gallup, N.M. the Indian Capital Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial August 7-10.
14:26:51:12 LS Native-American dance; VS American-Indians wearing colorful feathered costumes dancing in circle; MS 1950s White people watching, two young woman, older rich woman, older man in western style suit with boy tie, belt buckle and cowboy hat, and a city man in a suit, tie and hat; VS Native-American dance; young blonde woman in purple suit points at Indians and says oh look there s another kind of dance! I wonder what kind that is? ; Native-Americans in butterfly costumes dancing; Indian drum circle; young woman asks man next to her what kind of dance they are doing, man describes the Butterfly dance.
14:27:49:18 CU front of Greyhound bus headed for Flagstaff, 1950s passengers load into bus; bus drivers counts the passengers, two young women are missing, John Wayne-like cowboy says he will go get them. VS Native American dance and White audience watching, cowboy arrives to get girls so they won t miss their bus.
14:28:57:13 Young woman in Greyhound bus flirtatiously gives army man behind her and cowboy seated across aisle chocolates from a box; young woman asks men if they like to travel, army man says he likes to travel by bus because you can see a lot, cowboy says you can always catch a bus then makes joke about his horse being a regular homebody so I make the long trips by myself of course I send him postcards along the way then winks at passenger next to him; CU young woman with large blue glasses, wearing red lipstick and pearl necklace seated in window seat gives coy look over at the cowboy; LS Greyhound bus driving through scenic landscape pulls into Post House station, passengers disembarking bus shot from inside, cowboy flirts with uptight young woman with large glasses as they disembark the bus.
14:30:19:04 Two attractive 1950s young women, one blonde one brunette wearing large blue glasses eating in a semicircle booth in diner, classic 1950s diner waitresses cross frame; blonde girls tells brunette the cowboy is interested in her as cowboy and young army man approach their table and ask to join them, blonde girl says enthusiastically two is company, threes a crowd and four is just right ; blonde woman feeds army man a bite of her grapefruit, army man says tastes good I have ever heard of it before , blonde woman replies well you ought to come down our way and have some spiced kumquat
14:30:53:12 LS Greyhound bus driving on what looks like the Overseas Highway connecting Key West and Miami, Florida; VS greyhound bus driving through the Keys; bus passes two young women in foreground of shot wearing bathing suits throwing a ball, women turn and wave to the passing bus; Greyhound bus pulls into a station in the Florida Keys passing sign Greyhound Bus Post House Cottage-Cafeteria Charter Boats ; VS bus passes women swimming in a pool on the beach next to the ocean.
14:31:32:11 MS 1950s woman wearing bathing suit lounging by pool laying on beach chair, ocean in background, another woman in red bathing suit walks along far edge of pool in background and a third woman s head pops up from inside the pool beside the woman sun bathing; LS Greyhound bus pulls into the Greyhound Post House Hostel and Restaurant beside two other buses, on top of building people are sitting at tables under red and yellow beach umbrellas.
14:32:07:22 VS old 1920s bus with sign on side Alice to Hibbing 15 cents driving through Minnesota wilderness; dissolves two 1950s greyhound bus driving through countryside in autumn, trees bright orange.
14:32:36:06 CU Attractive 1950s brunette woman wearing large blue glasses and red lipstick recites poem with warm look in her eyes:
well one of my favorite poems is Henry Van Dyke s:
its home again home again America for me my heart is turning home again and there I long to be In the land of youth and freedom beyond the ocean bars For the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full of stars LS two women, cowboy and army man sitting at diner booth, woman who just recited poem says so my thesis is entitled America for me ; cowboy tells woman she is sharp, army man agrees and says to woman gives us an educated for instance ; CU woman says Well, for instance, I have written up one of the oldest festivals on earth and it s celebrated in this country
14:33:16:10 CU large mask on a Mardi Gras float, cut to another giant Mardi Gras clown face float; VS Mardis Gras in 1950s, floats riding through parade
14:34:00:02 LS two women sitting between cowboy and army man sitting at diner booth, army man says talking about shindigs don t forget the big rose festival up our way , blonde woman interrupts you mean in Pasadena? army man replies no dog garnit I mean Portland, Oregon the city of roses. It s right next to Mt. Hood ; dissolves to VS Rose Parade in Portland, Oregon 1950s, large rose covered floats in parade, large float for Vancouver, Washington.
14:34:37:15 Blonde woman seated at diner booth says to cowboy Say Tex, haven t you got anything to brag about in your part of the country? Texan answers Now mam that s a right ornery thing to say to a man from Texas. The states so big that some of the counties are bigger than some states. VS Greyhound bus drive over highway overpass in San Antonio, Texas disembodied Texan voice says Now you take my home town San Anton. About half our town is as Mexican as Chiwawa , MS adobe structure building in San Antonia, Mexican woman and child exit building; VS San Antonio, great shot of the Alamo; VS Mexican dancing, cute little children in ornate Mexican costumes dancing
14:35:40:15 Three Mexican men wearing ornate costumes with large sombreros playing guitar; great shot two little children in ornate Mexican costume dancing.
14:35:53:21 VS San Antonio river walk, river winding through downtown San Antonia, men canoeing in the river, cafes along the river, Greyhound bus passes over river on bridge; army man romancing young woman in a canoe.
14:36:20:13 Great shot Greyhound bus drives through scenic landscape, passing autumn trees and snow capped mountains in background
14:36:25:25 VS Young blonde woman in purple suit leans over and tells cowboy and army man in near seats in bus well, I guess we won t be seeing you boys tomorrow. Amelia and I are going to stay over when the bus stops at sunset and take the 8:00 in the morning ; Cowboy leans over to woman to woman across aisle that s funny, we are going to do the same thing army man chimes in yeah what a coincidence blonde woman leans over to her friend excitedly.
14:36:42:04 Camera follows Greyhound bus driving on open highway through desert at sunset.
14:37:24:02 MS woman with stoic expression wearing blue dress, large blue glasses and red lipstick seated in window seat of Greyhound bus beside cowboy wearing Jean jacket and holding his cowboy over his stomach, great dialogue between the two with strange sexual overtones:
Yes mam it s a big country man looks around when woman doesn t react then says louder into her ear Yes mam it s a powerful big country
Woman reacts It s a little overpowering. I prefer New England
You know I ve never been to New England. Furthest east I ever got was Michigan
14:37:46:19 VS lakes in Michigan, pan over wood lined lake; sailboat sailing on Michigan lake; various scenic shots of Michigan, man in flannel shirt fishing beneath waterfall, picks fish up out of water in a net.
14:38:39:02 Pan over what is probably Plymouth Rock, rocky coastline and light tower; Greyhound bus pulls up to old New England lighthouse; VS Greyhound bus driving through New England landscape in the Fall, red and orange leaves on trees. 14:39:25:02 VS visitors entering and leaving Longfellow s Wayside Inn.
14:40:15:23 High-angle pan over Manhattan skyline in 1950s, view from Empire State building; VS New York City skyline.
14:40:36:22 Children around 11 years old disembark Greyhound bus to look at the Washington Monument; VS Washington D.C.; Cherry trees in bloom; LS the Washington Monument; LS the Jefferson Memorial; VS people walking beneath the Cherry trees in bloom; VS pan over Mt. Vernon house and grounds home of George and Martha Washington.
14:41:31:24 VS cowboy looks over at woman seated beside him in window seat; CU man says do you sleep in those specs ; CU woman wearing large glasses quickly turns away from window I beg your pardon!
I mean can you see without them? ; CU woman takes off her glasses; CU man says adoringly why they re pretty your eyes. Say you know I bet if you cut, or, fluffed up your hair or something it would be powerful handsome , woman is intoxicated by cowboy s comments; MS army man leans across aisle and tells cowboy your next chance to send your chance to send your horse a postcard will be San Francisco ; cowboy leans over to girl now without glasses on and says to her flirtatiously wait until you see San Francisco, I ll show you how to open up that Golden Gate, ah what a sight it is.
14:42:16:13 Great shot the Golden Gate bridge; the Bay Bridge.
14:42:29:14 Uptight young woman says to cowboy seated next to her in Greyhound bus that sometime Americans brag too much about their country cowboy reacts shucks it s just our way of telling her we love her. You know when I get married I ll be telling my wife that she s the sweetest little woman and the best cook in the world, you think she ain t going to like that cowboy reaches over and grabs woman s hand, woman pulls her hand back nervously.
14:42:53:18 LS Greyhound bus driving up Twin Peaks in San Francisco; LS telegraph hill and Coit Tower; entrance to china town; Fisherman s Wharf, Greyhound bus pulls into parking lot filled with 1950s cars passing the Vista Del Mar restaurant, Fisherman s Grotto and Alioto s; LS the Ferry Building, Greyhound bus driving away from Ferry building down Market St.; great shot trolley car pan up building to Top of the Mark.
14:43:55:07 VS Pan down giant redwood trees, Greyhound bus driving through redwood forest; disembodied Texan man s voice over tracking shots of redwoods they re so gosh darn big I don t know why they ain t in Texas .
14:44:31:03 MS brunette in yellow sweater writing on notepad by window seat in Greyhound seated beside blonde woman, blonde woman says to her friend
Amelia honey I don t understand you at all, he s so nice and well, you re not very nice to him He s too forward I don t like that type of man ; Greyhound bus driving through redwood forest, pan up giant old growth redwood tree; Greyhound bus pulls into Post House in redwood forest.
14:45:56:00 1950s woman looks at magazine at magazine rack, cowboy approaches woman and speaks to woman s back as she continues to look at her magazine:
Well ma'am ,I will be leaving the party soon Goodbye, Mr. Williams I don t know why but I sure seem to rub you the wrong way. I fI ve said anything wrong I am downright regretful. But I will tell you one thing, I ve seen a lot of females but you take the silver plated spurs for being the cussedness. Put that in your theme
Cowboy puts his cowboy hat back on and walks away from young woman; young woman wearing large blue glasses turns around and watches man walk away. 14:46:26:11 LS high-angle Greyhound bus traveling on highway up the Old Oregon Trail Highway I 84 along the Columbia river.
14:46:33:23 Young brunette woman wearing pearl necklace and red lipstick seated in window seat of bus looks sad; CU drawing in notebook of Cowboy with Tex written all over the page
14:47:00:07 VS Greyhound bus driving up Old Oregon Trail Highway along the Columbia River; Army man in bus asks girl if they are going to stay overnight in Spokane, Washington; woman says with dreamy look in her eyes tomorrow they will be going to Canada, man asks for a postcard; greyhound bus driving up highway along the Columbia River, destination Spokane on front of bus; LS greyhound bus cross of the Columbia River on a truss bridge
14:47:59:07 Greyhound passes lake through woods snow-capped mountain in background; woman in bus reads her postcard aloud to her friend gazing out the window, woman says in post card the Canadian scenery is scrumptious ; great shot Greyhound bus drive through Canadian woods snow-capped mountains in background ; Greyhound bus passes sign for No. 1 Highway Lake Louise 20 mi. ; LS Greyhound bus drives around Lake Louise; two women inside bus admiring the landscape, disembodied voice over scenic shot of snow mountains overlooking Lake Louise Oh, its all I ever imagined it to be!
It s pretty ; LS the Fairmount Chateau nestled in the mountains around Lake Louise, greyhound bus passes a Canadian mountie in foreground of shot directing traffic.
14:49:25:22 Pan down from snow-capped Canadian mountains woman in red bathing suit and swim cap diving off diving board into resort pool; VS Fairmount Chateau pool.
14:50:32:25 Goodbye scene between two friends parting, brunette woman boards greyhound bus and looks out window, blonde girl outside yells Maybe something good will happen , brunette in window signals she can t hear anything, blonde girls says again I said maybe something good will happen before you get home , brunette in window smiles and nods; CU front of Greyhound bus destination Minneapolis.
14:51:19:00 MS blonde woman in antique phone booth asks operator to connect her to man connected with rodeo in Pendleton (Oregon), woman gets man on the line hello Tex, this is Taffy! , then closes phone booth door cutting off audio track.
14:51:38:05 LS Greyhound bus drives along highway with downtown Chicago skyline in background beyond the lake.
14:51:43:17 MS Attractive brunette woman with short hair wearing red lipstick with red rose matching her lips pinning on her sweater, woman seated in window seat of greyhound bus, camera follows woman s sad gaze to empty seat beside her; Greyhound bus drives up Michigan Ave. in Chicago; VS Greyhound station in Chicago, passengers disembark bus; cowboy rushes through station and runs into a woman headed into the Baggage Room then bumps into an African American porter carrying tall stack of pillows; African-American man says to cowboy what s a matter boss, miss your bus? , woman with red rose on her sweater runs around the corner to greet the cowboy, couples meet eyes, then share loving embrace, cowboy says wait a minute you don t get away from me again
14:53:14:26 LS couple sits down at bench in Grant park in Chicago to watch the enormous Buckingham Fountain; camera slowly zooms on woman and cowboy sitting on bunch talking about getting married, woman asks about her Masters degree and her things, man says she won t need one, she can teach him from now on and move to his ranch; great shot woman lying in man s arms, man wearing cowboy hat, watching Buckingham Fountain; dissolves to VS Niagara Falls; greyhound bus driving through upstate New York.
14:54:30:12 VS incredible final sequence, Greyhound bus driver breaks into song We re rolling along the highway the rest of the bus breaks into song it s a wonderful happy feeling going along the broad highway VS Greyhound bus driving through every type of scenic landscape.