Mysteries in the Archives

June 1927. The young aviator Charles Lindbergh crosses the Atlantic in his Spirit of Saint Louis in 33 hours and 30 minutes. In a short time, from his arrival at Le Bourget which cameras missed to diplomatic visits, cameras and press create an international hero of this shy and discreet young man. The media machine will churn its fodder on both sides of the Atlantic. Why? Lindbergh wasn’t even the first pilot to have crossed the Atlantic in a plane. Like an investigation, the narrator's voice-over comments scrutinize and carefully decipher the archive images, revealing significant elements and anecdotes and highlighting how the media coverage of Lindbergh's exploit served the improvement of Franco-American relations.

This episode of the "Mysteries in the Archives" collection is devoted to the triumphal disembarkation by General Charles de Gaulle on the event of the Liberation of Paris. In the early afternoon of August 26 1944, after four years of German occupation de Gaulle strides gallantly down the celebrated Avenue des Champs Elysees. Arriving in front of Notre Dame Cathedral, shots ring out. Renowned cameraman Gaston Madru filmed several minutes of the fire fight in front of Notre Dame and the start of panic in the crowd, but most of his footage was long forgotten, or lost. Or had they been intentionally forgotten? These unpublished images were recently found, testifying to this event that General De Gaulle had wished to downplay at the time. How could that have happened? What does his footage reveal of the gun fire – as well as other moments during that famous day?

On July 22, 1969, man walked on the moon for the first time. About 600 million people watched it live on television. In an incessant battle of technology and political nerve with the Soviets, media coverage of the Apollo 11 mission – including Neil Armstrong's first steps – was closely prepared, orchestrated and produced by NASA from some 360,000 kilometres away. These live images of the Moon provide proof of America's victory in the frenzied race against the USSR for the conquest of space. More than 600 million viewers have the privilege of following this adventure live on the small screen. But who films Neil Armstrong as he descends from the ladder and takes his first steps on the moon? Who placed the camera which shows Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin posing next to the American flag and listening to President Richard Nixon send them a congratulatory message? Is it really a coincidence that this fantastic show was in prime time for the people of the American East Coast.

Marseille, Tuesday, October 9, 1934. King Alexander I of Yugoslavia arrives in the port of Marseille for an official visit to France. Several minutes later, he is shot point-blank – killed by a Croatian nationalist opposed to his regime. The close-up filming of an assassination was a first in the history of cinema. The footage revealed serious lapses in security. Why so many? Why were the cameramen able to get so close to film the dying king? What became of their footage? The Yugoslavian king could have come directly to Paris by train. Why, then, did he travel to Marseille by ship – a choice that played a large role in complicating security arrangements. A closer look at the footage reveals that however unintentionally, the celebrated Fox Movietone newsreel of the assassination served French authorities.

Buffalo Bill was, by reputation, the greatest buffalo hunter of all time. His celebrity included a stint as cavalry scout for George Armstrong Custer, the general killed at the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876. But film of William F. Cody shot as early as 1894 and through 1916 presents another image of Buffalo Bill. These images reveal his friendly relations with American Indian tribal chiefs. Footage of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, which toured the United States and Europe for more than 30 years, documents its early, considerable influence on a film genre that still fascinates movie goers: the Western.

From the announcement of President Kennedy's assassination in Dallas to his burial in Washington, D.C. four days later, the three television networks devoted their entire air time to coverage of the tragedy. During these days of national mourning, no advertisements were aired. For the first time in the history of television, the three networks – ABC, CBS and NBC – worked together to coordinate hour upon hour of live coverage for millions of viewers. Was it during these mournful, late November days in 1963 that American television won its place as the dominant newsmedia?

A behind-the-scenes look at one of the biggest scoops in the history of scoops. May 6, 1937. Four newsreel company cameramen await the arrival of the celebrated Hindenburg in Lakehurst, New Jersey outside New York City. During the final approach as night falls, the 110-metre German dirigible explodes in front of their eyes – and their cameras. All four scoops are deciphered and analyzed – as the canny use of the new media for the American promotion of a dirigible brandishing the Nazi swastika. Was it an accident or a terrorist attack? We'll never know, but what were four cameramen doing in Lakehurst as night took away the light, and rain fell? Why were these four cameramen there? What became of their respective scoops? The Hindenburg had been forbidden to fly over England and France. Why had those countries prohibited the Hindenburg's passage over their territory while the Americans welcomed the dirigible?

In July of 1946, a year after Nagasaki and Hiroshima the United States Air Force dropped two even more powerful atomic bombs over the Bikini atoll, the culmination of Operation Crossroads, a military endeavour with multiple objectives. No event in the history of cinema had ever been so thoroughly covered. Nearly 700 cameramen and photographers were hired to film the entire operation. The images, devised by American propaganda, were broadcast around the world. The stakes were high: to show American supremacy over the Soviet Union, at the very start of the Cold War. Why so many cameras and equipment to film two atomic explosions just after the end of the Second World War? What happened the minute before a historic photo was taken? And what is the relationship between atomic testing and the famous bathing suit?

Two weeks after their wedding in San Francisco, Marilyn Monroe and baseball icon Joe DiMaggio set off for Japan. In January, on their honeymoon in Japan, pre-season training for the baseball season begins. DiMaggio’s arrival in Tokyo with his new bride thrilled the press and both baseball and movie fans of the two stars. After two weeks, Marilyn leaves for Korea to sing for 100,000 GIs still stationed along the border between the communist North and capitalist South. During her four-day singing tour, moving from camp to camp by helicopter, she's filmed by military cameramen. Did she really interrupt her honeymoon? Why sing "Do it Again" and "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" in the Army and Marine camps? And what does the footage shot during the tour reveal about Hollywood's latest mega-star?

On June 11, 1955, between 200 and 300 thousand people are attending automobile racing's most celebrated endurance event: the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Like every year, Le Mans attracts important media attention and this 23rd edition boasts the sport's most elite race cars. But at the 147th minute, a Mercedes crashes and explodes. Eighty spectators die, and 140 are injured. In only seconds, Le Mans is the scene of the deadliest accident in automobile racing history. How did the catastrophe take place? Why were there so many victims? And why did the organizers allow the race to continue despite the tragedy?