sorry for this non-word post, but I've been trying to find something for quite some time, and I thought maybe someone here might be able to help.
as a child in the late 60's and early 70's in the US, we were shown documentary films about various scientific topics and large-scale building projects such as the Hoover Dam. these were on 16mm film and the general memories I have of these films are so strong, that I'd like to see if they are available on video or DVD. I seem to remember them being produced by Bell Laboratories, or some such company, though it may have been NBC, or another network. The Hoover Dam show had a theme song that sang "They Said It Couldn't Be Done" with a stirring melody.

anyway, I've searched with every keyword and phrase I can think of, and only come across one reference to a Hoover Dam video, with no indication to the producers, etc.

does anyone else remember these films?

feeling a bit sentimental...

Dear etaoin: how well I remember "The Plow That Broke The Plains" and some of the other documentaries, made I think by the WPA or some similar governmental agency. I wouldn't be surprised if they were preserved somehow, they were so very educational.

Well, Sweetheart, here's one listing, though it is a 1936 edition; I'm thinking it isn't likely to be the one you mean, but it's the first one I've come to that wasn't the 1999 one.
http://www.hoover.archives.gov/giftshop/Booksvideos/books-videos.htm

Hmm--here's one, same year, but says it's 35 min., where the above one said 20.
http://www.facets.org/movies/6690

There's a guy who has a column that appears in our Saturday paper: The Incredible Inman, I think is the name of the column. If you have him, or someone like him, in your paper, I suggest you write and ask. This guy can come up with the right movie when people write little more than, "I remember that I saw this movie in about 1955; there was a lady, dark-haired or maybe blonde, who did something with some man". I'll bet he could find your documentary!

Dear etaoin: I searched for "documentary film the plow that broke the plains, and got a number of URLs about that one film. If you search using same words, you should find out how to locate the film you want.
http://newdeal.feri.org/nchs/lesson01.htm

You also might go through your state library. Anything they have in their archives that isn't in a restricted collection you'd be able to get through your school library with inter-library loan.

thanks for the great ideas, Bill, Jackie and WW! now I can't wait for after school. and I'll check with my school librarian and she what she can dig up...

now I can't wait for after school.

Isn't really nice to see a teacher who has something in common with his pupils?

I'm just guessing, but you might try the Smithsonian, too, in case any of the other ideas don't work out.

woody guthry, and other artist were hired by the WPA to write work song about the WPA projects.. (Woody wrote 'Roll on Columbia', among others for the grand culee dam on the columbia river- (washington/oregon) )

as Woody traveled across america (which he had done before, since he was born in oklahoma when it was still indian territory, not a state, but his first wife and family (not arlo,) lived in NYC (where he came to live again, and eventually died) he couldn't help be impressed by this country.

He had originally penned "this land is your land, this land is my land" as a socilist/communist complaint song.. (he was inspired by and particulary ired by "god bless america" which was a pop hit in the 1930's, and very sappy) but he couldn't keep it up.. and he changed the verses, to the beautiful song most american know today. some of the late verses (there are about 30 verses to the song, it is rare to see them all published) do retain a socialist theme.

i don't know the song, but it wouldn't surprize me if it was a one commissioned by the WPA for the dam. I don't know if woody guthry wrote songs for the hover dam.
(but he was very pleased about the work on grand culee, and thought it was very smart of the government to pay artist like himself to commemorate great acheavements with songs.)

good thought, van, thanks.

Helen, I used to sing "Roll on Columbia" with my elementary students, and a few other Guthrie songs; it hadn't occured to me that the theme song of this documentary might be an actual song, rather than just being penned for the film. I'll check in to that.
we just sang "This Land is Your Land" for an Arbor Day ceremony, and I had to stop myself from printing out the 7 or 8 verses I had access to... we sang the first three, which are wonderful, and I didn't get in trouble...

etaoin:

you might try posting your query on either (or both) of the 16mm film collector forums:

www.efilmforum.com
www.16mmfilms.com

Someone may have a print for sale (on 16mm of course!).

and Dr Bill: I have just bought, on an online auction, prints of 'The plow that broke the plains' and 'The river' (both made by Pare Lorentz in the 1930s) for the film collection that I manage for the Film Society I'm involved with. They still pack quite a punch.

oh boy! new worlds to explore... thanks, paulb!

I've been trying to remember who wrote the score for "Plow"... Hanson?

I'll bet nickels to numchuks these are available through the Library of Congress or are at least preserved there. When I was in college there was an assistant history prof who had a grant to collect and preserve the myriad of plays that the WPA commissioned during the Depression.

A great many artists and writers worked for the WPA, which was one of FDR's pet projects if I remember this history prof correctly.

I'll write to a couple of college buddies to ask them if they remember more about the preservation project.

actually a bit simpler than what I had thought:

http://www.wpafilmlibrary.com/

What is a numchuck?

Bingley

"Numchuck" is an English-speaking corruption of the Okinawan "nunchaku" meaning two short hardwood sticks connected at one end with a chain or cord used in martial arts.

Surely worth much more than a nickel (10 cents?). Would a willingness to bet nickels to numchucks thus indicate a certainty that your answer was wrong?

Bingley

it's just a variation on "dollars to donuts"--it's the alliteration that's alluring.

thanks all! I just got home from a 16 hour day, and my first search at the WPA site netted over 1300 matches for "Hoover". that sucks... (Hoover. vacuums. sucks. sorry, it's late.)
I will try to do some more searching tomorrow, no wait, I have another rehearsal... ok, on Thursday, I'll dig deeper into all these great ideas...

While you're all explaining things, what's the WPA?

Works Project Administration. The general idea was that maybe we could solve this Depression thing with its rampant unemployment by giving people jobs.

<score for "Plow">

etaoin: Virgil Thomson wrote the music for "Plow" and "River", and also for Robert Flaherty's "Louisiana story". The music has been issued occasionally on CD.

Works Project Administration. The general idea was that maybe we could solve this Depression thing with its rampant unemployment by giving people jobs.

Ah. I'd heard of the concept but didn't know the name.

Virgil Thomson

ah, that's it! thanks. I knew Hanson didn't quite sound right, but had forgotten about Thomson. I have heard "Plow", but I'm not familiar with "Louisiana Story". I'll have to check it out.

thanks!