Prelinger Archives

1,345–1,392 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 At This Moment (Part I) 1954 · Short · 13 min · Subtitles Importance of railroads to 1950s America. Directed by Haford Kerbawy. Internet Archive Day in the Life of a Kitchen, A 2026 · Film · Subtitles Excellent film about a typical day in modern kitchen. Mom is "operations chief" - she creates and prepares in the kitchen. Internet Archive [Gould can 1028: Lawn Dancing] 1920 · Film · Subtitles Freestyle (Isadora Duncan-type) dancing; also society wedding with formalized lawn dancing. [Bert Gould indicates in his list that this may come from a… Internet Archive [Amateur film: Medicus collection: New York World's Fair, 1939-40] (Reel 1) (Part III) 1939 · Home movie · 19 min · Subtitles Detailed documentation of the "World of Tomorrow" in beautiful Kodachrome. Internet Archive Let Us Break Bread Together (Part II) 1954 · Educational · 13 min · Subtitles How a New York City school district promoted racial integration and intergroup tolerance. Internet Archive All the Way Home 1957 · Short · 10 min · Subtitles Demonstrates in a positive fashion that integrated communities can and do work. Exposes the property value fallacy and makes an appeal to reason and… Internet Archive Straight line kinematics 1960 · Film · Subtitles Professor Everett M. Hafner discusses notions of distance, speed, and acceleration using graphs and special equipment in a real test car to show their… Internet Archive We Drivers (1935 edition) 1936 · Film · Subtitles We Drivers was released as part of an industry-wide safety campaign throughout the Thirties. Two years earlier, in 1934, the first driver training courses… Internet Archive Adam and Eve Film · Subtitles Dramatization of Genesis: titles with Biblical language combined with stock shots. Serpent and apple sequence. Internet Archive Profile In Blue Short · 18 min · Subtitles A profile of the Nassau County Police Department's history and departments, set to an interesting music score. Internet Archive Columbia Revolt (Part I) 1969 · Short · 24 min · Subtitles Documentary on the Columbia University student strike and takeover in 1969. Internet Archive Long Way Home, The 1956 · Short · 7 min · Subtitles How the United Fund helps the disadvantaged people of the St. Louis area, seen through the eyes of an elderly widower in search of services and stability.… Internet Archive Open Door: The Story of Foreman Jim Baxter and His Family, The (Part I) 1945 · Short · 23 min · Subtitles A General Motors foreman learns not just to be a better manager, but where his place is in the system of production. Internet Archive Mother Mack's Puppies Find Happy Homes 1953 · Short · 10 min · Subtitles Multicultural parable showing the similarities between six California families, each of whom adopts a Scottie puppy. Produced and directed by Emily Benton… Internet Archive Herds West 1955 · Short · 11 min · Subtitles Shows production of beef from the grasslands of the range to the feeding barns near big Western cities. Internet Archive Tornado Film · Subtitles Made possible as a public service by University of California Extension Media Center, United Gas Corporation, and Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation.… Internet Archive Far Speaking 1935 · Short · 10 min · Subtitles History of telephone development from 1877 to 1935. Internet Archive Twenty-Four Hours of Progress (Part I) 1950 · Short · 13 min · Subtitles How the oil industry is central to the American economy. Internet Archive Destruction of a Dam 1928 · Film · Subtitles Dramatization, apparently using models and miniatures, of a dam break. With scenes of aftermath and rescue operations. From Wikipedia: "The St. Francis Dam… Internet Archive The Deluge 1911 · Film · Subtitles This is a silent Biblical drama performed 3317 years B.C., a picture of the destruction of the world by a flood. The Lord, observing the wickedness of the… Internet Archive World at Your Call, The 1950 · Film · Subtitles Excellent color shots of transportation circa 1950 (car, train, and plane) this film deals with the wonders of long-distance telephone communications. US &… Internet Archive American Girl, An - the Problems of Prejudice (Part III) 1958 · Short · 10 min · Subtitles An adolescent girl in a small town tests her democratic heritage when she pretends to be Jewish and encounters prejudice. She explores the problem of… Internet Archive Science in Action: Rivers of Ice (Part I) 1956 · Film · Subtitles Kinescope of Fifties science TV program featuring discussions and demonstrations. This program is devoted to glaciers, and also includes a promo for the… Internet Archive Computer Calculator for Math and Science 1970 · Film · Subtitles Great 1970s early computer footage. Hewlett-Packard computer model 9100 Computing Calculator. Physics class uses computing calculator and X-Y plotter in… Internet Archive Life Begins 1934 · Film · Subtitles Emphasizes the need for a better understanding of the laws governing the infant's mental and physical growth, so that a happier social order can be developed.… Internet Archive Chevrolet Leader News (Vol. 5, No. 1) 1939 · Film · Subtitles DETROIT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PRODUCE OWN NEWSREEL. TRUCKS REPLACE 20-MULE TEAMS IN DEATH VALLEY. OLDEST SALESMAN IN U.S. GIVES AWAY OLD CAR, BUYS NEW ONE.… Internet Archive General Motors Around the World (Part II) 1927 · Short · 11 min · 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 [UC Berkeley outtakes] 1960 · Film · Subtitles Summary: Campus footage of UC Berkeley buildings, classes, athletic events, rituals, landscapes. Brief visit to San Francisco park attractions. Needs improved… Internet Archive How Friendly Are You? 1952 · Film · Subtitles Introduces Ray in number of social situations that are used to trace growth in his understanding and practice of friendliness. Demonstrates how Ray corrects… Internet Archive Wheat Farmer, The 1938 · Film · Subtitles Contents. The story of the growing of wheat and of some aspects of life on a large-scale wheat farm. Preparation of the soil is the theme of the first… Internet Archive Three Smart Daughters (Singer Screen Ad) 1940 · Film · Subtitles Three young women impress their men with their home sewing skills. Internet Archive How Do You Know It's Love? 1950 · Film · Subtitles Gives students a basis for thinking clearly about real love and shows that mere conviction of love is not enough to insure lasting happiness. Internet Archive New Horizons 1948 · Film · Subtitles 01:01:13:00 Low-angle Black boy picking cotton. 01:01:34:34:21 Washington Monument. 01:01:48:09 Group of teenage girls look up at statue of Pocahontas; pan up… Internet Archive Protecting Poultry Profits (Part I) 1952 · Short · 11 min · Subtitles Now available as a better-quality one-part file. Drugs to keep chickens healthy. Includes disturbing images of necropsies and sick chicks. Internet Archive Give Yourself the Green Light 1954 · Film · Subtitles EXPRESSES NEED TO MODERNIZE AMERICA'S ANTIQUATED HIGHWAY SYSTEM. SHOWS FRUSTRATED DRIVERS (WHO TURN INTO SHEEP), EXCELLENT STREET AND HIGHWAY DRIVING… Internet Archive Southwestern States, Second Edition 1953 · Short · 11 min · Subtitles Portrays life in areas of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona. Refers to the topography, rainfall, stock raising and mining industries. Internet Archive Polaroid Dealer Announcement (1964) 1964 · Film · Subtitles The film presents a detailed report on the Polaroid Corporation's growth and product offerings in 1964 and its anticipated success in 1965. It highlights the… Internet Archive Highway Hearing (Part II) 1956 · Short · 14 min · Subtitles Produced to garner support for the 1956 Federal Aid-Highway Act, the law that enabled the Interstate Highway system. After a small town learns that it is to… Internet Archive Survival Under Atomic Attack 1951 · Film · Subtitles Explains the dangers of the atomic bomb, the effects of radiation and what the individual should do to protect himself if caught in the open or in his home.… Internet Archive Compelling Thirst: Alcoholism, The 1965 · Film · Subtitles On alcoholism Stock shots to be logged. Apparently filmed in New York City and St. Louis, Missouri Tracking shot down New York city street past bars and… Internet Archive Men and Jobs 1944 · Short · 8 min · Subtitles How the U.S. government tried to match every person to a job during World War II. Internet Archive How to Say No (Moral Maturity) 1951 · Film · Subtitles This film deals with such teen-age behavior problems as smoking, drinking, and love-making and discusses the ways of saying "no" in such situations and still… Internet Archive You and Your Parents 1950 · Film · Subtitles HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT'S CONFLICT W/PARENTS. DICK LEAVES PARENTS ANGRILY & GOES HOME WITH MR. MARTIN WHO COUNSELS DICK ABOUT HOW CHILDREN GROW UP, BUT STILL NEED… Internet Archive Baking Industry, The 1946 · Film · Subtitles Vocational film about careers in baking. Discussion of commercial baking industry. The Baking Industry 02:49:00 CU Lady slicing bread 02:50:30 Bread on an… Internet Archive Original Films Of Frank B Gilbreth (Part 2) Film · Subtitles Essentially a summary of work analysis films which were taken by Frank B. Gilbreth between 1910 and 1924 showing a number of industrial operations from which… Internet Archive Pathe News Christmas with Their Cameramen and Crews 'Round the World 1950 · Newsreel · 4 min · Subtitles Newsreel cameramen from around the world wish the audience Merry Christmas. Internet Archive Date With Your Family, A 1950 · Film · Subtitles A Date With Your Family, a true suburban horror story, outdoes all other social guidance films by advising kids to do whatever is necessary — even lie — to… Internet Archive Caught Mapping 1940 · Short · 8 min · Subtitles How road maps are drawn, field-checked and printed.