Yours

Ephemeral films

7,969–8,016 of 19,487 films, free to watch, from the world's open archives.

Where these films come from, and who sees what

Every film here plays from the archive that keeps it: the Internet Archive, Wikimedia Commons, the NASA Image and Video Library, the Library of Congress and Open Images (the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision). Nothing is copied to this site. Each film's page names its archive, links to its page there, and states its licence or status as the archive does.

Archive films carry no age ratings, so each is placed from the collections it sits in and the subjects the archive gives it, cautiously. Sexual content and nudity are left out altogether.

Little OnesFilms for young children by name: nursery rhymes, lullabies, preschool.
KidsCartoons and animation, children's and family films, and educational films, unless they deal with war, propaganda, crime, horror or drugs, or carry racial caricature.
TweensDocumentaries, science, nature and space, classic comedies, newsreels, commercials and lectures.
TeensEverything else, including anything we cannot tell about; war, crime, horror and westerns go no lower.
AdultSexual themes (such as the old "sex hygiene" films), gore, surgery, slaughter, atrocity footage.
Internet Archive THE NAVAL GUN AT IWO JIMA CONFIDENTIAL U.S. NAVY FILM 26464 Film Produced in 1945 by Jam Handy, "The Naval Gun At Iwo Jima" is a sister film to "The Naval Gun at Okinawa". This film details the important role Navy guns… Internet Archive U.S. ARMY CHEMICAL CORPS "THE CHEMICAL BIOLOGICAL RADIOLOGICAL STORY" CHEMICAL WARFARE 70464 Film Presented by the U.S. Army and its Chemical Corps, The Chemical Biological Radiation Story (M.F.3 9027) shows viewers how the U.S. army is developing its… Internet Archive WWII Newsreel 1944 Mortai, B-29 In CBI, Advances In Europe To Siegfried Line 73832 Newsreel This WWII newsreel dates to 1944 and includes various segments, including coverage (around 15 minute mark) of Operation Market Garden. The film begins in the… Internet Archive Filmstrip: "Quickwick's Special Tour" 1973 · Educational SOUND FILMSTRIP IS AN AT-RISK MEDIA FORMAT. I am the only person on earth preserving American filmstrips. The media format is largely forgotten and very… Internet Archive SOVIET PROPAGANDA FILM COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL 1919-1943 78884 Film This Soviet film tells the story of the Communist International from its founding in 1919. The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern and also… Internet Archive " HOOK DOWN, WHEELS DOWN " U.S. NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIERS IN WWII PART 2 21564b Film Produced in the early 1970s, "Hook Down, Wheels Down" covers the history and development of the U.S. aircraft carrier. The USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) takes… Internet Archive COLD WAR ERA U.S. NAVY FILM " RISE OF THE SOVIET NAVY " 1970s USSR NAVY (Print 2) 26924 Film Made by the U.S. Navy at the height of the Cold War, this informative film chronicles the history of the Soviet Navy from the Czarist era through WWI, the… Internet Archive "MOBILITY IN NATURE" 1960s FILM LOCOMOTION OF SNAKES, MICROSCOPIC LIFE, CENTIPEDES (SILENT) 68914 Film This 1960’s era film was made as a part of the study of advanced locomotion, being carried on by the Aeronutronic Division of Philco Corporation, a subsidiary… Internet Archive NASA APOLLO PROGRAM DOCUMENTARY "THE TIME OF APOLLO" 72942 Documentary Created in 1975 and narrated by Brugess Meredith, "The Time of Apollo" looks back at the lunar missions with vivid footage and stirring music and voice-over.… Internet Archive LOCKHEED AIRCRAFT C-130 HERCULES IN ANTARCTICA " RENDEZVOUS 90 SOUTH " MCMURDO 86744 Film This film is about the C-130’s first mission to create an unending supply line to the South Pole in Antarctica (:18) and is presented by Lockheed Georgia… Internet Archive WEST PAKISTAN 1960s EDUCATIONAL TRAVELOGUE FILM KARACHI LAHORE PESHAWAR XD12214 Educational This color educational film is about the western side of the country of Pakistan. There is no copyright but based on research this is circa the late… Internet Archive WWII German Army/Pioneers Egineers Building A Ponton Bridge Film This short silent German educational film shows a unit of German pioneers rapidly constructing a pontoon bridge over a river. A pioneer is a soldier employed… Internet Archive NASA APOLLO 12 MISSION & WINGLESS SPACECRAFT / LIFTING BODIES 87174c Film This color film produced by NASA, an Aeronautics and Space Report has four segments. The first is about Apollo 12 just before its launch on November 14, 1969.… Internet Archive U.S. COAST GUARD IN VIETNAM WAR NGUNG LAI RIVERINE FORCE 78754 Film This Vietnam War-era United States Coast Guard film takes the viewer to the coast of South Vietnam onboard the cutter Point White (CG82308), as a sailor is… Internet Archive 9th INFANTRY DIVISION IN VIETNAM 1968 U.S. ARMY BIG PICTURE DOCUMENTARY 81974 Documentary This 1968 Big Picture TV-746 color film about the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam was presented by the U.S. Army. The soldier narrator holds a book about the… Internet Archive “ POLARIZATION OF LIGHT ” 1970s OPTICAL SCIENCE FILM POLAROID FILTERS XD41004 Film This 1971 Encyclopedia of Britannica educational classroom film, created in collaboration with Dr. Lawrence Welsh of Northwestern University, makes use of… Internet Archive RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT!® 1950s TV SHOW SHORTS LOUIS PHILIPPE I, UMBERTO I & MORE 64394 Film In this collection of very short stories from the early 1960's Ripley’s Believe It or Not!© television series, viewers learn of some unbelievable (and… Internet Archive THE DAY CALLED 'X' NUCLEAR ATTACK ON PORTLAND OREGON COLD WAR FILM 71622 Film A Day Called X is a dramatized Civil Defense documentary set in Portland, Oregon ("roughly the size of Hiroshima"), in which the entire city is evacuated in… Internet Archive " ATOMIC FALLOUT " 1950s U.S. AIR FORCE NUCLEAR WAR & FALLOUT CIVIL DEFENSE FILM COLD WAR 72312 Film This black-and-white U.S. Air Force film from the 1950s (title unknown) explains vital facts about fallout and radioactivity, with the hope that military… Internet Archive WORLD WAR II GERMAN FILM REICHSARBEITSDIENST LABOR SERVICE 74162 Film This short silent educational film shows activities of the Reichsarbeitsdienst (translated to 'Reich Labour Service', abbreviated RAD), a major organisation… Internet Archive "A SERMON FROM SCIENCE" UNDERWATER SOUNDS IN THE SEA MOODY BIBLE INSTITUTE 49514 Film Produced by the Moody Institute of Science (MIS), a production company for the pro-creationism Moody Bible Institute and headed by pastor Irwin A. Moon, A… Internet Archive PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILROAD LONG BEACH LINE 1940s FILM LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA TROLLEY CARS 60124c Film This short, silent film shows "The Big Red Cars" of the Pacific Electric railroad in Los Angeles. It was shot by Leo Caloia, an amateur cameraman who filmed… Internet Archive TOHONO O'ODHAM TRIBE NATIVE AMERICAN INDIANS TUCSON, ARIZONA U.S. GOVERNMENT FILM 88304 Film This is a color film showcases the Tohono O'odham people. University of Arizona, Tucson presented by the Bureau of Audiovisual Services. Explanation of the… Internet Archive Destination America: Perspectives On U.S. Immigration Policy 1996 · Film "Presents the stories of two immigrants--one who came legally, the other who did not--as well as commentary from immigration policy experts" -- description… Internet Archive "BIRTH OF AN OIL FIELD" 1949 GEORGE PAL ANIMATED FILM FOR SHELL OIL CO. MD74772 Cartoon Produced by George Pal, "Birth of An Oil Field" was directed by Duke Goldstone and released in 1949 by the Shell Oil Co. This film offers a comprehensive… Internet Archive Natural Selection: Evolution at Work 1978 · Educational With teacher's guide Shows how animals and plants adapt to their environment in order to survive and how these benefits can be both harmful and useful to… Internet Archive That's Business: Financing Growth 1978 · Educational Illustrates the relationship of growth in sales to profit and cash flow, and emphasizes that growth consumes cash. Includes an effective method for… Internet Archive The Law of the Land 1980 · Educational Examines the use of America's land resources. Discusses the use and misuse of urban sprawl, strip mining, leap-frog development, grotesque commercial… Internet Archive Attack Choppers Film "Striking fear across the battlefields of the world, no weapon system has become so lethal so quickly as the attack helicopter" -- description from box. Internet Archive GERMAN NEWSREEL UBOAT SINKS HMS COURAGEOUS TYPE IX U-BOAT 20354a Newsreel This German propaganda movie was part of a U.S. Navy archive compiled during WWII, and acquired by Periscope Film. This film celebrates the German U-boats,… Internet Archive " OPERATION BLOWDOWN " SIMULATED NUCLEAR BLAST TEST ON RAIN FOREST AUSTRALIAN CIVIL DEFENSE 74922 Film This film from 1963, "Operation Blowdown", explored the impact of a (simulated) nuclear explosion on a tropical rainforest. It begins with an introduction to… Internet Archive Ames Research Fleet Short · 29 min Episode 12 of The airplane and NASA Describes how various aircraft assigned to the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., are used for research in… Internet Archive The Times of Teddy Roosevelt 1959 · Educational 618046 The life and times of Teddy Roosevelt who led the U.S. into the mainstreams of 20th century life Internet Archive They Do Come Back Short This film courtesy of The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). DIRECTOR: No directorial credit indicated. SPONSOR: National Tuberculosis… Internet Archive Christmas TOY STORY 1996 · Film Internet Archive WORLD WAR II BRITISH PROPAGANDA FILM "NOW YOU'RE TALKING" 85954 Film Made in 1940, NOW YOU'RE TALKING was one of a trio of fast-paced shorts released in 1940 intended to illustrate the potentially catastrophic consequences of… Internet Archive Life Purpose Planning: Understanding The Heart Of Your Child 2004 · Film "People who understand God's purposes consider not only today, but also tomorrow and years to come. How do you help your son or daughter become this kind of… Internet Archive OPERATION UPSHOT KNOTHOLE ATOMIC BOMB TESTS & ATOMIC CANNON 23521 Film Released by the Department of Energy (and appropriate sanitized to remove classified material) this Armed Forces Special Weapons Project film shows the… Internet Archive " THE EAGLE HAS LANDED " NASA APOLLO 11 LUNAR LANDING & FIRST STEPS ON MOON JULY 20, 1969 34052 Film This historic NASA film, "The Eagle Has Landed" provides a detailed account of the Apollo 11 mission crewed by Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael… Internet Archive 1960s AIRPORT PROMOTIONAL FILM "AIRPORTS SERVE THE COMMUNITY" 79254 Film This 1960s color film advocates the importance of how small airports serve the community. It is a Jack Robinette Production. It opens with a Piper Comanche… Internet Archive "A-7 CORSAIR II FAMILIARIZATION" U.S. NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIER FLIGHT DECK LANDING PROCEDURES 80184 Film This U.S. Navy film was made to educate pilots about the flight characteristics of the Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II, and to prepare them for landing the… Internet Archive 1961 RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT TV SEGMENTS THOMAS EDISON, KNIGHTS, MONTE CASSINO 60504 Film This is a collection of seven short black and white segments copyrighted in 1961. Not a formal TV show, these short Ripley’s Believe It or Not segments were… Internet Archive 1950 UNITED AIRLINES HAWAII TRAVELOGUE "HIGHWAY TO HAWAII" 77274 Film Made in 1950, Highway to Hawaii is a terrific travelogue presented by United Airlines. After a detailed countdown and focusing leader, this film explores… Internet Archive " IRON CURTAIN LANDS " 1959 POST-STALIN ERA SOVIET UNION & EASTERN EUROPE EDUCATIONAL FILM (Print 1 - color) 89754 Educational Iron Curtain lands. Post-Stalin Period. Copyright MCMLIX. Educational Supervision: Michael Boro Petrovich, PhD. Associate Professor of History, The University… Internet Archive Mr. Jones Takes The Air 1946 · Short · 9 min A 1946 British road safety film. Produced by the Crown Film Unit for the Central Office of Information. Internet Archive “ CHOCOLATE CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD ” 1960s HERSHEY CO. FACTORY TOUR PENNSYLVANIA XD44624 Film This 1960s color film depicts a tour of the Hershey Chocolate Factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania, featuring a sanitized and some might say shameless history of… Internet Archive THE SONG OF CEYLON / 1934 SRI LANKA DOCUMENTARY BY JOHN GRIERSON 59935 Documentary This black and white documentary film about Ceylon (today called Sri Lanka) is a John Grierson Production and directed by documentary filmmaker Basil Wright.… Internet Archive NASA 1969 APOLLO 9 LUNAR MISSION MARINER MARS MISSION VTOL AIRCRAFT 87174d Film This color film produced by NASA, an Aeronautics and Space Report has 3 segments. The first is about Apollo 9 just before its launch on March 3, 1969 (:32). A…