Hot on the heels of those silent clips from the `70s, last week, I stumbled upon this home movie that was only posted a few days ago. Uploaded by one Sandra Otto, this is a charming little slice of one family’s (I’m making assumptions, of course) vacation to Manhattan in the bygone era of 1956.
After an obligatory shot of Manhattan taken from the bow of a ship, the action starts on the Upper West Side, with a jovial visit, by one couple, to fabled Fair Way supermarket on Broadway, after which they adjourn to the Hotel Kimberly in Midtown. Suddenly, it’s back to the Upper West Side, specifically Verdi Square (you can see the marquee of the Beacon Theatre in the background). Verdi Square, of course, would later morph into the not quite as salubrious north end of “Needle Park” in the early-to-mid `70s, thus coined for its concentration of heroin users and immortalized in the 1971 film, “Panic in Needle Park.” But, back in `56, it’s still all smiles and stylish hats. Then, it’s back to midtown for visits to 42nd and Fifth Avenue (you can just see one of the New York Public Library’s lions) before a trip to Bryant Park one block to the west, and then the inevitable pilgrimage to Times Square.
After a quick spot to since-vanished Hotel Wellington on Seventh Avenue at 55th Street, we’re off to the southernmost end of Central Park and then an aquatic adventure in the Boat Pond across from Bethesda Terrace.
From there, it’s a fleeting tip back to the Upper West Side, a stop at the United Nations and then a bird’s-eye view from atop a building around Sutton Place.
While there isn’t anything particularly revelatory or surprising about this charming video, it’s still an interesting contrast to view these familiar locations through the prism of 2023, a bizarre 67 years since this footage was first captured. The city preserved here looks uncharacteristically clean and safe, like a grainier version of a Hitchcock film. One assumes all the principal players in this silent drama have all passed away, but I might be mistaken.
Enjoy…
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