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Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit Visit our website This film “Make Way for Youth“ was developed by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in 1947, and produced by the National Social Welfare Assembly. It was probably the most widely seen non-theatrical film devoted to promoting religious and racial tolerance, in the immediate post-war period. The same year this film was released, Hollywood produced films with a focus on the problem of antisemitism: “Crossfire“ and “Gentlemen’s Agreement“. This film promotes interracial acceptance, social cohesion, and has a strong message of anti-racism and anti-prejudice. Main titles (0:42). Produced by Walter Lowendahl, written by Basil Beyea and Burton Rowles, Jr., Cinematography William Crosson; Edited by John Fenton; music by Emil Velasco; Phil Frankel; narrated by Melvyn Douglas; directed by Marvin Rothenberg (0:51). Bustling town at night: sidewalks, storefronts (clothing; Crawford; Kress & Co.; cosmetics; soda; drugs) (1:23). Cinema marquee (“pre-war prices“; Windsor; “Killer at Large Blackmail Tonight Five Acts”) (1:48). People buying movie tickets. Man arrives home in car (1:55). Lights of suburban neighborhood at night (2:06). Silhouetted man in hat walks dark neighborhood (2:13). Young men brawling downtown (2:23). Re-enactment of truck hitting teenager in street; trucker exits vehicle, people rush to road accident (2:38). Doctor examines motor accident victim; man in suit at accident (2:50). People wait outside hospital emergency department; man in suit exits, shakes head, leaves (3:10). White man in suit and tie stares ahead vacantly, walking tree-lined street (3:40). Man pauses at malt store (4:04). Youth at Candy Kitchen bar; White customers notice Black girl, racist snub; Black girl sips milkshake, sighs (4:18). Young men in near-empty stadium practice football, gather by coach (4:50). Boys fight at football practice (5:15). Man in suit at messy desk feeds typewriter, starts writing; man using typewriter (5:49). Newspaper front page: “North-South Scrape take youth’s life; Greek forces rout guerrilla ‘invasion’ try; Open letter to mayor…” (6:24). Woman at desk reads newspaper, pamphlet (6:30). Woman places phone call, rotary dial (6:45). Business meeting; woman presents at meeting (6:53). Meeting vote by hand (7:55). Woman leaves suburban house (8:00). Boy mounts bike in suburbia (8:05). Youth descend steps of two-story residence, read pamphlet (8:12). Boy and girl outside city hall (8:18). Boy on scooter arrives to city hall (8:23). Car full of youths parks at city hall (8:25). Youth Council meeting (8:43). Co-ed, multiracial Youth Council officers laughing, posing for photo (9:15). Youth council meeting again: voting, applause (9:40). Teenage boy has epiphany (9:58). Teenage girl presents at meeting (10:05). Youth enter YWCA gathering (10:22). Man hangs door sign: “no more room” (10:28). Youth council in huddle; teenager in bow tie (10:40). Girls talk to businessman at real estate agency (11:00). Youth scout locations in town (11:10). Teenage boy and girl shake hands, look in dirty window (11:20). Teenager presents to town council, councilors respond, other youth watch (11:33). City hall steps: youth council (disappointed, then excited) (12:10). Picnic by lake(12:30). Teenager outside YMCA (12:55). Municipal Engineering Department (13:08). Youth present to town commissioner (13:15). Young woman approaches suburban house; youth door-to-door campaigning (13:30). Young men talking near church; with priest, rabbi (13:43). Boy at typewriter (14:03). Newspaper: youth council column (14:07). Youth reading newspaper (14:13). Mayor examines files (14:16). Typed petition (14:28). Youth fix up building: washing windows, painting, hanging welcome sign (14:38). Teenagers hang decorations for event (15:04). Girl wears skeleton costume (15:17). Teenagers on stage, boy sings (15:20). Clean-up campaign: teenagers load junk into truck (15:50). High school “welcome strangers club” (16:15). 1940s cars / trucks with youth riding in back in field; teenagers jump off back of truck; youth run through field (16:36). Forest Ranger directs kids to plant trees (16:50). Teenagers set up large record player, loud speaker (17:13). Teenagers plant trees together in field (17:20). Adults in field by 1940s car, one takes off jacket, rolls up sleeves; more cars and people join, wave (17:35). Youth planting trees in field (17:58). Two young African American and white women plant tree together, in sign of racial harmony (18:30). “Transfilm Production” (19:05). This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit
