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Created in 1953, "The American Road" is an epic documentary that tells both the history of the automobile in America and the story of the Ford Motor Company. Drawing on Ford's vast archive of films, the movie shows how mass production of the automobile transformed life in America. The film was written by Joseph March, directed by George Stoney, narrated by Raymond Massey and one of the cinematographers is Robert Downey Sr. The film features images of Henry Ford, his wife Clara Ford, son Edsel, Henry Ford II, Benson Ford, Harvey Firestone, Barney Oldfield and others. The movie's score was by Alex North. Note: The end of the film showing the Golden Gate Bridge was updated several times over the life of the film. You can see it this segment in color elsewhere on this channel.
0:00 - Describes how old country roads were slow and rough. 1:06 - For those living far from the railroad, catching a train meant a long journey by horse-drawn carriage. 1:29 - Leaving the farm for the city involved mixed feelings. 1:43 - Reflection on saying goodbye to old friends and farm life hardships. 2:09 - Passing landmarks like the schoolhouse, remembering past. 2:34 - The church symbolized faith continuity. 2:48 - Contemplation about farm to city transition. 3:25 - City allure with machinery opportunities. 4:10 - Waiting for the train, symbolizing city destiny. 4:46 - City life with hard pavements and transport. 5:16 - City summers, heat, congestion, escape desire. 5:45 - Leisure in amusement parks, ballparks. 6:24 - Sunday countryside bike rides. 7:10 - Paved road ends, bicycling limits. 7:16 - Henry Ford and his quadracycle work. 8:00 - First quadracycle trial, historic moment. 9:05 - Early car driving challenges on American roads. 10:05 - Auto design innovations, racing cars. 10:49 - Barney Oldfield's record race, new era. 11:03 - Cars increasingly common in cities. 11:28 - Ford Motor Company founded, Model A introduced. 12:28 - Early cars adopted by city dwellers. 12:33 - Model T arrives, appeals to farmers. 13:44 - Ford reduces Model T cost for mass production. 14:39 - Assembly line implementation, production revolution. 15:19 - Assembly process refined, car prices drop. 15:27 - Global impact of car production. 15:38 - Efficient chassis assembly on single track. 15:46 - Faster car production, lower Model T prices. 15:57 - Assembly line expands to car parts. 16:04 - Assembly line evolves to specialized subassemblies. 16:22 - Gravity slides, conveyor belts for efficiency. 17:03 - Reduced waste in car production. 17:20 - Cars produced every 40 seconds, Model T cheaper. 17:50 - Model T affordability leads to Sunday drives. 18:27 - Thrill of driving on rough roads. 19:42 - Roads improved due to car owner demand. 20:36 - Model T connects city, country residents. 21:09 - Early driving without road maps. 21:38 - Model T integral to American life. 22:04 - Cars speed up business, new gas and oil industries. 23:03 - Families explore national parks by car. 24:22 - New discovery and joy in car travel. 25:48 - Model T signifies industrial revolution. 26:18 - Ford's contributions and personal life. 27:00 - Ford's family, innovation dedication. 27:27 - Tractor invention to help farmers. 27:53 - Ford's love for nature, country dances. 28:27 - Ford's innovative spirit and land connection. 29:09 - Ford's camping with friends, rustic simplicity. 29:15 - Ford's friends: Burrow, Firestone, Edison. 29:54 - Ford's rugged quality, simple life. 30:04 - Burrow's initial Model T prejudice, later overcome. 30:23 - Men whose ideas improved life. 30:55 - Ford and son review past, plan future. 31:19 - Cars evolve, becoming larger, luxurious. 31:57 - Ford introduces luxurious Lincoln. 32:02 - Model T outdated, production ceased. 32:35 - Old Model T's scrapped for new models' steel. 33:26 - Model T fades but leaves impact. 33:51 - Industrial progress through 1920s-30s. 34:23 - Mass production lessons aid WWII victory. 35:07 - Post-war road network growth. 36:00 - City, country life convergence, quality improvement. 37:05 - American road symbolizes freedom, progress. 37:22 - Cars' 50-year transformative impact. 37:56 - American road towards a better future.
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 and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
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