City of Gold

The National Film Board of Canada produced this 32 minute 1957 film that was nominated for an Academy Award for Live Action Short, one of two shorts produced by the National Film Board of Canada in this category. Using shots of still photographs and a voice-over narration, it tells the story of Dawson City, a mining town during the Klondike Gold Rush. It's a fascinating look back at an era long gone and little remembered. Well worth tracking down. It was the first film to use an animation stand to concentrate on details of still images and move around within the frame for dramatic effect. It is the direct ancestor of Ken Burns documentaries. Turner Classic Movies ran this once as part of a celebration of the NBC's 60th anniversary a few years back.