LOS ANGELES, BEVERLY HILLS & HOLLYWOOD AERIALS SHOT FROM GOODYEAR BLIMP 1931 HOME MOVIE XD95585

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This silent 16mm home movie shows scenes of Los Angeles, Hollywood and Beverly Hills shot from aboard the Goodyear blimp "Volunteer". It also shows the Pickwick Riding School and training stables. At the time the film was made, the blimp Volunteer was based at a hangar on Florence Avenue, and the public was invited aboard for "photographic tours". The film dates to March, 1931; the blimps first started flying in 1925 as visible corporate symbols of the world's largest tire and rubber company. The film may have been shot by M. Cady or L.J. Shearer, who are mentioned in the card at the start of the film. We don't know anything about these individuals although it seems possibly that M. Cady was Mr. William M. Cady, a businessman who made a fortune in the lumber industry.

The film begins with shots of the Goodyear Airship Dock (:26) with a sign advertising a $5 flight aboard the Volunteer. At 1:00, the Volunteer is shown in its hangar. At 1:36, one of the blimp's engines is shown, and at 1:46 is a shot of the blimp maneuvering at altitude and then coming in for a landing at 2:18. At 2:37 are the start of aerials of the city. Some of the tighter shot aerial footage is very jerky, owing to the fact that the cameraman tried to use a telephoto lens from within the moving gondola. At 4:36 are scenes of what appear to be Beverly Hills mansions including what appears to be Greystone (4:52). The Beverly Crest sign, installed by developer George Read, is visible at 4:54, 5:13 and 5:35. At 6:50 are oil fields, possibly in Venice or the Baldwin Hills. At 6:55, a large "57" is visible from the air. This was in Culver City, and the "57" in giant concrete numbers reminded both motorists and Pacific Electric passengers to stock up on Heinz's 57 varieties of condiments. At 7:00 the crew is visible who will assist the Volunteer in landing, and the blimp is shown taking off again shortly after. At 8:00 are terrific shots of the blimp as seen from the ground. At 8:30, the blimp is shown landing. At 8:55 the Pick Wick Riding School, located at Parkdale Avenue in Los Angeles, is shown with riders enjoying themselves, galloping horses around a training track. The film ends with a brief shot of a residential home.

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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, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com