Immediate Aftermath of Liberation of Paris France August 25 (1944)

Synopsis

This silent footage shows scenes from the Liberation of Paris in 1944, and probably dates to August 26th, the day that Gen. Charles DeGaulle entered the city. The film begins with shots of civilians moving across hastily built barricades. At:26 (the title card says "A little clean-up") signs of German occupation are removed by civilians and German signposts knocked over (:49). Pockmarked buildings are shown as well as anti-tank barricades (1:02) at Place Joffre. Barbed wire and a burning tank are shown (1:32). At 1:37, an L-5 Birddog aircraft lands on the Champs Elysee. At 1:55 shattered portraits of Hitler are shown to the camera. At 2:12 a title card notes that it is the 26th of August, and that Charles de Gaulle is seen in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral. A G.I. marches with French women down the street while hordes of troops are seen. At 2:50 de Gaulle is shown in front of a troop of armored cars. At 3:11 flowers are laid at the grave of the unknown soldier at the Arch of Triumph while a band plays. de Gaulle lays flowers at 4:30 and salutes the French flag. At 6:12 masses of civilians celebrate in the streets and de Gaulle and the Free French Army parade through the city. Following them are American and British as well as other Allied forces. It was still a dangerous place to be: at 9:57 a title card notes that isolated gunfire erupted near the Place de la Concorde, and panicked people are seen escaping or moving towards cover. The wounded are removed at 11:15. More…

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Details

Running time

3 minutes

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage