VIDEO: Vintage promo film made for Detroit's 1968 Olympic bid reveals city's precipitous decline
Click above to watch the video after the jump
We often think of the 1950's as being the heyday for Detroit's fortunes, but even in the early-to-mid Sixties, it remained something of a modern marvel, thanks largely to its world-leading auto industry. This archival video was apparently commissioned as part of a failed bid for the 1968 Summer Olympics (which went to Mexico City instead). Reportedly filmed in 1965, Detroit – City on the Move shows the area in full bloom – a startling contrast to the shell of an empire that remains just 44 years later.
With the harmonies of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as a backdrop, Mayor Jerome Cavanagh takes us through footage of downtown streets bustling with some of the city's two million residents, shots of a startlingly clean and new Cobo Hall (including scenes of the Detroit Auto Show itself), the crisp campuses of the (then) Big Three, and of the city's once-mighty cultural draws. It even has footage of the late John F. Kennedy talking up its virtues as part of the Olympic bid.
Interestingly (and perhaps tellingly), this sanitized look at Detroit all but glosses over mounting troubles with blustery talks of 'rebirth,' it utterly omits mention of the hitmakers at Motown Records, and in retrospect, it fails to adequately address growing racial tensions in the city (Detroit's infamous riots would lay siege just two years later in 1967).
Admittedly, such promotional films show a city in its best light by design, but even still, there's no getting around the fact that the World's Automotive Capitol ain't what it used to be. This video, part of the Prelinger Archives, gives us a glimpse into what Detroit used to be, and perhaps more than anything, what it sought to be. It's an amazing yet sobering look into mid-Sixties America, and it's worth a look. Take a trip back in time by clicking on the jump.
[Source: Archive.org]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Ryan McGrory 8:06PM (6/15/2009)
I love old films like this, all the futurist stuff of the 60's is very interesting.
Reply
Cody 11:33AM (6/16/2009)
"it utterly omits mention of the hitmakers at Motown Records, and in retrospect, it fails to adequately address growing racial tensions in the city (Detroit's infamous riots would lay siege just two years later in 1967).
Stupid white people.
Tony Xia 8:22PM (6/15/2009)
It's sad how a once great city falls apart.
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olderty 2:18AM (6/16/2009)
If I had any time on my hands, video editing skills, or still lived in the D, I'd try to splice that film into a past and present representation. Trying to match the views and locations in the film. It'd be interesting just how far off things are as compared to the past. And to perhaps show most of the people who judge Detroit by its reputation that it really isn't too bad -- as long as you know where to go.
esteva03 12:42PM (6/16/2009)
i live in michigan too. i am "minutes away" from downtown. it would be very interesting doing a video of before and after. i have a whole summer free, i dont have video editing skills but i do have a mac. so if you decide to do it ill help.
Ben 8:28PM (6/15/2009)
Detroit always reminds me of a real-life Gotham City.
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Judy Zik 11:19PM (6/15/2009)
My thoughts exactly.
BTW. The World's Largest Freshwater Beach (Wasaga) is over 5 hours drive from Detroit. Not exactly what I would call just minutes away.
mapoftazifosho 8:52AM (6/16/2009)
You moron, the announcer said ONE OF THE LARGEST, which would be metro-beach...or about 10 minutes away.
wohho 8:31PM (6/15/2009)
You know what's funny? Absolutely nothing in that hospital is gone or changed. Everyone thinks Detroit is some kind of post apocalyptic hell, but everything in that film still exists, is still open, and is still as cool.
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Protzenegger 10:17PM (6/15/2009)
I hear you. Every time I visit Detroit, I see all the greatness that still remains and it makes me appreciate that so much of the city has kept its historic appeal. Wayne State, DIA, anywhere downtown, you name it. Cobo really isn't so bad either.
I like Detroit, and I'm not ashamed.
Michael Flux 5:09AM (6/16/2009)
Umm.. wohho... Do you actually live in Detroit? and if you do, when was the last time you visited downtown? Minus the few dozen office buildings by the river, the rest of the city, really is post apocalyptic hell... sure there are some decent neighborhoods an hour or so away by car, but the actual city is a pile of slowly rotting sh*t. I would know, I lived here for over 12 years now...
Talisman 11:05AM (6/16/2009)
@ Micheal Flux
I do live in the city and have for 26+ years. There are definitely nice parts of Detroit than right by the river. Downtown is looking VERY good, especially compared to a 10 years ago and there are a multitude of very nice neighborhoods in the city(within 15 min of each other, not 1 hour). It is obvious that you have blinded yourself to reality. Detroit isnt perfect, but its not that bad. If it bothers you so much, I suggest you move so that the people who love the city can finish repairing its image without you in their way.
Iridium 11:24AM (6/16/2009)
If you think Downtown Detroit or anywhere close to the city is in good shape or looks great you obviously don't live there. I have a family member that works for the Detroit police. You don't want to know what he has seen. Right by the new ballpark and Casino is OK but you don't want to venture down the wrong street.
If you want to see the real Detroit search "Detroit Ghetto" on Youtube. A good 75% of the surrounding city looks like that. Even decent areas to the Northwest like Auburn Hills are starting a rapid decline.
When people in the ghetto put up signs on the road like, "don't go that way, you'll die" you know the city is bad.
ronnie schreiber 2:04PM (6/16/2009)
Even decent areas to the Northwest like Auburn Hills are starting a rapid decline.
While still in Oakland County, Auburn Hills is north and east of Detroit, not northwest.
It should be noted that 300,000 people moved out of Detroit in the 1950s. Nobody knew it, but the decline already had started before Jerry Cavanagh was elected and before Cobo Hall was completed.
CNBC was just talking about India's infrastructure shortcomings compared to China's and the opinion was expressed that India's less developed status actually creates greater business opportunities.
The same could be said about the Detroit area. There's a skilled workforce, good universities, roads, rail and air service, and lots of vacant industrial space.
Mark K. 8:31PM (6/15/2009)
I hope Silicon Valley is paying attention. That's what will happen to them in 20-25 years from now.
Great American Entrepreneur Spirit is only interested in a new toy as long as exclusivity guarantees huge margins. But as soon as somebody else starts doing it, they lose interest and that's how the others end up doing it better and cheaper.
Nothing wrong with that, but in today's world information travels literally at the speed of light and "the others" are catching up very fast. I see a bad moon rising.
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Nathan 10:01PM (6/15/2009)
Re: Mark K
Great American Entrepreneur Spirit only lasts until government backed unions and increased taxes and regulations drive thriving industries into oblivion.
Next on the gov'ts radar: US oil production. Domestic oil companies are about to go the way of the steel industry, and now the auto industry.
jsjs 10:25PM (6/15/2009)
"Great American Entrepreneur Spirit only lasts until government backed unions and increased taxes and regulations drive thriving industries into oblivion.
Next on the gov'ts radar: US oil production. Domestic oil companies are about to go the way of the steel industry, and now the auto industry."
@Nathan
Or else govt. over-deregulates an industry (due to lobbying efforts by said industry), doesn't have proper oversight or the proper protocols to prevent abuse/risky behavior (such as "investing" in credit default swaps) and we end up w/ the biggest banking/finance failure since the Great Depression.
And oh, btw, the domestic oil companies have pretty much written the legislation that governs them; the main reason why they aren't investing more in surveying and locating, much less developing new oil fields/platforms in the US is b/c the current price of oil doesn't warrant such investment (it simply costs more to get a barrel of oil out of the ground in the States than in the Middle East) - plus, the oil giants would rather spend their huge profits buying back shares and spending HUNDREDS of millions to compensate top execs.
And oh, btw, all auto manufacturers, including foreign makes, have to meet US regulations - so it's not like the regulations covering the auto industry was the reason for the downfall of the domestics since Toyota, BMW, Honda, Mercedes, etc. still have to meet them (not to mention that regulations covering the auto industry are actually TOUGHER in Japan and Europe).
The taxes on autos are HIGHER in Japan and Europe (and we still levy a 2.5% tariff on passenger cars and a 25% duty on light trucks imported from abroad other than from Mexico and Canada).
As for the unions, yeah, the UAW probably should have realized that their compensation level was no longer feasible, but Japan and Germany (w/ Germany having very tough unions) both compensate their workers well, altho their execs make significantly less than those in the US.
Sorry - but the FACTS DON'T match your rhetoric.
some1 10:34PM (6/15/2009)
@jsjs
actually the bind that we are in is because of the housing crash, which cause credit to crap out, many people wanted D3 cars, they just couldnt buy them. Considering the rest of the automakers (including toyota) has tanken loans... this kinda shows that.
Oh and the housing market crapped out, because (and no im not a republican) the dems decided they wanted everyone to have a house, so they pushed for the creditors to sell houses to people with bad credit. then the interest went up and messed with everything.
PumaGTO 10:44PM (6/15/2009)
@jsjs
"The taxes on autos are HIGHER in Japan and Europe (and we still levy a 2.5% tariff on passenger cars and a 25% duty on light trucks imported from abroad other than from Mexico and Canada)."
mwahaha!! You thing that´s taxes? Here in Brazil we pay 60% taxes on everything imported. Thats why you can buy a Honda Acord right now for US$60.000. And an Iphone for US$800.Talk about protectionism...
jsjs 1:52AM (6/16/2009)
"actually the bind that we are in is because of the housing crash, which cause credit to crap out, many people wanted D3 cars, they just couldnt buy them. Considering the rest of the automakers (including toyota) has tanken loans... this kinda shows that.
Oh and the housing market crapped out, because (and no im not a republican) the dems decided they wanted everyone to have a house, so they pushed for the creditors to sell houses to people with bad credit. then the interest went up and messed with everything."
@ some1
You should stop listening to the Rush and Fox News.
Yes - the subprime mess was the initial cause, but the Wall St. firms and banks LEVERAGING themselves up the wazhoo on extremely risky financial derivatives, such as credit default swaps (thanks to the DEREGULATION pushed by Phil Gramm and others) was the reason why a bad situation (akin to a bit worse than the S&L scandal/crisis of the late 1980s/early 1990s) turned into the most dire economic situation since the Great Depression.
The Wall St. firms and banks could have handled writing off the losses on bad mortages (which, btw, they were at fault for purchasing or making), but not the hundreds of BILLIONS more on the bad bets they made on derivatives (where they leveraged themselves at a 30:1 ratio).
It's the same reason we, the taxpayers, had to bail out an INSURANCE company (of all things), AIG, for underwriting risky insurance policies on the bets that the financial institutions were making on derivatives.
As for the Dems, they weren't responsible for mortgage companies and banks making bad loans, many of which were outright fraud (where the mortgage company would write in inflated incomes for borrowers and lend sums far and away more than the person could realistically afford).
The reason for this fraud was b/c the mortgage companies and banks were making a BUNDLE selling the mortgages on the secondary market - primarily to Wall St. firms (who also didn't care about the quality of the paper) which would repackage them and sell to investors for huge "profits."
Keep in mind that it was large mortgage giants such as Nationwide and large, national banks that engaged in these bad business, if not fraudulent practices.
The vast majority of small to mid-sized regional/neighborhood banks, otoh, are doing fine, it not thriving, since they didn't engage in such dubious practices (they also didn't see insane "profits" during the heyday of the real estate boom).
Yes - Fannie/Freddie eventually got involved in this mess (keep in mind that they only are involved in half of the secondary mortgage market - so this mess would have happened w/o them), but the type of mortgages they bought initially were higher-grade than that bought by the Wall St. firms (which didn't care) until mortgage giants such as Nationwide threatened to entirely BYPASS them if they didn't buy the bad paper w/ the good.
Basically, everyone (except the small-midsized banks) got greedy b/c they were making easy $$ (even the credit ratings agencies like Moody's and Standard & Poor's).
And oh, just so you know, the rise in home ownership to record levels was one of the things that Bush was most proud of during his 2 terms (before the s**t hit the fan).
Btw, I am a Republican (one of the last of the "old school" fiscal conservative Republicans).