- Title: PA-54
- Summary: FREEDOM AND POWER: Development and importance of electric power from Ben Franklin's experiments with kite to contributions of Thomas Edison
- Description:01:30:55 - ANIMATION: PAN TREES AND FARM LAND WITH BIRD IN FLIGHT LANDING ON HANDLE OF PLOW SITTING ON PLOWED FIELD. VOICE OVER "BUT THE FARMERS WERE NOT AT THEIR PLOWS THAT DAY". 01:31:16 - PAN ANGRY FARMERS CIRCA 1775 WITH MUSKETS IN HAND "FORMING A LINE AT LEXINGTON", FACING LINE OF BRITISH SOLDIERS AND AN OFFICER ON HORSEBACK, RIFLES READY. CU FARMER. "DISPERSE YE REBELS, WHY DON'T YOU LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS AND DISPERSE?" "STAND YOUR GROUND, DON'T FIRE UNTIL FIRED UPON, IF THEY MEAN TO HAVE A WAR, LET IT BEGIN HERE", SAYS REBEL LEADER. PAN TO TREES AS GUN FIRE IS HEARD, SMOKE FILLS AIR. PAN FLOWERS BEGINNING TO BLOOM. VOICE OVER, "MOTHER FREEDOM HAS BEEN SWELLING FOR A LONG TIME, AND ON THE 19TH OF APRIL, 1775, IT BURST INTO BLOOM AT LEXINGTON AND CONCORD IN MASSACHUSETTS". VARIOUS ANIMATED BATTLE SCENES. VOICE OVER SPEAKS OF FREEDOM. 01:32:49 - MAP OF UNITED STATES SHOWS NARROW STRIP ALONE EASTERN COAST WHICH HAS BEEN SETTLED. ANIMATION SHOWS HOW THE SETTLERS BEGAN MOVING AND SETTLING WEST. COVERED WAGON ON THE MOVE. PAN PICTURESQUE LAND FOR FARMING, MINING, FORESTRY. CU AXE IN HAND CHOPPING DOWN TREE. ,S COLONIAL WOMAN BU FIREPLACE CHURNING BUTTER, FARMER TOILING AT THE PLOW; WATER WHEEL PROVIDING POWER TO RUN THE MILLS, TURN THE SAWS. VARIOUS SHOTS COVERED WAGONS ON MOVE, VOICE OVER GROUP SINGING "OH SUSANNAH", (SOUTHERN STYLE), SIGN ON WAGON, :KANSAS OR BUST". 01:34:33 - ANIMATED EARLY STEAM LOCOMOTIVE PULLING INTO STATION AS STEAM POWER IS DISCOVERED. PAN INSIDE TICKET STATION TO NEW MAP OF U. S. SHOWING HOW MUCH WAS SETTLED. 01:35:08 - ANIMATION, POLITICIAN SPEAKING TO CROWD FROM FLAG-DRAPED PLATFORM, PAN TO TOWN HALL, MAN PASSING ON PRIMITIVE TWO WHEELER BIKE (LARGE FRONT WHEEL) PASSING BY TO MISSISSIPPI RIVER BOAT SAILING R TO L. 01:35:30 - PAN PHILADELPHIA CIRCA 1750S TO HOME OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, INVENTOR. PAM SEVERAL FRANKLIN'S INVENTIONS, TO FRANKLIN AT HIS DESK WORKING BY CANDLE LIGHT. HE WAS EXPERIMENTING WITH SOMETHING CALLED "ELECTRIC FIRE". PAN TO FIREPLACE. VARIOUS SHOTS FRANKLIN FLYING KITE DURING THUNDER STORM TO PROVE THAT AND ELECTRICITY WERE THE SAME. ANIMATED SHOTS FRANKLIN MAKING FIRST BATTERY. HIS WRITINGS WERE TRANSLATED INTO FRENCH, GERMAN AND ITALIAN. 01:36:30 - FRANKLIN AT DESK EDITING JEFFERSON'S ORIGINAL WORDS IN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. HE SET ASIDE ALL HIS INVENTIONS TO DO SO. VARIOUS SHOTS OTHER MEN WORKING AT EXPERIMENTS, INCLUDING SAMUEL MORSE SENDING OUT FIRST MESSAGE "WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT", ON TELEGRAPH. SCENESTHOMAS A. EDISON AT DESK IN MENLO PARK, N. J. AFTER 6000 INDIVIDUAL EXPERIMENTS, FINALLY INVENTED THE INCANDESCENT LAMP THAT WOULD BURN FOR 40 HOURS, WHICH LED TO GROUP WHO FORMED A COMPANY ON OCTOBER, 1878 TO INVENT AN ELECTRIC LIGHT. VOICE OVER, "HERE WAS A LIGHT WHICH WOULD SHOW THE WAY TO ONE OF THE ,MOST SIGNIFICANT SINGLE DEVELOPMENTS THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN, THE ELECTRIFICATION OF NEARLY ALL HUMAN ENDEAVOR". 01:38:21 - VARIOUS ANIMATED DRAWINGS SHOWING EDISON'S VISION FOR A CENTRAL GENERATING STATION THAT WOULD;D MANUFACTURE ELECTRICITY, AND A NETWORK OF WIRES TO DELIVER IT TO CUSTOMERS. 01:38:40 - "THE BIRTH OF MODERN POWER STATIONS TOOK PLACE IN 1882". ANIMATED DRAWINGS SHOW THE FIRST DYNAMO STARTED IN THE PEARL STREET STEAM STATION IN MEW YORK CITY. HYDRO ELECTRIC STATION IN MID-WEST VARIOUS SHOTS SHOWING DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRIC MOTOR, "HERE WAS THE STRENGTH OF MAN'S BACKS, THE MUSCLES OF THEIR ANIMALS AND THE POWER OF WATER WHEEL IN ONE PACKAGE". VARIOUS ANIMATED VIEWS SHOWING ELECTRIC POWER BEING DELIVERED TO COMMUNITIES, INDUSTRIES AND INDIVIDUALS, "THROUGH WIRES NO BIGGER THAN YOUR FINGERS". END ANIMATION 01:40:32 - LS STREAMLINE PASSENGER TRAIN SPEEDING BETWEEN ELECTRIC POWER GRIDS ON BOTH SIDES OF TRACKS. VARIOUS VIEWS ELECTRIC POWER BEING USED IN VARIETY OF HEAVY AND LIGHT INDUSTRIES. CU RADIO ANNOUNCER SPEAKING OVER MICROPHONE, LARGE RADIO TOWER MAGICALLY TRANSMITTING HIS VOICE. LS FOOTBALL GAME IN PROGRESS AT NIGHT UNDER THE LIGHTS. VARIOUS VIEWS INDUSTRIAL PLANTS WITH SMOKING STACKS. COUPLE SEATED IN FRONT OF TV IN LIVING ROOM. "POWER TO CREATE FREEDOM; POWER TO CREATE NEW FREEDOM". NEWSPAPERS COMING OFF PRINTING PRESS.PHONOGRAPH RECORDS BEING PACKED INTO SLEEVES BY MACHINE. 01:41:43 - MS MAN AND WIFE WINDOW SHOPPING IN FRONT OF APPLIANCE STORE WITH REFRIGERATORS, WASHERS ON DISPLAY. MS CIRCA 1950S AUTO TRAFFIC STOPPED AT ELECTRIC LIGHT. MS OUTSIDE VIEW UTILITY COMPANY BUILDING. VARIOUS VIEWS DISPATCHERS AT WORK INSIDE UTILITY. "THIS IS WHERE THEY ROUTE THE POWER. DISPATCHER ON PHONE. TOAST POPPING OUT OF TOASTER; OPERATING TEAM AT WORK IN OPERATING ROOM; DISPATCHERS ROUTE ELECTRICITY FOR ALL THESE NEEDS. LS ELECTRIC PLANTS. 01:42:28 - CU HOUSEWIFE HAND WITH FORK REMOVES WAFFLE FROM ELECTRIC WAFFLE MAKER. STEAM EMITTING FROM PLANT; HUGE GENERATORS IN PLANT. LARGE ELECTRIC TOWER GRID. 01:42:52 - VARIOUS SHOTS HYDRO-ELECTRIC PLANT, SHOW FALLING WATER TO TURN WHEELS. ANIMATED DRAWING SHOWS HUGE STEAM GENERATORS AND HOW THEY WORK. VARIOUS LARGE TRANSFORMERS. VARIOUS TRANSMITTING ELECTRIC TOWERS. LIGHTS IN HOMES, STORES, STREETS, COOING OFF AT NIGHT. 01:43:45 - VARIOUS SCENES FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN LIVING ROOM CELEBRATING BIRTHDAY ELDERLY FRED WILSON, MS FRED WILSON TELLS WIFE "HOLY MACAREL I'M 75 TODAY". AS GROUP SING "HAPPY BIRTHDAY: SONG. ALL CONGRATULATE HIM INCLUDING LITTLE GRAND OR GREAT GRAND DAUGHTER. HE RECEIVES ELECTRONIC LAMP FOR READING, WHICH HE CAN'T MAKE OUT. "THE FIRST LAMP I USED BURNED COAL OIL".. HE PRODUCES PHOTO ALBUM, SHOWS GREAT GRAND DAUGHTER, ON HIS LAP, OLD PHOTOS OF HIMSELF AS A CHILD. 01:44:55 - MCU BOY (GRANDPA FRED AS A BOY), SEATED AT DESK DOING HOME WORK BY LIGHT FROM OIL LAMP. CU FRED MILKING COW. MS FARMER WALKING HIS HORSE TO BARN, REMOVING HARNESS. VOICE OVER, "THE BIGGEST PERCENTAGE OF AMERICANS WERE TO;;ING THER SOIL. WITHIN A FEW YEARS EDISON'S CHANGED ALL THAT". 01:45:50 - CU OLD A LIGHT SWITCH IS BEING SWITCHED ON, ELDERLY WOMAN (GRANDMA) PLUGS ELECTRIC CORD INTO OLD IRON CIRCA EARLY 1900S. VARIOUS SHOTS TRACTORS BEING DRIVEN OFF ASSEMBLY LINE TO PARKING AREA CONTAINING HUNDREDS OTHERS. FARM TRACTORS BEING MOVED ON RAILROAD FLAT CARS. LS COMBINE HARVESTING CROP. MS WOMAN WORKING IN BOTTLING PLANT AT. JARS BEING FILLED AUTOMATICALLY. 01:46:31 - MCU GRANDPAS YOUNGEST SON, NOW MIDDLE-AGED PHIL WILSON SMILES AS HE WATCHES FATHER OPEN GIFTS. CU PHOTO OF YOUNG ADULT PHIL WILSON, WHO LEFT FARM AS YOUNG MAN TO WORK IN FACTORY IN TOWN., WHICH WAS NOT FULLY CONVERTED TO THE NEW POWER. VARIOUS VIEWS OLD FASHIONED FACTORY WORKING ON STEAM POWER. A JUNGLE OF STEAM DRIVEN LINE SHAFTS. VARIOUS SHOTS MEN WORKING AT MODERN MACHINERY. "NOW THERE IS LESS EFFORT AND MORE PAY AND BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS". 01:47:35 - MCU WOMAN TYPING, PAN TO WOMAN ON ADDING MACHINE CIRCA 1950S. CU SAME. 01:48:00 - MLS WOMAN ARRIVING HOME FROM WORK, (HOUSE WITH WHITE PICKET FENCE, UP WALK TO FRONT DOOR, ENTERS HOUSE. VOICE OVER "THE HOUSE IS MUCH THE SAME S THE MINUTE MEN LIVED IN". CU ELECTRIC POWER LINE FROM POLE TO HOUSE. VARIOUS SHOTS HOUSEWIFE COOKING ON ELECTRIC POWERED STOVE, USING VARIETY ELECTRIC POWERED APPLIANCES. CU GARBAGE DISPOSAL. BACK TO GRANDPA SHOWING HIS PHOTO ALBUM TO THE KIDS AROUND HIM ON SOFA. 01:49:09 - MS MODERN HEAT PUMP IN HOUSE BASEMENT. VARIOUS ANIMATED DRAWINGS, AND VOICE OVER SHOW HOW HEAT PUMP WORKS IN WINTER AND SUMMER. NOICE OVER TELLS ABOUT ATOMIC ENERGY. "CHANCES ARE THERE WILL NEVER BE A HANDY ATOMIC PILE IN YOUR BASEMENT .....". VARIOUS ANIMATED DRAWINGS OF ATOMIC POWER PLANTS. VOICE OVER TELLS HOW IT WORKS. 01:50:00 - CU SPEED SHOT OF FLOWER BLOOMING AS VOICE OVER TELLS ABOUT ENERGY IN SUNLIGHT. "IS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO FILL OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR FOOD, HEAT AND LIGHT" LS FARMERS DRIVING COMBINE HARVESTING CROP IN FIELD. 01:50:40 - HERD OF SHEEP GRAZING IN PASTURE. VOICE OVER TELLS ABOUT PHOTOSYNTHESIS, "NATURE'S WAY OF TURNING LIGHT INTO CHEMICAL ENERGY". HE SPEAKS OF SOLAR ENERGY BEING PUT TO WORK AS ELECTRIC POWER". 01:51:10 - VARIOUS VIEWS OF "THE HOME OF THE FUTURE". LIVING ROOM, WITH FIREPLACE, TV SET (CIRCA 1950S). "LIGHT CONDITIONED" ROOMS WITH REMOTE CONTROL FEATURES. COFFEE POT IS ACTIVATED BY MAN IN BED WHO REACHES AND PUSHES BUTTON BY THE BED. HOUSE WIFE ON PHONE TURNS OFF RADIO FROM SWITCH NEAR PHONE. TWO-WAY SWITCHES TO TURN LIGHTS ON AND OFF. VARIOUS SHOTS ELECTRIC KITCHEN, ORGANIZED TO SAVE TIME, STEPS AND ENERGY. VARIOUS SHOTS MODERN APPLIANCES IN KITCHEN. WASHER, DRYER, ETC. LS OUTSIDE VIEW OF "DREAM HOME". 01:53:15 - VOICE OVER TELLS OF "FORCES THAT THREATEN OUR FREEDOM", GOES ON TO PATRIOTIC SPEECH WITH ANIMATED DRAWINGS PREVIOUSLY LOGGED. 01:53:40 - WORLD MAP, VOICE OVER "AMERICA WITH ONLY 6% OF WORLD POPULATION, PRODUCES OVER 40% OF THE WORLD'S GOODS". ANIMATED DRAWINGS SHOWS REASONS. CU ONE HORSEPOWER MOTOR, "DOES WORK OF 17 MEN". VARIOUS VIEWS, MORE EXAMPLES OF PRODUCTIVITY DUE TO INCREASING HORSEPOWER MOTORS. 01:55:27 - DRAWING OF MINUTEMAN OF REVOLUTIONARY DAYS BEING SHOWN TO CHILDREN IN S CLASSROOM/ 01:55:50 - LS GUIDED MISSILE BEING LAUNCHED. "VOICE OVER, "BUT WE ARE NOT A NATION OF DESTROYERS, WE ARE BUILDERS. MORE PATRIOTIC RHETORIC.
- Collection: Historic Films
- Producer:Historic Films
- Transmission Date:01/01/1953
- Rights:On request
- Decade: 1950s
- File Name: PA-54