Motion Pictures Film of the Week: Driving Bay Area streets in 1949...

Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post:

Film of the Week: Driving Bay Area streets in 1949...

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I seen this one last night but didn't post it because the last three quarters of it is scenic. did you catch the '40 4 dr Willys @ .40 in the video, you see it again @ 4.30. There's also a black roadster @1.32 and a '37/'38 Willys 2 dr sedan @ 3.18 in the video. Does anyone know what the black flat nose truck @ about the 4.00 mark is? I will try and get a screenshot.

 

There are a few other similar videos from the same YouTube channel for other cities, I just watched one from Chicago in the 1930s yesterday and I think they have one from New York as well. Seeing 1932 Fords driving around when they were still late model used cars is pretty cool.

One thing I've noticed is there are a lot of dirty, dented and beat up cars driving around, unlike in the movies where every car is in perfect condition.

Some time ago I saw a similar video posted by someone else for Minneapolis, it may be worth searching out your home town to see if you can find vintage videos.

 

I'm thinking the first half was shot in Richmond, what with the Standard Oil building and the storage tank shown. The Nunes Brothers Boat Ways (last part of video) was in Sausalito.
Cool video.

 

Hello,

Having driven around that S.F.Bay area more times than any other place from 1949 (family vacations) to 2019 (wife and me) except for So Cal, I could not help but notice the shots from across the bay. As much as we liked the whole downtown S.F. city, we liked the action or lack thereof across the Golden Gate more. The solitude of the greenery in the coastal drives and neighboring hills, plus the smaller communities along the shorelines were attractive to us as 20 somethings looking for a new direction in our lives.

Besides the cooler country feel to the green forested areas just past the coastal living areas, it drew us there for a possible future. we found several homes and a possible job in a small community just a short ways away from the water. But, it was the shoreline areas that drew us as we walked around. The old wooden docks, the wooden fences separating the shops and maintenance yards were the mode of the time.

Impressive was a company called Nunes Bros. Boat And Ways Co. across the bay in the north shore, in Sausalito.

A very nicely set up, what looks like a possible Bear sailboat and a nice double ended sailboat closest to the fence.

“In 1939, the World’s Fair opening at Treasure Island included YRA racing. The Bear Class needed to qualify five boats to regain one-design status. A last-minute launch of a new boat and a dramatic race led to the Bear Class’s reinstatement.”

“By the late 1950s, the Bear Class was the largest one-design class on San Francisco Bay, with competitive racing continuing through the 1960s. The class was homegrown, with both professional and amateur builders contributing to the fleet. However, as both the boats and their sailors aged, the class grew quiet.”

Jnaki

As much as we like sailing, that Bear class sailboat takes a lot of skill and technique to keep moving in those S.F. Bay winds and currents. Perhaps, in the smaller bays along the shorelines would provide an area for coastal cruising and learning the ropes to sailing in the different conditions of the whole S.F. Bay waters.



Note:

As for cars, I liked the whole row of cars lined up on the street parking near the Dee Engineering Company. Including the custom lowered coupe parked diagonally on a side street. It was so much lower than the stock sedan next to it and the wheels looked to be chromed.
But, the one that caught my eye was the 37-39 4 door Willys Sedan parked against an old building. Cool cars during those early years…

 

Thanks for sharing! Thant was awesome.