“DESTINATIONS... UNLIMITED” DOUGLAS DC-8 1968 CAPITOL INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS PROMO FILM 40990

This 1968 color promotional film produced by the McDonnell Douglas Corp. for Capitol International Airways touts the airline’s diverse tourist offerings, using heavy-handed narration and a survey of global destinations to lure potential travelers toward chartered luxury flights, focusing on a middle-aged demographic (TRT: 22:34).

A soaring bird and ethereal music. The image shifts to a negative. “You need envy the bird no longer” (0:07). “Here are your wings.” A Capitol jet airliner is revealed (0:57). Opening titles in montage: “Air Travel, Capitol International Airways presents Destinations… Unlimited” (1:18). A Douglas DC-8 jet airliner in flight. Passengers inside the cabin of the chartered jet (2:08). The plane’s captain pilots the craft in the cockpit with a co-pilot and navigator. Passengers board a DC-8 using an airstair. A flight attendant smiles as passengers file past. A bulletin board with posted flight plans (2:30). The pilots are given their flight paths (2:59). A Capitol jet takes off from a runway. A gondola in Venice, Italy, and another in Hawaii. London’s Tower Bridge. A guitarist and dancer in Spain (3:52). Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. Frankfurt, Germany. Airstairs on the back of a pickup truck (4:24). A pilot’s hands on the control stick, with an instrument panel filling the frame. Inside the cabin, passengers look out from windows. A flight attendant brings a priest an in-flight meal (4:45). Closeup on a jet engine. A flight crew approaches a DC-8. A flight attendant speaks into a telephone receiver in German (5:21). A bird’s eye view of Frankfurt am Main. Medieval architecture of The Römer in the Alstadt. Frankfurt Cathedral. Fountains, bell towers. The Goethe House and museum. Henninger Turm, a circular restaurant atop a skyscraper (6:06). German pedestrians (6:58). Narration mentions “well-groomed and pleasant stewardesses.” A flight attendant training school discusses visas and currency exchange (7:21). Upon completion of the course, Capitol attendants receive logo pins. A military airlift command charter (9:03). A smooth runway landing. A zoom in on the tail of a DC-8. Pilots in shirtsleeves take a lesson. Passengers (9:19). Coastal views of Hawaii. Relaxing by palm fronds thatched roof huts. Surfboards on a beach. An outrigger canoe. Nakalele Blowhole (10:38). A trained dolphin show, crowds of spectators. A scenic bridge. Tropical flowers. Beachgoers Sailboats. Ice cream. Bathing suits. A pool with a diving board. Diners are served a fruit cup. Hula lessons for elderly women (12:02). A nightclub act. A man in silhouette lights a torch, then dives off a cliff (14:18). Executives and Capitol employees hold a meeting. Maintenance on the nose of a DC-8. Onboard equipment is inspected. Radar testing (15:00). Caterers prepare in-flight meals. Passenger check-in kiosks (16:31). Spain’s Sotogrande golf course. Spanish musicians. The Atalaya Park-Hotel and golf club. Golfers tee off, driving over a water obstacle, putting (17:05). Mediterranean roads and coastal dwellings. Tourists in sunglasses explore Casares, in Moorish Málaga. A poolside resort hotel. Nightclub entertainment (19:12). “In the age of jet flight, all things are possible.” Piazza Venezia in Rome. A review of previous scenes. “Listen to the sound of the jets… Be one with those who dream… And remember the soaring bird” (20:47). End credits: “Directed and edited by Donn Bates, written by Frank Ashe, 1968” (22:09).

Capitol Air was a charter airline operational in the United States from 1946 to 1984. It was founded as Capitol Airways, then renamed Capitol International Airways in 1967, around the time of this film. They were one of the first charter airlines to operate jet aircraft. During the late 60’s, the airline operated six Douglas DC-8 jets and three “stretched” Super DC-8s along with a fleet of piston engine propeller craft. In 1981, the airline became Capitol Air, and filed bankruptcy in 1984.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com