Alaska’s Silver Millions (1936)

February 18, 2009 · By admin

The geography of Alaska, the life cycle of the salmon, and the salmon industry.There is a view of the treaty between Russia and the United States that resulted in the purchase of Alaska. “Glacier Priest” Father Bernard Hubbard narrates travelogue in three sections: first introduces the regions of Alaska; second shows the lifecycle of the salmon; third shows salmon netting and cannery operations. NOTE: Widely distributed in 16mm; very highly praised by educational film users. Beverly Jones was assistant producer for March of Time and made other sponsored films. Shows Alaska & its industries as of 1936, emphasizing salmon industry. Includes salmon’s life cycle & methods of catching & canning salmon. Narrated by the Glacier Priest, Father Bernard Hubbard. (EFL).00:00:45:00 B/W 1936 cu Hands hold agreement between Russia and US for sale of Alaska to the U.S.in 1867 for 7 million 200 thousand dollars / CU of first part of the agreement which was called Sewards Folly00:01:12:00 B/W 1936 ms Father Bernard Hubbard speaks about Alaska and what and how his thoughts have changed about the area since he came 10 years ago00:02:12:00 B/W 1936 ms Map is used to show the size of Alaska by overlaying it on the area of the continental US00:02:54:00 B/W 1936 ms Father Hubbard delineates by cartoon circling on the map the first of the three distinct areas of Alaska - Yukon Area00:03:17:00 B/W 1936 ws / cu Number of shots of Dog Sled moving across snow covered landscape / CU shots of various dogs in the team00:03:45:00 B/W 1936 ms Sled dogs outside their kennels / puppies playing in the snow00:04:04:00 B/W 1936 ms Eskimos come out of their dugout homes / woman takes seat on stool and starts to sew - child comes over to stand next to her / Eskimo woman fishes thru hole in the ice00:04:36:00 B/W 1936 ws Herd of Reindeer00:05:11:00 B/W 1936 ws Ice breaking up on the Yukon River00:05:41:00 B/W 1936 ms Father Hubbard cartoon circles on map Alaska section two - Southeast Alaska / the capital Juneau is located here / this area is indicated to have the same climate and general appearance as New England (Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont) and that Washington DC has colder winters than Juneau00:06:40:00 B/W 1936 ws Inside Passage from deck of ship - VS00:07:11:00 B/W 1936 ws Juneau / Alaska Juneau Gold MIne buildings00:07:24:00 B/W 1936 ws / ms Series of scenic shots of the area as well as views of its dairy farms00:08:46:00 B/W 1936 ws Glacier / series of shots of sections of glacier breaking off as it reaches the sea / pieces of this ice float away as icebergs / iceberg pops up to the surface from a depth of 1,000 feet00:10:30:00 B/W 1936 ms Map is cartooned circled showing the Alaskan Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands - the 3rd and last section00:10:51:00 B/W 1936 ws Aleutian mountain with cloud shrouded top00:11:12:00 B/W 1936 ws Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes00:11:25:00 B/W 1936 ws Mount Shishaldin, Unimak Island00:11:32:00 B/W 1936 ws Mount Aniakchak - the largest active crater in the world00:12:00:00 B/W 1936 ms Title: In Alaskan waters are some of the richest fishing grounds in the world. Millions of salmon make their home here00:12:10:00 B/W 1936 ms Title: The life cycle of these salmon is one of Nature’s most amazing stories, mysterious and spectacular. Each year millions of baby salmon are born in hundreds of fresh water streams throughout Alaska00:12:22:00 B/W 1936ms Map of Alaska showing cartoon trails of baby Salmon whichhead downstream to the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea and thendisappear into the Pacific00:12:45:00 B/W 1936ms Title: After two to five years lost at sea an unerringinstinct urges the salmon to return to the very streams where theywere born00:12:55:00 B/W 1936ms Series of shots of salmon fighting their way up stream totheir spawining grounds in the month of May00:14:52:00 B/W 1936ms / cu Man picks up returning salmon to show physical change thattakes place a peculiar overshot and underslung jaw with big teethdevelops and grows longer day by day enabling them to dig holes inthe gravel and mud to lay their eggs00:15:11:00 B/W 1936ms Series of shots of salmon moving upstream to a spot wherebubbling springs come up / lay their eggs and them by fanning theirtails cause a layer of mud to cover the eggs / then they die00:16:19:00 B/W 1936ms Salmon that have died exhausted by the upetream fight00:16:44:00 B/W 1936ms Depiction of Seward signing the purchase agreement00:16:56:00 B/W 1936ws Series of shots of the preparations for the Febuary to Maysalmon run catch in the ocean off the shores of Alaska00:18:06:00 B/W 1936ms Salmon caught in the traps / traps are emptied at once aday into the cannery tender only 24 hours are allowed by law fromthe time salmon are caught until they are canned and cooked00:19:32:00 B/W 1936ws / ms Series of shots of cannery tender returning loaded to acannery on Unimak Island00:20:18:00 B/W 1936ws Series of shots of gulls waiting for the cleanings from thecannery00:20:52:00 B/W 1936ms / cu Series of shots of the salmon being cleaned, trimmed,canned, cooked and packed for shipment in the fishhouse and cannery00:29:08:00 B/W 1936ms / ws Ferry freighter leaves pier00:29:28:00 B/W 1936ws / ms Alaskan farm / farm hands working the soil00:29:34:00 B/W 1936ws Series of shots of Alaskan scenics as narrator tells aboutits riches in minerals, timber and salmon00:30:05:00 B/W 1936cu Depiction of Seward signing the sale document00:30:12:00 B/W 1936cu Man in Russian uniform is handed Seward document he looksat it and rolls it up