U.S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt launches the new aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10), successor to the earlier Yorktown (CV-5) lost in the battle of Midway during World War 2. The First Lady holds a bouquet and talks to an officer. People crowd at a shipyard for the launch and cheer. The ship begins to move down the ways prematurely, so Mrs. Roosevelt has to hurry with the Christening. View of the ship going down the ways and entering the water, at the Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard in Virginia.
American aviator Howard Hughes at an airfield in Chicago Illinois. Hughes poses in front of his parked, rented Northrop Gamma 2G (NR13761), as he prepares to set a new flight speed record from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California. Men stand nearby. Airport terminal buildings in the background. Hughes boards the airplane. Hughes in the cockpit of the Northrop Gamma 2G aircraft. Several men stand near the airplane. The airplane taxis and takes off and in flight overhead. It reached Los Angeles in 8 hours and 10 minutes, setting a new speed record for east-to-west flight between Chicago and Los Angeles.
May Irwin and John Rice (AKA Beatrice Byke and Billy Bilke) reenact a scene from the New York stage comedy, The widow Jones, in which they starred. They get ready to kiss and finally do. Filmed at Edison's Black Maria studio in New Jersey.
Opening Slate reads: 19 March 1945, Enemy bombs hit (pictures made shortly afterwards shooting aft from forward deck). It refers to Japanese bombs striking the American Aircraft Carrier USS Franklin (CV-13). Heavy billowing smoke obscures the view for a moment. Then sailors are seen on the flight deck of the Franklin fighting a fire with hoses. More fire breaks out and smoke billows from the deck. Fire fighters continue efforts with hoses. New fire breaks out near the edge of the deck opposite the ship's island superstructure. View from other direction shows sailors all over the deck near the island trying to contain the fire. A slate appears reading: A series of violent explosions begin (made from USS Hickok - DD-673). This refers to filming from the USS Hickok. The USS Franklin is seen consumed by fire and covered by dense black smoke rising high into the sky. The smoke turns more white. A new view from the Hickok shows fire and smoke coming from the area of the carrier's island and blowing aft. A different view shows both white and dense black smoke enveloping the Franklin. Next, firefighters are seen again, on the Franklin's flight deck, forward of the island, continuing to battle the fires that see concentrated amidship. Slate reads: USS Miller alongside (refers to the destroyer, USS Miller, DD-535).View of the USS Miller close-by. Another view of sailors fighting the fire on the Franklin's flight deck. Brief view, from a parapet on the island, shows smoke. Also seen are water intakes stretched out from the ship, presumably providing water for firefighting. Back on the Franklin's flight deck, firefighters work against a backdrop of white smoke. a closeup shows portions of the flight deck broken and tilted into the hangar deck. More views of sailors on deck, forward of the island, fighting the fires. Glimpse of hangar deck below, where large section of flight deck has fallen. Firefighters with hoses working there.
Hollywood stars walk on a ramp at the Hollywood Museum in Universal City, California. Hollywood personalities sitting at a table to watch the fashion show. Hollywood star models walk on the ramp wearing gowns and jackets of the world's outstanding designers. Hollywood star models include Angie Dickinson, Gina Lollobrigida and Judy Garland. The fashion show honors Universals new movie "The Chalk Garden". The new Hollywood Museum is the beneficiary.
Opening scene shows view from stern of a warship in an Pacific U.S. Navy task force during World War 2. Other convoy warships are seen in far background. Closeup of American flag on a ship. Glimpse of U.S. Destroyer moving behind the camera ship. Four warships in side-by-side formation. Naval guns firing in the dark at night. A U.S. light tank being loaded aboard a ship at a dock. Several towable pieces of field artillery covered and ready for loading at the port. Numerous army trucks parked in a group at the port. Silhouettes of U.S. Army soldiers, in full battle gear, ascending a gangway to a troop transport ship. Heavy field guns being loaded aboard a ship. Cargo manifests for U.S. Army Transport Service ships preparing to sail from the New York Port of embarkation in Brooklyn, New York. Several Army transport ships underway in the ocean. A Fletcher class destroyer nearby. A Yorktown class aircraft carrier. Closeup of a sailor manning a Bofors 40mm antiaircraft gun on board an aircraft carrier. Fletcher class destroyer in background. View from the bridge of troops on open deck of a transport ship. Sailors standing near variety of guns aboard a warship. Sailors scanning skies for enemy aircraft. A Grumman F4F aircraft being launched from deck of an aircraft carrier. Quad Bofors antiaircraft guns being fired and skies filled with black flak clouds. View down from Bridge on the Island of an aircraft carrier, showing antiaircraft gun positions. More views of black flak clouds. Sailors in battle gear on the aircraft carrier deck. Bofors guns firing. View from carrier flight deck of Japanese Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" attacking close to the carrier. It is struck by gunfire and bursts into flames. Another Japanese Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" torpedo bomber passing close to the flight deck. It bursts into flames and crashes into the water, close to the carrier, exploding violently in heavy black smoke. View from carrier of transport ships following.
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