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[Home Movies of New York's Broadway District at Night; Washington D.C. and More / circa 1945-1946]
Maker
Watanabe, Gunji
Dateca. 1945-1946
ClassificationsMoving Images
Credit LineGift of Bruce M. Watanabe, M.D.
Object number2003.121.10
DescriptionColor home movie footage of Broadway, New York City and Washington D.C., filmed by Gunji Watanabe circa 1945 to 1946. Footage includes nighttime views of marquees and signs along Broadway; young men working on making marbles; and views of cherry blossom trees and monuments of Washington D.C. as seen from the edge of the Potomac River and various family members posing with the cherry trees.
0:31 -- Broadway and Times Square area, theater marquee at night “Danny Kaye Wonder Man” and couple walking by cameraman.
0:42 -- Animated signboard depicting three small fish hiding in a boot, teaming up to kick a larger fish.
0:58 -- Neon signs and marquees: Childs Bar; “Ernie Pyle’s Story of G.I. Joe”; Necco; Horn & Hardart Automat (quick service restaurant); RKO Palace “First Yank Into Tokyo with Tom Neal / Barbara Hale”; PepsiCola; Hollywood B’way & 51st / Warners’ “Rhapsody in Blue: The Jubilant Story of George Gershwin”; Gilette Blades for Comfort; The Famous Latin Quarter; Cafe Zanzibar; Jack Dempsey’s Broadway Bar; United Artists Winter Garden “Blithe Spirit”;
3:00 -- Very dark interior.
3:24 -- Young man with his head down, holding a glass marble against a grinding wheel. Another young man and an older man work in the same workshop on marbles. Lighting goes between normal and very dark interior. Some closeups of machinery in use.
4:13 -- Young man flips off the camera. More closeup shots of grinding marbles and views of various other men working on marbles. More flipping off the camera. Inspecting marbles from a top-down view.
5:02 -- Finished marbles laid out on paper. A man measures the size of marbles with calipers.
5:28 -- Views of cherry trees in bloom along the Potomac River in Washington D.C. Panning shots of the Washington Monument and cherry trees on the opposite side of the river.
6:00 -- Cherry trees with view of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial not far behind. Woman (cameraman’s mother, Mrs. Matsu Watanabe) walking under cherry trees.
6:38 -- Very dark lighting; man walking towards camera (possibly cameraman’s father, Mr. Keida Watanabe). More panning views of cherry trees and views of Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
7:51 -- Mrs. Watanabe poses. Views of tourists walking and biking along the Potomac.
8:28 -- Caucasian man in military uniform faces the cameraman and is also shooting home movies.
8:34 -- Young and elderly tourists walking along the Potomac and by cherry trees.
9:00 -- Mr and Mrs. Watanabe carefully sit and pose in front of the Potomac. More tourists walking.
9:54 -- Closeups of cherry blossoms, excellent color.
10:00 -- More tourists walking. Mrs. Watanabe sits on a bench.
10:15 -- View of a Japanese-inspired waterfront area. A young woman and a girl (relatives?) are with Mrs. Watanabe. More tourists posing with cherry trees. Close views of the Watanabe group.
12:52 -- A man (possibly the cameraman, Gunji Watanabe) and young woman attempt to climb on a rock and goof around for the camera. More views of the group and Japanese-inspired waterfront, plus posed shots.
15:03 -- Cherry blossom closeups and posed shots.
15:56 -- Mr. Watanabe playfully jiggles a branch and smells the flowers. Cherry tree views.
17:52 -- Closer views of the Japanese-inspired waterfront structures. Tourists walking.
19:51 -- Film ends.
1 film reel : si. ; 8 mm. original pos. Academy Film Archive supplied title: Home Movies of New York's Broadway District at Night; Washington D.C. and More / circa 1945-1946
0:31 -- Broadway and Times Square area, theater marquee at night “Danny Kaye Wonder Man” and couple walking by cameraman.
0:42 -- Animated signboard depicting three small fish hiding in a boot, teaming up to kick a larger fish.
0:58 -- Neon signs and marquees: Childs Bar; “Ernie Pyle’s Story of G.I. Joe”; Necco; Horn & Hardart Automat (quick service restaurant); RKO Palace “First Yank Into Tokyo with Tom Neal / Barbara Hale”; PepsiCola; Hollywood B’way & 51st / Warners’ “Rhapsody in Blue: The Jubilant Story of George Gershwin”; Gilette Blades for Comfort; The Famous Latin Quarter; Cafe Zanzibar; Jack Dempsey’s Broadway Bar; United Artists Winter Garden “Blithe Spirit”;
3:00 -- Very dark interior.
3:24 -- Young man with his head down, holding a glass marble against a grinding wheel. Another young man and an older man work in the same workshop on marbles. Lighting goes between normal and very dark interior. Some closeups of machinery in use.
4:13 -- Young man flips off the camera. More closeup shots of grinding marbles and views of various other men working on marbles. More flipping off the camera. Inspecting marbles from a top-down view.
5:02 -- Finished marbles laid out on paper. A man measures the size of marbles with calipers.
5:28 -- Views of cherry trees in bloom along the Potomac River in Washington D.C. Panning shots of the Washington Monument and cherry trees on the opposite side of the river.
6:00 -- Cherry trees with view of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial not far behind. Woman (cameraman’s mother, Mrs. Matsu Watanabe) walking under cherry trees.
6:38 -- Very dark lighting; man walking towards camera (possibly cameraman’s father, Mr. Keida Watanabe). More panning views of cherry trees and views of Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
7:51 -- Mrs. Watanabe poses. Views of tourists walking and biking along the Potomac.
8:28 -- Caucasian man in military uniform faces the cameraman and is also shooting home movies.
8:34 -- Young and elderly tourists walking along the Potomac and by cherry trees.
9:00 -- Mr and Mrs. Watanabe carefully sit and pose in front of the Potomac. More tourists walking.
9:54 -- Closeups of cherry blossoms, excellent color.
10:00 -- More tourists walking. Mrs. Watanabe sits on a bench.
10:15 -- View of a Japanese-inspired waterfront area. A young woman and a girl (relatives?) are with Mrs. Watanabe. More tourists posing with cherry trees. Close views of the Watanabe group.
12:52 -- A man (possibly the cameraman, Gunji Watanabe) and young woman attempt to climb on a rock and goof around for the camera. More views of the group and Japanese-inspired waterfront, plus posed shots.
15:03 -- Cherry blossom closeups and posed shots.
15:56 -- Mr. Watanabe playfully jiggles a branch and smells the flowers. Cherry tree views.
17:52 -- Closer views of the Japanese-inspired waterfront structures. Tourists walking.
19:51 -- Film ends.
1 film reel : si. ; 8 mm. original pos. Academy Film Archive supplied title: Home Movies of New York's Broadway District at Night; Washington D.C. and More / circa 1945-1946
Sagara, Tomojiro
ca. 1955
Watanabe, Gunji
ca. 1936-1937
Hashizume, Naokichi
1936-1939
Honda, William Minoru
1935-1936
Mitsuoka, Norio
ca. 1947-1948