Yours

Ephemeral films

9,553–9,600 of 19,489 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 WWII DEMONSTRATION OF JEEP MOUNTED ROCKET LAUNCHERS M-8 ROCKET CAMP PENDELTON 1944 50524 Film This silent, confidential film from WWII shows tests of various 4.5" B.R. launchers at Camp Pendelton, California on Jan. 19, 1944. It's not entirely clear… Internet Archive 1956 U.S. NAVY CONSTRUCTION & COMMISSIONING OF AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS FORRESTAL SEA TRIALS 81054 Film Presented by the U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Forrestal (MN 8087) is a 1956 film that shows the construction of the Forrestal at the shipyards of the Newport News… Internet Archive " JAPAN " 1951 ARMED FORCES SCREEN REPORT OCCUPATION OF JAPAN SILK, TEA & AUTO INDUSTRY 87014 Film This black & white military information film is about Japan in the aftermath of WWII, and shows the nation coming back to life in the wake of defeat and… Internet Archive Building a Boat on the Niger 1967 · Educational No narration; natural sounds only Producer, Julien Bryan The Bozo tribe on the Niger River constructs a boat with great attention to such details as nailing… Internet Archive "PHYSIOLOGY OF HIGH ALTITUDE FLYING" WWII U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE PILOT TRAINING FILM HYPOXIA XD48004 Film This World War II era film was produced by the Signal Corps for the U.S. Army Air Forces and scored by the U.S. Army Band. This particular training film… Internet Archive PERU SOUTH AMERICA LIMA & CUZCO ANDES MOUNTAINS WORLD WAR II DOCUMENTARY FILM 46654 Documentary Peru is a black and white, educational film, produced in 1943 by Julien Bryan, a filmmaker and documentarian. Bryan was hired by the Office of the Coordinator… Internet Archive 1950s TOBACCO INDUSTRY PROMOTIONAL FILM TOBACCOLAND ON PARADE 78734 Film This infamous 1950's tobbaco industry film TOBACCOLAND ON PARADE attempts to show why the tobacco industry is good for everybody in the United States of… Internet Archive HUMAN HEALTH AND SOIL FERTILITY 1950s FILM WITH DR. WILLIAM A ALBRECHT 42594 Film This 1950s film made by the Calvin Company and presented by Philipps Petroleum Company, features professor William A. Albrecht. Dr. Albrecht explains in the… Internet Archive THE TEMPLE OF LOVE DELHI & AGRA INDIA PEARL MOSQUE & TAJ MAJAL 59514 Film The Temple of Love, the seventh film in the 1930s’ travel film series Traveltalks, produced by James A. Fitzpatrick, takes viewers on a tour of India and… Internet Archive NEW YORK CITY AND TIMES SQUARE IN COLOR WWII HOME MOVIE -- see 44134 for 4K version 70782 Home movie This recently re-discovered home movie shows New York City during WWII. Although portions of the film may date to as early as 1938, most of it was shot in… Internet Archive WINSTON CHURCHILL BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC CONVOY DUTY SINKING OF THE BISMARCK & HMS HOOD 17174 Film This black & white film is an episode of "The Valiant Years". This was an outstanding documentary series based on the memoirs of Winston Churchill, directed… Internet Archive NASA Lifting Body Documentary "Man In Space Today Tomorrow And Titan III" Part 2 of 2 30492 Documentary 1966, this rarely seen documentary "Today, Tomorrow and Titan III" shows the U.S. Air Force and NASA's activities and research. The Manned Orbiting Laboratory… Internet Archive PAN AM AIRLINES SERVICE IN TIMES OF CRISIS & EMERGENCY PROMOTIONAL FILM 55164 Film Dating to 1979 when a gigantic airlift was organized to evacuate Americans and other westerners from Iran, this Pan Am promotional film begins with Today Show… Internet Archive SILENT TRAVELOGUE 1930s JAPAN & JAPANESE INVASION OF CHINA / SHANGHAI 58364 Film This 16mm silent movie BITS OF JAPAN dates to the 1920s/30s with the end section showing the Japanese invasion of China definitely belonging to the 30s. It… Internet Archive TRIP TO GUATEMALA & GUATEMALA CITY SANTIAGO ATITLÁN AMATEUR TRAVELOGUE FILM (SILENT) 44414 Home movie Likely dating to the early 1950s, this elaborate home movie features title cards, and takes the form of a travelogue of Guatemala and Guatemala City. The area… Internet Archive NORTHERN ILLINOIS FARM LIFE IN WARTIME WWII FOOD & FARM PRODUCTION FILM 55464 Film Produced by the Public Service Company of Northern Illinois, this 1944 film shows farm life in northern Illinois during wartime. The film is broken into a… Internet Archive 1970s SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SFO RAW FOOTAGE BOEING 707, 727, F-27A, S-61 57894 Film This film features raw footage of aircraft taking off from San Francisco International Airport circa the 1970s. The airlines shown include TWA, Delta,… Internet Archive “ THE THREAD OF LIFE " 1960 HUMAN & PLANT GENETICS, CHROMOSOMES & DNA DOCUMENTARY PART 2 91974 Documentary “The Thread of Life” dates to 1960 and was part of the Bell Science Series of films. The film is about heredity, genetics, DNA and how it works. The… Internet Archive 1920s KODAK CINEGRAPH JERUSALEM HOLY LAND TRAVELOGUE MOVIE (SILENT) 98175 Film This silent 1920s film was released by Kodak as part of the Cinegraph series of movies. It features views of Jerusalem including the Mosque of Omar at (:56),… Internet Archive DOUGLAS DC-8 JET ROLLOUT, GROUND TESTS & FIRST FLIGHT XD31454 Film This NASA film shows the rollout of the first Douglas DC-8 jet, and the ground testing of its instruments. At 1:25 the aircraft makes its first test flight.… Internet Archive 1920s SPAIN SILENT TRAVELOGUE MOVIE 60204a Film Made in the 1920s or early 1930s by Keystone, this short film shows sights in the nation of Spain. The film starts with images of troubadours or mariachis and… Internet Archive P-51 MUSTANG STORY BY NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION & MINUTEMAN MISSILE 74072 Film Created by North American Aviation to bolster employee morale in the 1960s, "The Mustang Story" tells the story of the long-range P-51 fighter aircraft in… Internet Archive GERMAN ASSAULT ON YUGOSLAVIA & GREECE, FALL OF BELGRADE & ATHENS 14274 Film Made for the home market in Germany during WWII, this silent newsreel shows Wehrmacht activities in the Balkans. In particular the film shows operations in… Internet Archive "SHOOT TO KILL" WORLD WAR II BRITISH ARMY INFANTRY WEAPONS TRAINING FILM BREN GUN 17124 Film This World War II-era British training film, produced by Byron Pictures, Ltd., shows the importance of waiting for a target to move into the ideal range of a… Internet Archive 1940s CAMINO, PLACERVILLE AND LAKE TAHOE NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD OPERATIONS 53374 Film This short, silent film from 1940 shows an excursion aboard the Camino, Placerville and Lake Tahoe Railroad, from Camino to Cable and then the return. CP&LT… Internet Archive REMINGTON RAND UNIVAC INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL COMPUTERS 1960s MAINFRAME COMPUTING FILM 64454 Film This is a 1960’s era, color movie presented by Remington Rand and Univac, a division of Sperry Rand Corporation. It is a presentation called “An Introduction… Internet Archive "THEY CAME TO AN ISLAND" U.S. NAVY CIVIL ENGINEER CORPS WWII SEABEES CONSTRUCTION BATTALIONS 29564 Film They Came To An Island (MN-5834) is a 1946 U.S. Navy film that gives viewers a look at just some of what the Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps accomplished in the… Internet Archive 1960s VISIT TO HAWAII HOME MOVIE HULA SHOW BOAT CRUISE KILAUEA VOLCANO 60954 Home movie This color reel of home movie footage documents a 1950s tourist vacation to Hawaii, offering glimpses of the big island around the time of its… Internet Archive 1970s FIRE DEPARTMENT PARAMEDIC RESCUE & SEATBELT FILM " COLLISION RESCUE " JAWS OF LIFE 68784 Film This is a 1970’s era, color movie, presented by the Film Library, Department of Human Resources. The film opens with a family of four packing the car for a… Internet Archive NORTHROP YA-9 FIRST FLIGHT TEST FILM A-10 THUNDERBOLT RIVAL 85354 Film This silent film shows the Northrop YA-9 performing its first public flight at Edwards Air Force Base. The Northrop YA-9 was a prototype attack aircraft… Internet Archive Берегите зубЫ (Take Care Of Your Teeth!) 1955 · Film Pretty standard dental hygiene film from the Soviet Union! We digitized and uploaded this film from the A/V Geeks 16mm Archive. Email us at… Internet Archive KSNN 21st Century Explorers #12: How Will Your Imagination Help You Become an Explorer? Film The final episode of 21st Century Explorers looks at the role of imagination in exploration. This 60-second video is intended for grades 3-5. Internet Archive 1938 CALIFORNIA HOME MOVIES ROSE PARADE w/ DISNEY FLOAT & ROSE BOWL CHRISTMAS EVE XD14454 Home movie Dating to January 1, 1938, this silent California 16mm home movie shows the Rose Parade, family scenes, a trip to the beach, a visit to a Hollywood movie set… Internet Archive " STOP AND FRISK " 1970s POLICE & LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING FILM SEARCH AND SEIZURE XD39064 Film This 1970s film "Stop and Frisk - Search" is from a series of training films called "Legal Information for Law Enforcement." This film features legal… Internet Archive " REHEARSAL FOR DISASTER " 1957 CIVIL DEFENSE / TRUCKERS & TRUCKING INDUSTRY FILM 28192 Film Produced in 1957 and presented by America's Trucking Industry, "Rehearsal for Disaster" shows the important role that motorized transport and in particular… Internet Archive 1930's U.S. Navy Promotional Film "Anchors Aweigh 81424 Film This historic U.S. Navy promotional film entitled "Anchor's Aweigh", shows the fighting ships of the Navy as they appeared in the 1930s. It seems likely given… Internet Archive SOVIET PROPAGANDA NEWSREEL LENIN'S LIFE IN KRAKOW, POLAND 50484 Newsreel Dating to the 1960s, this Soviet propaganda newsreel shows the strong bond between the USSR and Poland and looks at Lenin's life in Krakow in 1912. Narrator:… Internet Archive ROCKWELL B-1B LANCER PROMOTIONAL FILM "NEW STRENGTH FOR AMERICAN DEFENSE" 55784 Film Made in May of 1987, NEW STRENGTH FOR AMERICAN DEFENSE shows the then-brand-new B-1B Lancer bomber being put through its paces by Air Force crews. At 3:11 ,… Internet Archive MENACE OF THE RISING SUN WAR IN CHINA 1942 ANTI-JAPANESE PROPAGANDA MOVIE 64274 Film Made in 1942 by Universal (:10) and produced by Joseph O’Brien and Thomas Mead (:17), MENACE OF THE RISING SUN focuses on the USA's relations with Japan (:30)… Internet Archive BOB HOPE NATIONAL GUARD FILM WATTS RIOTS, FLOODS & WAR GAMES 78844 Film Hosted by Bob Hope with a truly corny narration script, this recruiting film for the Army National Guard was originally released as one of the episodes of… Internet Archive TRADE AND TRANSPORTATION 1958 DOCUMENTARY FILM 89344 Documentary Presented by United World Films and distributed by United Education and Visual Arts, this 1958 black-and-white film, “The Way We Live,” takes a look at… Internet Archive Learn to Argue Effectively 1951 · Educational With teacher's guide Explains the uses of persuasive argument. Contrasts serious argumentation with irregular argument, showing when arguments are… Internet Archive INVENTIONS IN AMERICA'S GROWTH 1850-1910 PHONOGRAPH, TELEPHONE, LIGHT BULB Print 2 PH57754 Film In this 1956 film by Coronet Instructional Films, INVENTIONS IN AMERICA'S GROWTH, the recollections of Scientific America editor Jonathan Sharpe tell about… Internet Archive " THE KINGDOM OF PLASTICS " 1940s GENERAL ELECTRIC PLASTIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIAL PROMO FILM XD11984 Film “The Kingdom of Plastics” is a short informational film shot in Technicolor. It dates to the mid-to-late 1940s and discusses how plastics are made and their… Internet Archive Survival Under Atomic Attack 1951 NUCLEAR BOMB SHELTER FILM 29180 HD Film Created by the U.S. Government, "Survival Under Atomic Attack" explains the dangers of the atomic bomb, the effects of radiation and how to protect oneself if… Internet Archive 1950s NIGHT DRIVING DRIVER EDUCATION FILM LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT 53224 Educational This 1950 black and white film is one of a series of traffic safety films. It was produced for Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Company by Traffic Safety Films Inc,… Internet Archive U.S. AIR FORCE AIR DEFENSE COMMAND F-89 SCORPION INTERCEPTOR 1950s PROMOTIONAL FILM 54094 Film Made by Northrop Aircraft for the U.S. Air Force Air Defense Command, this promotional film MRS. JONES, MEET YOUR PARTNERS features General Nathan F. Twining… Internet Archive NASA 1978 HIGHLIGHTS SPACE SHUTTLE TESTING VOYAGER WIND TURBINES 75372 Film This 1978 NASA newsreel shows the activities for that year, including testing of the Space Shuttle prototype at Edwards Air Force Base. Astronaut John Young…