People said that it would fall and that a poorly funded project would leave the nation with a half finished monument.
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LENGTH: 58 Minutes
OUR PRICE: $24.95
CATALOG #: 20349
UPC #: 6-4603203499-8
ISBN #: 156839-293-1
RELEASE YEAR: 2007
PRODUCER: Civil Pictures, Inc
In the end, it would become an international symbol of the United States. It is an architectural and design masterpiece that has touched everyone who has touched it. From the individuals who worked tirelessly to champion funding, to the Steel Workers who dangled 630 feet in the air during construction, it is a triumph that will forever mark the lives of those involved with it. It is… The Gateway Arch.
The Gateway Arch: A Reflection of America chronicles for the first time the complete story of this great American symbol… from Thomas Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and St. Louis’ role in westward expansion; to the eventual construction of the largest stainless steel structure in history. The film is narrated by Academy Award-winner and St. Louis native Kevin Kline and produced by Civil Pictures, producers of the international award-winning documentary The World’s Greatest Fair.
Extensive research was conducted at archives across the United States to produce this documentary. Over 10,000 documents and images were examined, including Eero Saarinen’s private papers and earliest conceptual drawings held at Yale University. The production team spent months tracking down long lost construction footage; transferred and seen here for the first time in digital cinema. The production team conducted countless behind-the-scenes interviews and 24 on-camera interviews over the course of two years. This process brought to light information previously unknown to the general public; including the fact that engineers feared the Arch would buckle when placing the final piece resulting in a catastrophic failure. Interviews with World Trade Center Memorial architect Daniel Libeskind, New York-based architecture critic Jayne Merkel, and Eero Saarinen’s daughter Susan, give new insight into the genius of Saarinen’s design as well as the fact that the technology to build his “ribbon of steel” did not exist in 1947 when he submitted his winning design.
More than just a dry historical record, this movie presents a message of optimism, the human capacity to pursue dreams and America’s ability to achieve great things.
Awards »
4 Mid-America Emmy Awards (2007)
2 International AVA Awards
An International Questar Award – “Best of Documentaries”
A Telly Award
A Davey Award
A Riverfront Times “Best of St. Louis” Award
Reviews
“An excellent new documentary film, The Gateway Arch: A Reflection of America directed by Scott Huegerich and Bob Miano, and narrated by Kevin Kline provides an engaging account of the scheme’s genesis and realization.” -The New York Times Review of Books“Boasting excellent production values (including beautifully restored archival footage) and no less than 24 on-camera interviews with architects, authors, engineers, and ironworkers, The Gateway Arch—a beautiful hour-long tribute to the St. Louis landmark—plays like a valentine to inspiration and innovation, as it honors a timeless symbol of the indomitable American spirit. A “ribbon of steel” conceived by architect Eero Saarinen in 1947 and completed (after the necessary technology was developed) in October 1965, the 630-foot stainless steel arch is one of the most-recognized landmarks in the U.S. Narrated with enthusiastic flair by actor and St. Louis native Kevin Kline, the documentary begins with a concise historical overview (complete with vintage photographs and authentic reenactments) establishing the significance of St. Louis as “the gateway to the West,” before turning its attention to the design and often treacherous construction of the Arch, which reportedly claimed 13 lives as its curving legs climbed into the sky toward their joining point. DVD extras include 30 minutes of bonus material (in-depth interview excerpts, more specific aspects of St. Louis history, etc.). Highly recommended.” -Video Librarian
“Drawing upon more than 10,000 documents and images (including the private papers of its architect, Eero Saarinen and the earliest conceptual drawings held in the archives of Yale University), “The Gateway Arch” also features interviews with World Trade Center memorial architect Daniel Libeskind, New York-based architecture critic Jayne Merkel, and Eero Saarinen’s daughter Susan. The DVD format allows for the inclusion of an extra 30 minutes of relevant and appropriate special features. The result is a superbly produced and entertaining historical documentary that is confidently and enthusiastically recommended for inclusion in both school and community library DVD collections.” -Midwest Book Review
“When its construction launched in 1963, St. Louis’s famed Gateway Arch had already spent decades in the rudimentary conception and discussion phases. A definitive symbol not simply of Americana, but of American westward expansion and Manifest Destiny, the arch embodies a “gateway to the west” – standing, as it does, at the very head of the Lewis & Clark trail – and thus, when it finally came to be, represented a culmination of almost 200 years of American history. As narrated by Academy Award-winning thespian Kevin Kline, the hour-long documentary The Gateway Arch: A Reflection of America tells the full story of the arch’s initiation as a project, its development by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen, and the events that led up to its completion and designation as a national historic landmark in 1965. The program draws from exhaustive research to incorporate long-obscure construction footage from the early ’60s, dozens of interviews, archival illustrations and blueprints, and much, much more.” ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
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