Prelinger Archives

3,409–3,456 of 10,346 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 Heritage of the Vine 1959 · Film · Subtitles Sponsored film about the California wine industry. The storyline is bottled from the distributor in this description: "Robert Louis Stevenson called wine… Internet Archive [Home Movies: Bernstein/Silver Collection: San Francisco] Home movie · Subtitles Mission Dolores, Cliff House, Golden Gate Park Aquarium Golden Gate International Exposition 1940Mission Dolores graveyard View looking south on Dolores… Internet Archive Colaci Home Movies: Family 1952-1956 (Part II) Home movie · 15 min · Subtitles 0642 PA8611 [Colaci Home Movies: Family 1952-1956] Internet Archive Industry on Parade Film · Subtitles Pasadena: "To give us more miles!" -AAA mobile gas economy run; A Message from Industry to You... Quality of Life; Academy for Artists - Correspondence… Internet Archive Work, For the Night Is Coming 1946 · Film · Subtitles Hymn showing farmer, farm, one-horse plow, engaging in agricultural work. Subtitles with lyrics as follows: Work, for the night is coming; Work through the… Internet Archive Speaking of Rubber 1951 · Film · Subtitles All the script clichés are here: junior sitting in the kitchen complaining, "Aw, who cares about RUBBER anyway?" and gramps, the appreciative rubber factory… Internet Archive [Gould can S-8: San Francisco Transportation Scenes] 1930 · Film · Subtitles San Francisco, California Street scenes, busses, Railway Express truck, cars, Also ship leaving port / funnels / crowd and cargo vans loading and on way to… Internet Archive [Home Movies: Elkins, West Virginia] 1940 · Home movie · Subtitles Color footage of local parade; B&W footage of blizzard (transferred out of focus). Transferred at Monaco. Internet Archive Magic Touch 1953 · Film · Subtitles The Chevrolet 1953 advertisement highlights the brand's commitment to providing power, safety, ease of handling, and economy in its vehicles. It emphasizes… Internet Archive Discipline: Part 2, Reprimanding 1943 · Film · Subtitles A white male office supervisor reprimands a young white male office worker. sarcastic and abusive management behavior Internet Archive From London To Paris By Air Film · Subtitles The daily trip of one of the huge passenger planes in the English Channel Service. Arrived at the flying field we watch the plane being brought from its… Internet Archive Seeing America's Greatest Chinatown: San Francisco (Part II) 1912 · Film · Subtitles Chinatown, San Francisco, California: Captain Lewis was a licensed Chinatown guide; these films represent what was salvaged from a multi-reel film. Chinese… Internet Archive Let Us Grow In - Human Understanding 1945 · Film · Subtitles Silent film documents the four weeks in midsummer, doctors, teachers, nutritionists, parents and others come to Vassar College. They study the family - its… Internet Archive GNOME Project Film · Subtitles From http://www.osti.gov/bridge/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=794015: Project Gnome was the first nuclear experiment conducted under the U.S. Atomic Energy… Internet Archive [Home Movies: Rehoboth 1976] 1976 · Home movie · Subtitles Internet Archive [Home Movies: Landscape Forestry, aka Forestry and Roads] 1930 · Home movie · Subtitles First title on film reads: "Forestry and Roads." On can: "Landscape Forestry." Likely a reel showing company projects. Company name: Outdoor Service Bureau,… Internet Archive [Newport Jazz Festival] Film · Subtitles Narration in Japanese. 06:45:27:15 Jazz band playing on stage under banner “Voice of America at the Newport Jazz Festival.” 06:45:52:04 Bing Crosby mansion.… Internet Archive Oldsmobile Presents the B-44 (1942 Oldsmobile Playlets) 1941 · Film · Subtitles Theatrical screen ad for one of the last pre-World War II automobiles. Internet Archive These Are My People (Part I) 1959 · Film · Subtitles 0663 PA8643 These Are My People from 037.07; Columbia Gas System 1959 Internet Archive [San Francisco Earthquake Aftermath: Riding Down Market Street] 1906 · Film · Subtitles SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE: Horse and wagon / damaged buildings / views of destruction / people on streets / desolation on MarketStreet Earthquake 1906 San… Internet Archive [Gould can 5202.5] 1915 · Film · Subtitles Closing day at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition when the lights went out for the last time / Art Smith flying his airplane with the rockets on the… Internet Archive Common Fallacies About Group Differences 1957 · Film ANALYZES 7 COMMON NOTIONS ABOUT RACES, HEREDITY & GROUP DIFFERENCES IN THE LIGHT OF KNOWN SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE. SHOWS IN WHAT WAYS THEY ARE ALL FALLACIES. Internet Archive [Home Movies: Christmas in Vallejo, 1930-1943] 1930 · Home movie · Subtitles Filmed in Vallejo, California. Some good shots to log. Scenes from 1930, 1936, 1939-40, 1943 One sequence showing familiy visiting Golden Gate International… Internet Archive Operation Crossroads 1949 · Film · Subtitles Documents the Able Day and Baker Day blasts of the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Island in the Pacific. Internet Archive [Home Movies: New York World's Fair] 1939 · Home movie · Subtitles 13:37:19 1939 World's Fair 38479 Pavilions of different countries 13:41:03 People in line for Perisphere Gardens on parade Internet Archive Crimes of Carelessness Film · Subtitles Internet Archive Trip By Boat Through Grand Canyon of Utah and Arizona: One of the Scenic Wonders of the World, A 1910 · Film · Subtitles In some scenes there is a desk calendar in lower-right corner with a 1914 date one shooter is Mr. Tadje Internet Archive [Reno Flood] 1927 · Film · Subtitles Reno, Nevada: Raging floods cut a wide swath through Reno / camera pans of the roaring waters as they flow by houses, trees and commercial buildings / people… Internet Archive Atomic Energy as a Force for Good 1955 · Film · Subtitles Describes the reactions of citizens of a small town to the construction of an atomic energy plant in their community. Explains that an understanding by the… Internet Archive [Outtakes From "Rochester Business Opportunities" (prod. Kodak)] 1969 · Film Outtakes from a film titled "Rochester Business Opportunities" produced by Eastman Kodak, 1969. Unedited reels including multiple takes showing African… Internet Archive These Are My People (Part II) 1959 · Short · 14 min · Subtitles 0663 PA8643 These Are My People from 037.07; Columbia Gas System 1959 Internet Archive Plowshare 1961 · Film · Subtitles Atomic / nuclear weapons testing Internet Archive [Home Movies: New York, Barstow, Mexico, Here & There] 1932 · Home movie · Subtitles container: "New York, Barstow, Mexico, Here & There & Mexico [of Dads?]" CU Canadian Pacific World War I memorial plaque / entrance gate for Oratoire… Internet Archive Growth: A Study of Johnny and Jimmy: Part 2, Swimming Film · Subtitles Growth study of twins. 19:46:35:28 Baby held in harness in water. Slowly begins kicking in the water but apparently struggling. 19:47:33:17 Baby released into… Internet Archive Report in Primary Colors 1948 · Film · Subtitles On art education in a Virginia primary school. Many shots to be logged. VS Children walking to school with their parents (good) VS Children making art in many… Internet Archive [Home Movies: Medicus Collection: Men's Fishing Trip] 1930 · Home movie · Subtitles Men on fishing trip; brief winter street scene in Manhattan, showing couple pushing a perambulator on the sidewalk Internet Archive [Home Movies: Laubscher Collection: Transcontinental Trip, 1930] 1930 · Home movie · Subtitles Ramona's Marriage Place POV driving through tunnel Sign: Coolidge Dam Cars parked on dam (near Globe, Arizona) VS pans over dam driving POVs driving over… Internet Archive [Home Movies: Clinton, N.Y. collection 2] 1963 · Home movie · Subtitles Good quality reel, for the most part Pan pumpkin field VS dog around house, in backyard, in snow CU television screen during funeral of John F. Kennedy,… Internet Archive [Gould can 5390.1: Panama-Pacific International Exposition] 1915 · Film · Subtitles Panama-Pacific International Exposition: Opening day celebrations / crowds at the entrances / pan of Exposition proper / parades on Market Street and Van Ness… Internet Archive Dateline: Long Island (Pt 1) Film · Subtitles Newsday was begun in 1940 in Long Island and this film shows the paper's role in the growth of the community and many shots of historical Long Island. It also… Internet Archive Alaskan Adventures 1926 · Film · Subtitles Captain Jack Robertson Arthur Young, the world's bow and arrow champion sheep Alaskan moose ice breaking up, flowing down river, very dense birds nesting in… Internet Archive [Installation of Books, Butler Library, Columbia University] 1932 · Film · Subtitles Butler Library at Columbia University in New York City. Books and other material being unloaded from library and shipped away to Low Library across the quad.… Internet Archive Longshoreman, The 1947 · Film · Subtitles PICTURES THE WORK & HOME LIFE, PERSONALITY & SOCIAL CONTACTS OF A LONGSHOREMAN, AL HUBER. TOUCHES UPON UNIONS & EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS. Internet Archive Competition and Big Business 1953 · Film · Subtitles Defines big business and analyzes the relationship of big business to competition. Discusses the effect of big business on such problems as monopoly, entry… Internet Archive The Eyes and Their Care (An Introduction) 1941 · Film · Subtitles "Examines the eye in terms of structure, functions, disorders, and hygiene. Reveals, with animated drawings, the various parts of the eye and explains the… Internet Archive Soundie - In A Shanty In Old Shanty Town 1940 · Film · Subtitles unknown orchestra Internet Archive What Stops Them 1935 · Film " A CLEAR EXPLANATION OF HYDRAULIC BRAKES AND OF THEIR USE ON THE MODERN MOTORCAR." Internet Archive [Amos Alonzo Stagg Honored on 95th Birthday] 1950 · Newsreel · Subtitles Stagg meets postman at his front door, receiving flood of letters from well-wishers on his 95th birthday. Newsreel story.