Film, Motion Picture

Urban D 024 9713 024 0499, C 9916468 - 9917248

Silent color 16mm film containing footage shot for "Detroit Means Business," of people working in a laboratory, the Stroh's Brewery, and the robots and workers along an automotive assembly line in a Chrysler planet.

The reel begins with several seconds shot in a laboratory environment. Piping, pressurized tanks, electronic equipment, and a work bench are in view, as are a man and women both clad in lab coats.

The second set of scenes shows the Stroh's Brewery. Cartons of beer bottles, empty bottles, and cans are all filmed rolling past the camera on conveyor belts. A worker also performs several takes of peering into a large brewing vat. The camera also captures shots of signage outside of the factory, including the Michigan Historic Site plaque, the "Brew House" sign above the entrance, and a sign on a dark polished stone surface.

The last portion of the film shows a Chrysler assembly line, with a focus on its automated components. Robotic arms are shown spot welding a series of car bodies. Then, the camera gets several close-ups of a control panel's lights and buttons. Footage of another set of welding machines then follows. Here, in wide shots taken from an elevated position, several workers are visible among the machines, as is a banner the reads, "We Can Do It! The New Chrysler Corporation." The reel ends with a scene of workers using manual spot welding tools on a row of bodies.

The film is wrapped on a plastic core and housed within a 35mm tin along with 2015.007.078. The tin is marked "10/21/81 Urban Comm. Group City rolls 34-37."