Classic NYC Coney Island Theme Park Films, Ride the Cyclone

The Coney Island and NY Amusement Park Collection DVD

The DVD is complete with a fully interactive menu and contains over 2 hours worth of classic footage. A short description of each film follows:

Amateur film Wathen collection Greenwich Village, New York Snowstorm, and Coney Island (ca. 1944)

This amateur film was made in Manhattan, NYC, during WWII.  It is a historic journey through a  Greenwich Village Street art exhibition, springtime at Coney Island, and documents Greenwich Village in snowstorm.  Amazing series of images of New York City after a snow storm

Silent, color, 4:46

Arteries of New York City 1941

Shows transportation corridors leading into and out of New York City, and efforts at transportation and infrastructure planning.  The narrator's voice is very festive. Very helpful to someone who needs to know how to get around in New York City. Everything is shown from parkways, highways, subways etc. they show the transportation of NYC like a beating heart.

Sound, B&W,  9:27

Coney Island - Bathing Beauties 1940 promo

The babes of the day!

Silent, B&W, 0:34

Coney Island - Boardwalk Crowd 1940 promo

Very short clip of the boardwalk

Silent, B&W, 0:06

Coney Island - Crowded Beach 1940 promo

The beach, the sun, the ocean, the crowds.  A summer tradition in old NY.

Silent, B&W, 0:39

Coney Island - Food 1940 promo

Nothing beat the food at Coney Island.  Nothing.

Silent, B&W, 0:33

Coney Island - Kiddie Rides 1940 promo

Short clip of rides for the little ones.

Silent, B&W, 0:15

Coney Island - More Rides 1940 promo

Fun for the whole family!

Silent, B&W, 0:49

Coney Island - Rides 1940 promo

Views of several rides at the park.

Silent, B&W, 0:49

Coney Island - Roller Coaster 1940 promo

This is where the modern day roller coaster was born.

Silent, B&W, 1:02

Coney Island - Sideshow 1940 promo

Next to the hotdogs, this was always something to check out at the park.

Silent, B&W, 0:37

Coney Island - Wild Tiger Act 1940 promo

Some entertainment for the crowds.

Silent, B&W, 0:56

Coney Island - Wonder Wheel 1940 promo

Probably the most popular ride at the park after the Cyclone.

Silent, B&W, 0:13

Coney Island At Night 1940 promo

Short clip of some night scenes at the park.

Silent, B&W, 0:43

Coney Island ca. 1940s

The great American landmark park in its heyday. This is an excellent film that captures the mood of Coney Island when it still at its height in 1940. Luna Park, burnt down in 1944, and the Steeple Chase, thrown down in 1964, are shown.  It was at a time when New York City was one of the best places to live in.

Sound, B&W, 9:19

Coney Island Hot Dogs 1940 promo

If you've never had one, you've lived a deprived life.

Silent, B&W, 0:20

Coney Island, USA 1952

An impressionistic view of a day in the life of Coney Island from the desertion in the early morning to the hysteria at midnight. Commentary by Henry Morgan.
 

Sound, B&W, 19:54

Henry Ford's Mirror of America

Compilation of images and sequences from the Ford Film Collection, with excellent footage of United States history, culture, industry and daily life between about 1915 and 1930. Highlights include Coney Island, the increasing pervasiveness of the automobile in American life, and early manufacturing footage.

2 Part, Sound, B&W, 36:09

Over the Waves 1938

Old educational film of how a suspension system smoothes out a rough ride.

Sound, B&W, 9:19

Traveltime, Freedomland 1963

A visit to Freedomland, that other amusement park in New York.

Sound, B&W, 7:00

Where the Mountains Meet the Sea

Introduces the city of Santa Monica, showing its amenities and the lives of its residents. A great snapshot of life in coastal California at the end of the 1950s.

2 Part, Sound, B&W, 27:31