Story of Jewel City (1915)

★★★★★ · fascinating · cashel · 2003-09-19

The people of san francisco had suffered the great disasters of fire and earthquake and they had rebuilt their city...Now they are staging the great EXPO..This film is very sentimental and poorly made...BUT, I value their genuine wish that the rest of the world would soon share their happiness..Alas.world war one had three more years of horror

★★★★★ · i loved it! · Kieran Kenney · 2004-06-15

There's a wonderfully lyrical quality to this film, which seems to survive only in part. The imagery calls to mind L. Frank Baum. I live close to San Francisco and I've visited the ramparts where the "Unhappy Land" scenes were shot. I just wish I'd been alive to see the 1915 fair in person. For those interested in how cool film deterioration can look, chick this out. Some great texture here.

★★★★ · Freakin' Fairy Movie! · Spuzz · 2005-06-25

Predating every science fiction movie ever made, 'The Jewel City' features a fairy who uses a 'Portal' to discover this wonderful land of Panama and is somehow lead by her wand from place to place (just basing it on the way she moves in the movie) and somehow rescues a boy soldier who is left in the ruins (he's obviously in the rest of Panama). So, what is this movie about? Who knows, Peace overcomes War? Rich overcomes Poor? Beauty overcomes beauty? I'm not too sure, and I'm not too sure if I care actually LOL. Keep in mind, this film is probably the in the worst shape of any Prelinger film…

★★★ · A glimpse of the past · ERD · 2006-12-31

A highly sentimental and simplistic film made by D.W.Griffith for the San Francisco Exposition of 1915. The film gives you a glimpse of a long past era. Looking at the buildings of the expoisiton were historically interesting, despite the poor condition of the film.