Film, Motion Picture
They Builded a City, Lutheran Schools Pageant - Detroit 250th Anniversary
Part I
Silent, color 16mm film containing excerpts from the first portion of the pageant "They Builded A City," put on by Detroit-area Lutheran schools on June 10, 1951, on the grounds of the Lutheran School for the Deaf at Nevada Avenue and Van Dyke in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Detroit's founding. The pageant features a series of scenes from Detroit's history as well as some concerning the history of Lutheranism in the area. A group representing a Sunday school teacher and his students appear on stage throughout the production. The footage is continued on reel 2015.011.051b. Audio from the production is available on the tape 2016.077.020.
The film opens with the title card "Pageant of 250th. Anni. of Detroit Mich." The film then cuts to the stage, which is outdoors, and has a large backdrop painted with images of Fort Pontchartrain; the Detroit River; the flags of France, Great Britain, and the United States, the fire of 1805, a military encampment, and a church. After the initial shot of the stage, the camera pans across the audience and choir. Signs label portions of the choir as "East Side" and "West Side."
The first scene from the play captured on the reel is of a group of people around a table with a document--presumably representing
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, writing a letter to Louis de Buade de Frontenac, Governor of New France about the location for Fort Pontchartrain.
A group of students dressed as Native Americans then walk across the stage, and meet with people in French costume. Eventually they are joined by several people in British soldier costume.
In the next shot, drawings of livestock and people are lined up on stage to illustrate a set of statistics about the city from 1773.
After another cut, a thick cloud of smoke obscures the stage representing the fire of 1805. Next, a diagram illustrating the Woodward plan for Detroit is hung on stage, and a group of people set up chairs to illustrate the debate over it.
In the next shot, with a tent now on stage, several students in blue military costume perform a scene--presumably relating to the War of 1812 and Detroit's surrender. A group of students in dresses and bonnets, and Native American costumes then take the stage, then a student in a minister costume assumes a central role--possibly Detroit's first Lutheran pastor Rev. Fredrich Schmid. Another scene follows with a group of people in dark suits engaged in a discussion. Half of the group gets up and walks off stage, presumably to demonstrate the group that left St. Matthew's Lutheran Church to found Trinity Lutheran Church.
Next on the reel is a classroom scene, in which each student has a writing slate, and one wears a dunce cap. A man in a Civil War-era Union soldier's uniform then appears to address the class and audience.
The film is on a brown metal reel housed within a grey metal canister, labeled Pageant Part I, June 1954." The reel is contained, along with 2015.011.051b inside of an olive mailing box with a pair of cards both labeled "They Builded a City, Lutheran Schools Pageant - Detroit 250th Anniversary" and inserted into its mailing label slot.
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Film, Motion Picture
They Builded a City, Lutheran Schools Pageant - Detroit 250th Anniversary
Part II
