Our Cities Must Fight
Our Cities Must Fight
An official United States Civil Defense Film, in cooperation with the American Cold War propaganda department. Why people should stay in the cities in the event of an enemy attack. Some archival WWII footage.
Our Cities Must Fight
Titles
Our Cities Must Fight
United States: MCU man typing on typewriter; he takes sheet from roller, reads it (Lead Editorial), he crumples paper into ball, throws it away, then picks up telephone, dials number. MSs another man entering, the men, apparently editors at a newspaper or magazine, discuss the need for Americans to stay in the cities in the event of an enemy invasion or attack; the second man, looking a great deal like Tom Dewey, lights a pipe, smokes.
Our Cities Must Fight
Civil Defense Drill, United States: TLS massive traffic jam. MCU MS cars stuck in traffic. MCU sign reading In the event of an enemy attack on New York City this highway will be closed. CU MS male Civil Defense worker directing traffic. MSs of a disabled vehicle being moved from road via bulldozer so rescue vehicles can get through. MS men carrying stretcher. MCU fire trucks arriving at scene. GV pan cars stopped. GV male Civil Defense worker directing traffic.
Our Cities Must Fight
World War Two, Europe: MS TLS of European refugees flooding urban streets, fleeing with their belongings. TLS MS stream of refugees leaving via rural road. MCU MS women asking American soldiers questions. MCU distraught woman crying and clutching handkerchief.
Our Cities Must Fight
World War Two, London Blitz: GV building crumbling under smoky explosion. LS urban rubble shrouded in smoke. Night aerial of London in fire. Day GV destroyed building.
Our Cities Must Fight
Civil Defense Drill, United States: MCU profile woman behind the wheel of an American Red Cross vehicle. MCUs men behind the wheel of emergency trucks. MS CU TLS fire trucks lined up in street. MS men wearing Civil Service arm bands attending to injured. GV firefighters. MS men wearing Civil Service arm bands attending to injured.
Our Cities Must Fight
World War Two, Europe: MS nun serving food to soldiers. MCU distraught woman holding blanket wrapped baby in her arms.
Our Cities Must Fight
Civil Defense Drill, United States: ale Civil Defense worker directing traffic.
Our Cities Must Fight
World War Two, Europe: High angle LSs of crowds gathered at airport terminals. High angle LS crowds gathered on airport tarmac, evacuation. MS US Army evac helicopter airlifting wounded soldier. LS crowd of people gathered at train station. Elevated GV people crowding onto train.
Our Cities Must Fight
United States: GV police officer directing urban intersection traffic. MCU officer directing traffic with arm signal and whistle blowing. MCU old traffic light with "Stop" sign flipping up. MS man driving car.
Our Cities Must Fight
Firefighting Drill, Europe: MCU firefighter opening hydrant. High angle LS pan truck, firefighter and hoses in the strew. MS MCU firefighter in building roof, spraying hoses.
Our Cities Must Fight
World War Two, Europe: MSs of rescue workers sifting through rubble of bombed-out building.
Our Cities Must Fight
United States 1940s: GV people funneling through subway station. MS men and women climbing onto subway train.
Our Cities Must Fight
United States 1940s: MS people working inside meat processing plant, cuts of meat moving along conveyor. MS doctor listening to heart of small boy in hospital. GV kindergarten class in progress.
Our Cities Must Fight
United States: United States: MCU CU men in office talking the effects of an atomic blast.
Our Cities Must Fight
World War Two, Evacuation Scenes, Europe: MS MCU people evacuating city with belongings. MS injured civilian being carried on stretcher. GV MS people buying tickets at booth. MS man helping young girl and her mother off truck reading SNCF Paris MCU two young children, one sleeping on luggage bad, the other looking at the camera with wide eyes. MS young couple with young child smiling at camera, man is in US military uniform. MS women and children at train station with belongings. MS children boarding trains. MS women carrying babies entering train. MS elderly man in wheelchair seated next to elderly woman. MS men in white uniform lifting wounded person on stretcher into train. MS nurse helping preteen girl using crutch. MCU children being supervised by a nun, looking at train window. MCU train wheels bringing to roll.
Our Cities Must Fight
World War Two, Destruction Scenes, Europe: GV damaged building. MS men removing rubble. MS storefront with broken windows. GV police and civilian men looking at destroyed street. GV bombed out building. GV pan smoldering rubble.
Our Cities Must Fight
United States: MCU men in office talking. MCU man getting up to look out window.
Our Cities Must Fight
World War Two, United States: GV interior airplane factory. GV warehouse interior. Elevated GV tugboats docked and larger ships in harbor. MS tugboat.
Our Cities Must Fight
World War Two, Destruction Scenes, Europe: MS broken traffic signal. MS broken shop windows. GV bombed out building.
Our Cities Must Fight
World War Two, War Work Industry Scenes, United States: Elevated GV train yard. Tracking GV factory building with several smoke stacks. Interior GV pan workers in munitions factory. CUs factory production. MSs men assembling torpedoes. MS TLS tanks rolling off production line. High angle LS pan of airplane assembly. Low angle MS plane rolling out of hanger at Boeing facilities. Head-on MS plane taxiing toward camera.
Our Cities Must Fight
United States: MSs men in office talking, they walk toward window, one man lights his tobacco pipe, they talk about the potential flight dilemma, equating it with simple cowardice. "There'll be plenty of suffering, plenty of misery. Broken homes...death." He turns to the camera and says, "Have you got the guts?"
Our Cities Must Fight
End Titles