Prelinger Archives

721–768 of 10,345 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 Finding Your Life's Work 1940 · Short · 18 min · Subtitles Classic vocational guidance film produced to snap America's teenagers out of a Depression mood. Internet Archive International Moves the Browns to Sterling Street 1941 · Short · 19 min · Subtitles Motivational film for International Silver salespeople describing how installment buying has made silver tableware available to a broad range of consumers. Internet Archive [Home Movies: Medicus collection: New York World's Fair, 1939-40] (Reel 4) 1939 · Home movie · Subtitles 06:00:39:28 - 06:51:56:07 color silent 1939 World's Fairs: New York, 1939-40; Amateur films. Detailed documentation of the "World of Tomorrow" in beautiful… Internet Archive Choosing a Classroom Film 1963 · Educational · 18 min · Subtitles Illustrates the purposes of educational films and the standards by which to appraise them. Internet Archive Inside Story of Modern Gasoline, The 1946 · Film · Subtitles Describes (in partly animated form: "talking gasoline drops," etc!) the refining of gasoline, its chemical breakdown, etc; excellent shots of gasoline… Internet Archive Henry Ford's Mirror of America (Part II) 1962 · Short · 18 min · Subtitles Compilation of images and sequences from the Ford Film Collection, with excellent footage of United States history, culture, industry and daily life between… Internet Archive Great Railroad at Work, A (Part II) 1942 · Short · 4 min · Subtitles Everything there is to know about the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Internet Archive New Girl in the Office, The 1960 · Film · Subtitles Drama about the hiring of the first white-collar African American worker at a manufacturing plant. 00:02:41 CU woman's face, laughing. Group of women talking,… Internet Archive Forest Fire...Naturally! 1976 · Film · Subtitles Great shots of forest fires and forest servicemen or national park servicemen surveying forest in Sugarloaf Valley, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park in… Internet Archive On Guard! The Story of SAGE 1956 · Film · Subtitles "Protection comes high...sky high. Today we must be on guard in the sky when it comes to protecting our resources...the national resources that are so… Internet Archive You and Your Family 1946 · Short · 7 min · Subtitles Early "interactive" film attempting to train teenagers to negotiate, not fight, with their parents. Internet Archive Building the Golden Gate Bridge Film · Subtitles Great footage from 1930s of the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in every phase of construction. Stock shots of completed bridge; informative narration;… Internet Archive When the Circuit Breaks: America's Energy Crisis 1975 · Film · Subtitles Explains that all forms of energy have circuit breakers; when demand exceeds supply, the circuit breaks; when several circuits break at the same time, we have… Internet Archive Great Railroad at Work, A (Part III) 1942 · Short · 10 min · Subtitles Everything there is to know about the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Internet Archive Fire! Patty Learns What to Do 1951 · Short · 16 min · Subtitles Fire safety film filmed in and around the Chatsworth fire of 1947 in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, at a time when many parts of the Valley were… Internet Archive Flying "A" Free Trips to Paris (aka Paris Sweepstakes) 1962 · Film · Subtitles An early 1960s couple dreams about a trip to Paris. The woman thinks of the Eiffel Tower, while the man thinks of scantily clad chorus girls at the Moulin… Internet Archive Psychological Operations in Support of Internal Defense and Development Assistance Programs (Part II) 1968 · Short · 11 min · Subtitles Military training film showing psychological operations in "Hostland," a mythical (probably Latin American) country, designed to aid the host government in… Internet Archive Your Fire Department (Part II) 1949 · Short · 15 min · Subtitles Detailed treatment of the Los Angeles Fire Department, its equipment, personnel and activities. With excellent Kodachrome footage of firefighters at work,… Internet Archive Things People Want, The 1948 · Short · 19 min · Subtitles Distinctive sales training film on the hierarchy of human needs, starring a young John Forsythe. Internet Archive Opportunities Unlimited Cartoon · Subtitles Presented by LIFE and Fortune Magazines, an animated economic overview of the rise of the "middle income consumer." Directed by Steve Muffatti,animated by Ben… Internet Archive Where the Mountains Meet the Sea (Part I) 1959 · Short · 13 min · Subtitles 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… Internet Archive [Home Movies: Medicus Collection: Paris International Exposition, 1937] 1937 · Home movie · Subtitles Extensive coverage of the Exposition, including buildings and exhibits; fireworks; the amusement area; and the "French Colonial Section" The Paris… Internet Archive Seeing London 1920 · Short · 13 min · Subtitles Tour through central parts of London. Internet Archive General Motors Around the World (Part I) 1927 · Film · Subtitles How one of the first multinational corporations organized itself to sell to the world under the leadership of Alfred R. Sloan. With excellent images of… Internet Archive Cool Hot Rod A 1953 · Film · Subtitles Uses narration by a teen-ager to show how a hot-rod club contributes to safe driving through its strict membership rules and restriction of speed runs to… Internet Archive Show 'Em the Road (Part I) 1954 · Short · 13 min · Subtitles Southern California teenagers join the Mobilgas "Safety and Economy" competition, driving from the Los Angeles area to the Inland Empire, the desert, to Las… Internet Archive Look at Capitalism, A 1955 · Short · 13 min · Subtitles Economic lecture on the merits and workings of capitalism. With Prof. Clifton L. Ganus of Harding College, Searcy, Ark. Internet Archive Procrastinator, The 1952 · Short · 11 min · Subtitles When Jean becomes chairman of the social committee, she habitually fails to plan and use time wisely in carrying out her responsibilities. When she is unable… Internet Archive China Under Communism 1962 · Short · 20 min · Subtitles Foreign correspondent John Stroehm conducts a tour through the People's Republic of China. Internet Archive Coney Island, USA 1952 · Short · 21 min · Subtitles 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. Internet Archive In The Suburbs 1957 · Film · Subtitles Shows typical facets of the family life of young couples living in the suburbs. Points out how Redbook Magazine, aimed exclusively at young adults, is of… Internet Archive [Redwood Empire Special and Lumber Mills] 1914 · Short · 14 min · Subtitles Condensed version of Golden Spike Celebration on 10/23/14 for the completion of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, held at Cain Rock, Humboldt County,… Internet Archive Our Home Town: Doylestown, PA. 1954 · Short · 15 min · Subtitles Advertising film presenting landmarks, businesses and people of a Philadelphia suburb. Internet Archive Girl Who Found Herself, The 1920 · Film · Subtitles Filmed at Hawthorne Works, Cicero, Illinois. Written and Directed by Charles Barrell and Carlyle Ellis. Photographed by Robert Duggan. Approved by Maryland… Internet Archive About Fallout (1963) 1963 · Short · 22 min · Subtitles Optimistic vision of fallout and civil defense countermeasures. Internet Archive Truth About the North Pole, The 1912 · Short · 16 min · Subtitles Film made by Dr. Frederick Cook to substantiate his claim as discoverer of the North Pole and document his treatment by opponents. Internet Archive City Water Supply 1941 · Short · 10 min · Subtitles How New York City gets its water and how that water is protected from pollution. Internet Archive Work Pays America (Part II) 1937 · Short · 15 min · Subtitles How the WPA's program of public works benefits both unemployed workers and American society. Internet Archive Introduction to Haiti 1942 · Short · 9 min · Subtitles Presents a tourist's view of Haiti: its history, tradition, daily life of the people, Port-au-Prince, Cap Haitien and Henri Christophes' Palace. In… Internet Archive Librarian, The 1947 · Short · 10 min · Subtitles Shows the work of different library personnel. Internet Archive Alaska's Silver Millions (Part II) 1936 · Short · 16 min · Subtitles Geography of Alaska, the life cycle of the salmon, the salmon industry, operation of the canneries and life of the fishermen's community. With commentary by… Internet Archive Drugs In Our Culture 1970 · Short · 29 min · Subtitles Examines the socio-cultural setting in which drug abuse exists. Points out the prevalence of drug use in American society, reveals experts' opinions about why… Internet Archive My Dad's Company 1946 · Short · 21 min · Subtitles How the Detroit Edison Company is a good citizen, employer and provider of electric power. Internet Archive Freedom Comes High 1944 · Short · 12 min · Subtitles A young wife learns that freedom must sometimes be paid for in lives, when her husband's ship is struck during battle. Internet Archive Progress Parade 1960 · Short · 13 min · Subtitles News release reflecting innovations and happenings from the petroleum industry. Includes a sequence on "fishing" for a lost drill bit, soothing an infant with… Internet Archive It's All in Knowing How 1954 · Short · 12 min · Subtitles A teenage boy discovers how good nutrition (i.e. milk products) improves his habits, social life and bowling score. Internet Archive Last Clear Chance, The 1959 · Film · Subtitles This engaging Kodachrome drama (formatted for television broadcast) from the Union Pacific ostensibly deals with safety at railroad grade crossings, but it's… Internet Archive Lost Landscapes of Detroit 2 (2011) 2011 · Feature · 1 h 20 min · Subtitles Compilation of historical footage showing life, labor and landscape in Detroit, Michigan (1919-1970s). First shown at Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit…