Comments on: San Francisco on Film: Days Before the 1906 Quake
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- As a fourth generation San Franciscan, I am on my feet and clapping wildly for 60 Minutes / Morley Safer's report on the remarkable historic film shot on Market Street in San Francisco. You may have seen clips of the film before on YouTube or even here on Facebook, but the research that revealed the true story about this amazing film will astound you!
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- I wish I could save this to my PC.
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- Cannot describe how I climbed into the place and time. Fantabulous and leaving me wanting
more!! - Reply to this comment
- The music this is set to is called "Believe me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms/Molly St. by James Galway. I have this same music on a Celtic music CD. It fits this film very well.
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- About a third of the way through, I began to notice that no one is overweight. Much has changed in 105 years, eh?
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- I very much enjoyed the 60 Minutes story. I wonder if anyone has attempted additional corroboration of the circumstances of taking the movie. It appears from a couple of clocks (including the one on the Ferry building, and one other) that the film was made around 3:15 in the afternoon. If it was indeed made around April 15, is that consistent with the direction of the shadows? (Given the orientation of Market St, and the time of year, the shadows don't seem to be consistent, but it's difficult to be sure.) Also, is there any evidence that the film was made in a single shot on one day? There's some puddles near the end of the run, but, surprisingly, nothing earlier, though there are certainly places where water could stand.
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- To AeolianHall-Back in 1906 everyone did wear hats-men, women and children. It was a part of the apparel culture back then. There was no such thing as dressing casual-that mode of dress didn't exist until many, many years later. With that said, this is a wonderful film. I agree with what another person wrote about the look of awe in their expressions at this camera taking their picture as it goes by. This wasn't a small hand held camera as we have today, so it was noticeable and something so new and exciting for them. I love the part with the horse & buggy and the young boy who picks up the flap and is looking at the camera as they go down the road. With all the cutting in front of and around each other etc., it's amazing there were no accidents! I do wonder though what happened to all of them after the earthquake. Who survived, who didn't and if they survived, what became of them? Did the young boys in this film go off to fight in WWI and did they survive that?(you have to figure it was about 8 years later that the US go involved in the war and these kids were probably in their late teens/early twenties by then). Does anyone know what the building was/is that is at the end of the film? Was it some kind of a trolley station? Just curious-wondering if it still stands today. What is the music that is being played? I felt it was paired very well. I wouldn't want anything fast or peppy-not that it's a sad film, the music is just very fitting. I can just watch this over and over and see different things each time.
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- Don't know why I noticed this, but every single man, woman and child has a hat on.
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- My curiosity is; about half way through the film, a cable car with a trolley on the roof passes in front of the camera heading north across Market yet I saw no overhead wire nor did I see any tracks crossing the Market
St tracks. Were there electric trolleys in 1906??? and did they have no tracks??? - Reply to this comment
- Looking at that film, I couldn't help but to wonder if my grandfather and/or greatgrandparents were in it.
I remember hearing both of my grandparents tell us grandkids about feeling the '06 earthquake. My grandmother was living in Fresno at the time and she said that they had felt it down there as well. She described it as if someone was throwing rocks against the side of the house. - Reply to this comment
