Conquering Roads
Conquering Roads is a short film from 1937 released on 35mm. It is held in the Prelinger Archives collection.
Producer's synopsis: "From wagon trails to the many-laned modern highways, progress in road building has gone forward. This picture traces that progress, showing how modern roadbuilding makes highways more safe."
Voiceover:
"The common everyday spectacle of modern traffic on roads that are as out of date as the covered wagon."
"Roads that are not so modern as the traffic they carry cause congestion. Congested city streets hinder and delay the movement of traffic. Cause confusion at busy, crowded corners. The careful driver realizes that he cannot drive on out-of-date roads in the same way that he can safely drive on our finest highways."
Conestoga wagon on modern road;
cars driving on muddy, dirt roads through puddles.
railroad crossing sign; racing cars; detour signs; large road building machinery; road grader;
passing lanes; aerials of highways; Parkways; cloverleafs
"Curves have been scientifically banked to make the car hold the road easily. . . lighting experts have contributed their study of the problem of lighting street intersections."
"In the city . . . advances in road construction bring about savings in time and the elimination of trouble."
"Every such advance in road construction makes possible greater accessibility of the farms with greater freedom for tourists and trailers. Heavy trucks are able to move on the highways without interfering with other traffic."
overhead bridges as solutions to traffic crossings;
visual of the network of roads and underpasses leading to the George Washington Bridge. GW bridge approach. excellent shot of George Washington Bridge.
suspension bridge; Triborough Bridge (New York City); Randall's Island (NYC); Pulaski Aerial Skyway (from Jersey City to Newark, NJ); highway in Alexandria, Louisiana; VS cloverleaf interchanges
"Throughout the United States the American public has shown its interest in the work of improving the highways. We must all encourage the road builders of today who have given us new roads on the ground, contributing so much to public safety. New roads over the ground adding to the usefulness of the entire road system. New roads under the water saving time for the motorist. And new roads over the water to keep America's safety record the finest in the world."
[pretty sure there's a good shot of the Kosciusko Bridge in Brooklyn, New York]
worth noting: Nice image of chaotic traffic making its way towards an overpass. Very industrial area either Newark or Jersey City. The cars seem to have no clear lanes (there's clearly a need for better roads). We see water towers in the distance.(10:34:21:03- 10:34:27:10)
10:35:22:03- 10:35:35:28
Three shots showing traffic in Manhattan. The first show pedestrians walking across a street. On the other side of them is a line of traffic. Cut to a low angle shot of traffic moving slowly. Cut to an overview of a wider street (looks like it may be leading to one of the bridges) scattered with confused cars. There are no clear lanes or traffic signs.
worth noting: Cars move along a wide parkway with newly paved roads. One car turns at a median.(10:37:35:02- 10:37:43:08)
worth noting: Aerial view of cars driving along new wide road (with a median in the center) by a lake. We see boats in the water.(10:38:15:22- 10:38:20:28)
worth noting: Aerial view of a traffic circle (perfectly shaped) and roads branching from it. Cars move fluidly around it.(10:38:48:28- 10:38:55:14)
worth noting: Excellent driving POV across a small bridge. The camera turns and we view the highway beneath the bridge where one cars drives by. Beyond the car we see what look like mobile homes. (10:39:22:12- 10:39:28:15)
worth noting: Nice aerial shot of a train moving quickly across an overpass. The camera is shaky.(10:39:42:05- 10:39:49:02)
10:40:43:05- 10:40:55:12
Nice aerial view of a car moving along a highway (looks like it's in fast motion). We stay with the car as it goes beneath underpasses.
10:40:55:14- 10:41:12:28
Aerial view of a highway in New Jersey (?). There are several rows of large homes which look brand new (they look like the new rich suburban enclosed communities). We pass a large school.
07:39:47:20 Two horses pull old frontier style Oregon Trail-like wagon; wagon crosses intersection, narrowly avoids collision with oncoming 1930 or 1940s style automobiles.
07:40:21:16 Model T style early automobile driving toward camera on dirt road through muddy ditch followed by second modern 1930s or 1940s automobile crossing muddying ditch.
07:40:39:05 Early 1940s style automobile passes truck on two lane road cut out of wilderness.
07:42:18 Workers put up road barricade. Detour sign next to closed road.
07:42:12:21 VS construction workers laying fresh concrete for highway.
07:43:52:20 VS aerial shots of modern roadways.
07:44:35:02 VS aerial of rotary traffic circles for highway intersection.
07:44:56:05 Aerial shot of four leaf clover or clover leaf design highway intersection.
07:45:09:17 Aerial shot overhead bridge separating intersecting thoroughfares.
07:45:22:18 Aerial of city street layout.
07:45:37:07 Aerial shot of train crossing railroad underpass.
07:45:43:13 Aerial roads leading to George Washington Bridge in New York City.
07:45:55:27 Aerial George Washington Bridge.
07:46:10:20 Aerial shot of the Triborough Bridge.
07:46:21:01 Aerial shot of the Pulaski Aerial Skyway connecting Jersey City and Newark, New Jersey.
07:46:37:10 Aerial shot of speeding 1950s style car on highway.
07:47:26:18 Aerial shot of four leaf clover highway intersection; four spinning hubcaps are superimposed in each of the circles of the clover.| Conquering Roads | |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Handy (Jam) Organization |
Production company | Handy (Jam) Organization |
| Distributed by | Handy (Jam) Organization |
Release date | 1937 |
Running time | 8:48 |
| Language | English |
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