The world's archives
3,073–3,120 of 18,145 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 Ones | Films for young children by name: nursery rhymes, lullabies, preschool. |
|---|---|
| Kids | Cartoons and animation, children's and family films, and educational films, unless they deal with war, propaganda, crime, horror or drugs, or carry racial caricature. |
| Tweens | Documentaries, science, nature and space, classic comedies, newsreels, commercials and lectures. |
| Teens | Everything else, including anything we cannot tell about; war, crime, horror and westerns go no lower. |
| Adult | Sexual themes (such as the old "sex hygiene" films), gore, surgery, slaughter, atrocity footage. |
Internet Archive
EL ESCOCÉS VOLADOR - (1957) [VOSE]
Título original: The Flying Scot Estreno: Reino Unido en noviembre de 1957 Duración: 70 min. País: Reino Unido Dirección: Compton Bennett Guion: Norman Hudis.…
Internet Archive
Francis Covers the Big Town (1953)
A man who has a talking mule gets a job on a newspaper, and both get mixed up in a murder trial. Watch on RetroFlix: https://retroflix.org/francis-covers-the-b…
Internet Archive
''TV Reader's Digest'' - France's Greatest Detective
An episode of dramatic anthology series "TV Reader's Digest", originally broadcast 16 May 1955. This period drama episode is about a detective who introduces…
Internet Archive
County Government
Shows how county government came into being, the functions and duties of each of the county departments, and need and value of modernization of this form of…
Internet Archive
Ozzie & Harriet: The Speech
Ozzie tells his family that he has a simple formula that can be used to write any speech that you have to make. Originally aired on Mar. 6, 1953 (season 1,…
Internet Archive
Cool Hot Rod
Internet Archive
Ike In Panama. Urges Atom Plan for Hemisphere, 1956/07/23
(1) Ike in Panama, greets President Arias, (no pics of panama) (2) "Operation Alert. Mock H-Bomb Attack Tests Civil Defense" - Washington HQ is nerve center;…
Internet Archive
The Big Picture 470 Religious Emphasis Day In Philadelphia
The Big Picture episode 470: Religious Emphasis Day In Philadelphia "The original release sheet reads: USO-Armed Forces Religious Emphasis Day in Philadelphia…
Internet Archive
De Gaulle And Dulles Meet, 1958/07/07
(1) Premier Charles De Gaulle visits Algeria, Dulles arrives in Paris, meets with De Gaulle of France (2) East Germany - hostages being held (3) Nasser…
Internet Archive
Armed Forces display U.S. Might On Observance Day, 1956/05/21
1) Armed Forces Day at AFB in Michigan features new Redstone missile; Scorpion attack plane fires rockets at old B-17 in Florida; crash landing of jet on USS…
Internet Archive
Fragment from ''The Big Beat''
From circa 1959, this is a fragment from an episode of "The Big Beat", a New York City local program that aired on WNEW. The existing fragment begins and ends…
Internet Archive
Breast Self-Examination
First breast-cancer-awareness film released for wide distribution. Promoting self-examination as an early detection technique, the film shows women how to…
Internet Archive
''The $64,000 Question'' - 5 June 1956
Most 1950s game shows weren't rigged. This one was rigged, though. Contains original 1950s commercials.
Internet Archive
Let's Join Joanie
An unsold sitcom pilot from 1950. Starring Joan Davis. Note: this is a re-upload. I'm hoping this version has improved picture quality, but make no mistake,…
Internet Archive
"Medic" Who Search for Truth
"Medic" Who Search for Truth Original Air Date: 27 February 1956 (Season 2, Episode 18)
Internet Archive
Fifties Television: ''Dr Hudson's Secret Journal'' - Hospital Melodrama
Episode "Hospital Melodrama" of the 1950's television program "Dr Hudson's Secret Journal". 78 episodes were produced in total of this drama. The series…
Internet Archive
Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom
Originally released in 35 mm. in 1953 With teacher guide Directors, C. August Nichols, Ward Kimball; story, Dick Huemer; animators, Ward Kimball, Julius…
Internet Archive
True Boo (1952)
It's Christmas Eve, and what Casper wants for Christmas is a friend. When his uncles steal his note for Santa, he goes out to find one. Watch on RetroFlix:…
Internet Archive
Ozzie & Harriet: A Door Key for David
David believes that he is old enough to have his own house key. Originally aired on 22 May 1953 (Season 1, Episode 34). Don't bother downloading the h.264…
Internet Archive
''The Patti Page Oldsmobile Show'' - 29 October 1958
An episode of "The Patti Page Oldsmobile Show", with guest Nat 'King' Cole. This appears to be taken from an old tape transfer of a kinescope, so the picture…
Internet Archive
''Four Star Playhouse'' - The Stacked Deck
An episode of "Four Star Playhouse" featuring Dick Powell, one of several in which he played the character "Dante", a nightclub owner. In this episode, an…
Internet Archive
Self-Preservation in an Atomic Bomb Attack
Internet Archive
[Oakland Womens Rowing Club]
Oakland, Calif.: Women's rowing club on Lake Merritt. Newsreel story.
Internet Archive
Campbell's Kingdom (1957)
Given only six months to live, Englishman Bruce Campbell goes to Canada to claim "Campbell's Kingdom", the land he inherited from his grandfather. In order to…
Internet Archive
Indestructible Man (1956)
A scientific experiment involving subjecting a corpse to an extreme charge of electricity accidentally revives an executed criminal and makes him impervious…
Internet Archive
Man with a Million (1954)
An impoverished American sailor is fortunate enough to be passing the house of two rich gentlemen who have conceived the crazy idea of distributing a note…
Internet Archive
''See It Now'' - 24 February 1952
An episode of this news series "See It Now" with Edward R. Murrow. Two short segments (tour of home of Senator Kefauver/interview with Chinese-American man…
Internet Archive
''The Star and the Story'' - Payment in Kind
An episode of anthology series "The Star and the Story" titled "Payment in Kind", starring Howard Duff. Sound quality is iffy. Originally broadcast 28 January…
Internet Archive
Man on the Land
Animated story of man's conquest of the soil through the ages with background of narration and ballads. Starts with prehistoric times and ends in the present,…
Internet Archive
Man on a Tightrope (1953)
The owner of an impoverished circus in Communist-ruled Czechoslovokia plots to flee across the border to freedom, taking his entire troupe of performers and…
Internet Archive
She Gods of Shark Reef (1958)
Two brothers, one wanted for murder, are shipwrecked on an island inhabited by nubile young women who have amassed a valuable cache of pearls. Watch on…
Internet Archive
Transportation By Land
"Points out the vast size and great richness of America, stressing the fact that transportation is the one factor that prevents its rich resources from being…
Internet Archive
''Stage 7'' - The Long Count
An episode of mid-1950s anthology series "Stage 7", titled "The Long Count". This episode is a crime drama about a detective named McGraw, and stars Frank…
Internet Archive
1951 - Ace in the Hole - El gran carnaval - Billy Wilder - VOSE
For Academic / Educational Use Only
Internet Archive
Operation HARDTACK High Altitude Tests
Operation HARDTACK I consisted of 35 nuclear tests conducted at the Pacific Proving Ground between April 28 and August 18, 1958. These tests included balloon,…
Internet Archive
People Are Funny - Trip around World/Phone call
A complete 1957 episode of the unusual 1950s game show "People Are Funny". In this episode, a contestant who has been sent around the world for 4 weeks…
Internet Archive
Armed Forces TV Program, 1951 (outtakes)
No description at the National Archives but this is film of General George C. Marshall and Chris Witting (GM of DuMont) recording intros for The Armed Forces…
Internet Archive
Finger Man (1955)
An ex-con is inspired to go undercover and "finger" the mob after finding out his sister is hooked on illegal drugs. Watch on RetroFlix:…
Internet Archive
Akron, Ohio, 1958/07/24
Akron Ohio - world's largest blimp by Navy launched, carries radar antenna " a valuable addition for America's early warning system" (partial newsreel).
Internet Archive
''Cavalcade of Stars'' - 26 August 1950
An episode of the DuMont Network series Cavalcade of Stars starring Jackie Gleason. Special guests: Bert Wheeler and Vivian Blaine. Please forgive the awful…
Internet Archive
The Explosive Mr. Magoo (1958)
Mr. Magoo has a windup toy mistaken for a bomb. Watch on RetroFlix: https://retroflix.org/the-explosive-mr-magoo-1958/
Internet Archive
The Hunters. [Motion picture]
Director, John Marshall in collaboration with Robert Gardner; narrator and photographer, John Marshall A study of the life and culture of primitive African…
Internet Archive
A Unicorn in the Garden (1953)
A Unicorn in the Garden is a Jolly Frolics cartoon directed by William T. Hurtz. Watch on RetroFlix: https://retroflix.org/a-unicorn-in-the-garden-1953/
Internet Archive
Bride of the Gorilla (1951)
The owner of a plantation in the jungle marries a beautiful woman. Shortly afterward, he is plagued by a strange voodoo curse which transforms him into a…
Internet Archive
1958 - Edge of Fury - Robert J. Gurney Jr., Irving Lerner - VOSE
For Academic - Educational Use Only https://derechonoir.wordpress.com/
Internet Archive
Howdy Doody - 31 December 1954
An episode of the popular children's TV series. Includes original commercials for Colgate toothpaste and Welch's Grape Juice. Also includes the classic…
Internet Archive
The Hunters [Motion picture]
Summary Presents a study of the life and culture of primitive African Bushmen as portrayed through the experiences of four aborigines and the giraffe which…
Internet Archive
''The Kate Smith Evening Hour'' - 2 January 1952 (Incomplete)
An incomplete episode of "The Kate Smith Evening Hour". I don't know if a complete copy exists. The existing footage includes the following: Kate Smith…