Detroit: City on the Move (1965)

detroithistori...
2015.007.036
Color 16mm film with optical sound containing the Jam Handy-produced promotional film, "Detroit: City on the Move," for the city's bid to host the 1972 Olympics The film opens with Mayor Jerome P. Cavanagh addressing the viewer from his office. He serves as the film's narrator, backed by a soundtrack provided by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Samuel Benavie, and series of shots around the city that underscore his message.
The next segment includes shows of downtown, preeminently featuring the buildings of the new Civic Center--the City-County Building, Cobo Hall and Arena, and the Veterans Memorial Building. Cavanagh speaks of the Detroit River as an avenue for commerce and a source of fresh water. He then moves to the topic of city planning, as the film shows images of meetings which include maps, charts, and models. Shots follow of the construction of the Pontchartrain Hotel, the Jeffersonian Apartments, and the First Federal Building. The Detroit Bank and Trust Building, Lafayette Park, Riverhouse Cooperative Apartments, and several shots of residential neighborhoods also included.
The next section of the film focuses on the city's restaurants. The neon signs of Victor Lim's, Topinkas Country House, the Brass Rail, the Showboat, the Roostertail are featured, as are interior shots of the Top of the Flame in the Michigan Consolidated Gas Company Building, and several other unidentified restaurants.
Entertainment is the subject of the next section. The Masonic Temple, Ford Auditorium, the band shell at the Michigan State Fair Fairgrounds, and the Fisher Theatre all take center stage.
After a brief segment on the auto show in Cobo Hall, the film then turns toward a series of cultural institutions--the Detroit Institute of Arts, Cranbrook, the Detroit Public Library, the Detroit Historical Museum, and Greenfield Village. The film also highlights the architecture of Wayne State University, and briefly mentions its medical school as a segue into covering the planned Detroit Medical Center. Henry Ford Hospital is also shown. Then mention is made of the renovation of Mariners' Church. Native American and German dancers are shown performing in the International Institute. The fireworks of the International Freedom Festival are included as well.
Industry is the subject of the next segment. In a rapid montage factories and other business-related sites are shown, including the Ford Rouge Complex, Fisher Body Works, the Chrysler Jefferson Assembly Plant, the Chrysler General Offices, the General Motors Building on Grand Boulevard, the Highland Park Ford Plant, the Ex-Cell-O Corporation, the Marathon Detroit Oil Refinery, the International Salt Company, the U.S. Royal Tire Plant, the Great Lakes Steel Corporation, Ford World Headquarters, the Ford Research and Engineering Center, and the General Motors Technical Center.
Outdoor attractions Metropolitan Beach and the Detroit Zoo are both spotlighted in the next portion of the film, before the focus moves to sports. This section begins with footage of president John F. Kennedy making the announcement of Detroit as a candidate for the 1968 Olympic Games. Cavanagh emphasizes water recreation, skiing, Belle Isle and the city's other parks, and the professional sports teams, and various sports venues.
The film ends with a conclusion that prominently features Detroit Metropolitan Airport and aerial footage of downtown.