Synopsis
Photographed by E.E. Olsen and produced by the Dudley Pictures Corporation, the 1947 Danger River is the “first professional motion pictures ever taken of the dangerous journey down the raging” Colorado River. The film opens with shots of massive rapids of the Colorado River as it rushes through the Grand Canyon ( 00:34 ). This stretch of the Colorado is known as “Danger River,” and the remains of men who attempted to run the river ( 01:31; 05:56 ) serve as a testament to how dangerous it is: over 125 men have tried to run these waters, but less than 60 have accomplished the feat. Norman Nevills ( 01:40 ) is in charge of this expedition of plywood boats reinforced with strips of oak. The expedition arrives at the river ( 02:33 ), and get the boats on the water, load provisions, then push off. During the first stretch, the men face the treacherous waters of Badger Rapid ( 02:42 ) and explosion waves with 40-foot suction holes ( 05:15 ). Taking a needed break, the men climb 2,000 feet above the river to the ancient cliff dwellings of the Pueblo Indians ( 06:11 ), drift up a side canyon off the river, and fly fish for rainbow trout. Then its back to the river, where the expedition shoots Sockdolager Rapid in the river’s Granite Gorge ( 07:08 ), which is known as “Graveyard of the Colorado” with waves measuring 30-feet high. At times, the boats are completely sucked under the surface of the water. Finally, Rapid 233 marks the last of the rough water ( 08:12 ), and the expedition…
Uploader's description on archive.org
Details
- Running time
- 9 minutes
- Language
- English
- Collection
- Ephemeral Films
Subjects on the Internet Archive
- Stock Footage