American Frontier

About

Title Card: "American Frontier" and opening credits superimposed over U.S. map.

Film describes events taking place after discovery of oil in Williston Basin, North Dakota.

CU U.S. map with major relief landmarks.

Sweeping LS barren prairie (The Williston Basin of Montana and The Dakotas); grazing cattle dotting prairie. Desolate lake shoreline. CU weed poking through sand or snow. LS sand or snow blowing across desolate road. VS weather-beaten shack. CU wind blowing sand passed barbed-wire fence. LS barren prairie, (pan to) barn; windmill contrasted starkly against barren prairie. LS farming settlement (seen from road). Prairie town (panning shot).

VS man, wearing overcoat and fur hat, looking out at prairie.

Barn and tractor implement blanketed by snow. Cows standing outside barn (wind blowing snow sideways). Farmer closing barn gate during snowstorm; walking on dirt path toward small outbuilding (black dog appears). Horses huddling behind bush. Fallen tree poking from drifting, wind-whipped snow (farm house in BG). CU frozen tree top; CU barren, ice-coated tree during snowfall.

Prairie church (automobiles in parking lot). Preacher standing at church altar, parishioners (in front pews) standing. Parishioners singing (panning shot).

Children playing on swing set and sleds on snow-covered playground (beside one-room schoolhouse).

ECU bell ringing in tower.

Children playing on swing set and sleds on snow-covered playground (beside one-room schoolhouse); abruptly turning and running toward schoolhouse. Children working at desks in classroom. Teacher, sitting at desk, observing children at desks. ECU male teacher (blackboard in BG). CU boy reading and moving his lips; looking up briefly; returning to reading. CU 2 girls working at desks. ECU boy staring blankly o.s. (chin rests in hand). Boy hunching over paper while writing; looking up. Teacher, standing at front of classroom, speaking to students; children standing at their desks; exiting classroom. Teacher straightening his desktop (standing before empty classroom). Teacher looking curiously o.s.

LS man walking around base of small, dome-shaped hill. Man holding (what appears to be) newspaper; glancing at it; looking o.s.; CU man looking o.s. Man climbing hill (aided by small pickaxe).

Drilling crew operating truck-mounted oil rig. MS woman and child observing drilling crew. CU boy, standing on prairie, looking intently o.s. Worker adjusting seismic equipment (mounted on back of truck).

Archive

Internet Archive, in Prelinger Archives

Licence or status

The Internet Archive states none for this item.

Credit

Affiliated Film Producers

Subtitles

Automatic captions

Who can watch

The archive gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Tweens profiles and older, judged from its collection and subjects. How films are placed