VJ Day, Honolulu Hawaii, August 14, 1945
2 years ago
00:00
215
More
1. VJ Day, Honolulu Hawaii, August 14, 1945
2 years ago
65 Years Ago my Dad shot this film along Kalakaua Ave. in Waikiki capturing spontaneous celebrations that broke out upon first hearing news of the Japanese surrender. Kodachrome 16mm film: God Bless Kodachrome, right? I was able to find an outfit (mymovietransfer.com) to do a much superior scan of this footage to what I had previously posted, so I re-did this film and replaced the older version There are more still images from this amazing day, in color, at discoveringhawaii.com
Many people email me to ask where I got my scan done, so I decided to post my standard reply here for those thinking about it:
I sent the same sample to 5 different video transfer services and all were horrible. Then I discovered mymovietransfer.com, and I chose them to do my scan.
The person below wrote recently to give me this intriguing lead, but I haven't checked it out yet:
"Have you considered having this film scanned on a "real" scanner. Check out scanyourfilm.com. 1080p scan for $.01/frame HD or $.02/frame 2K. He's scanning on a Spirit 2K. 100' of film costs $36... That's an insanely cheap prices. I'd love to see it in HD! Thanks for posting!!!"
My film is 16mm and thus has much more information than an 8mm film, so I would investigate the HD option if you have 8mm film in order to get the best quality.
iMovie is an easy program to learn and allowed me to improve contrast and color.
The sample I sent was NOT my precious VJ Day film, but an equally old short film I bought on eBay for $15 for this exact purpose. I didn't want to risk the VJ Day film until I was happy with mymovietransfer.com's results.
Good luck. Do your homework online.
Tell mymovietransfer that Richard Sullivan sent you if you contact them, and only go with a company that will do an inexpensive sample for you first.
You will need to supply a portable storage device for the scanned files. They will supply one, but it will most likely cost more than if you buy your own.
Many people email me to ask where I got my scan done, so I decided to post my standard reply here for those thinking about it:
I sent the same sample to 5 different video transfer services and all were horrible. Then I discovered mymovietransfer.com, and I chose them to do my scan.
The person below wrote recently to give me this intriguing lead, but I haven't checked it out yet:
"Have you considered having this film scanned on a "real" scanner. Check out scanyourfilm.com. 1080p scan for $.01/frame HD or $.02/frame 2K. He's scanning on a Spirit 2K. 100' of film costs $36... That's an insanely cheap prices. I'd love to see it in HD! Thanks for posting!!!"
My film is 16mm and thus has much more information than an 8mm film, so I would investigate the HD option if you have 8mm film in order to get the best quality.
iMovie is an easy program to learn and allowed me to improve contrast and color.
The sample I sent was NOT my precious VJ Day film, but an equally old short film I bought on eBay for $15 for this exact purpose. I didn't want to risk the VJ Day film until I was happy with mymovietransfer.com's results.
Good luck. Do your homework online.
Tell mymovietransfer that Richard Sullivan sent you if you contact them, and only go with a company that will do an inexpensive sample for you first.
You will need to supply a portable storage device for the scanned files. They will supply one, but it will most likely cost more than if you buy your own.
-
Anna Mosley3 days ago -
-
Steve Douglas4 days ago -
Adam Bowers4 days ago -
Adesh Babu Thota1 week ago -
-
Harry Honeycutt1 week ago -
-
Justin Smith1 week ago
-
Patrick Smith1 week ago
Showing 100 of 217 comments.
Want to see the rest?
This conversation is missing your voice. Take five seconds to join Vimeo or log in.
MP4
00:03:35
Statistics
| Date | Plays | Likes | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Totals | 3.1M | 746 | 217 |
| Feb 12th | 804 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 11th | 1,214 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 10th | 1,304 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 9th | 1,491 | 2 | 0 |
| Feb 8th | 1,317 | 2 | 0 |
| Feb 7th | 1,205 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 6th | 1,133 | 0 | 0 |
Prev week
-
Vimeo: About / Blog / Developers / Jobs /
Community Guidelines /
Help Center / Video School / Music Store / Site Map
/ Vimeo
or 
-
Legal: TM + ©2012 Vimeo, LLC. All rights reserved. / Terms of Service / Privacy Statement / Copyright
Mule Ferguson
Lou Gopal, director "Victims of Circumstance" - the story of Americans held at the Santo Tomas Internment Camp in Manila during WWII.
In loving memory of Carlton Graves Church.
JP Kelly, Col USAF ret.
My Mom and Dad were both Navy and met during WWII.
Nice piece. How much footage did you have to work with? (Nice foley work, BTW)
-Kim
Jimmie Durante singing "I'll Be Seeing You" was inspired. A much simpler time for Honolulu is captured forever.
:38 - Kapiolani Blvd. seen from South St.
1:05 - "Parade" goes from Victoria St. onto King St. with Thomas Square in background (with military buildings in it)
1:26 - Ala Moana Blvd. with HECO plant at back left
1:28 - Kalakaua Ave. nearing Kapiolani Blvd., with Kau Kau Korner at the intersection (later Coco's, now Hard Rock Cafe)
1:40 - Moana Hotel
2:05 - Looking up at viewers on the exterior fire escape stairs of the Moana Hotel
Other than the Moana, all the other Waikiki buildings seen here are long vanished.
There were more local people on the streets that day in downtown Honolulu than in Waikiki, but they were outnumbered everywhere by the military.
hebneh, Thanks for all those identifiers. The men drinking are at the Halekulani Hotel Cottages where Navy officers were housed, from what i understand. The red tile roofed structure the cars full of celebrants whiz by is Lippy's Service Station on Kalakaua (1:21). The orange awning is the House Of Coral store (2:17).
My step-father was blasted out of his bunk at Kaneohe on December 7th, 1941 but unhurt. He gave me his Thurm's 1940 Hawaii guidebook which was a big help in identifying Oahu locations of this era.
I still have tears in my eyes watching such a terrific viewing of joy, especially during these trying days in our country. I remember those times as a member of the "Greatest Generation". I am in great fear at this time for our "Future Generation".
Have forwarded this wonderful V-J video to everyone I know hoping many people "WAKE UP" and unplug their ears.
Thank you so much, Richard Sullivan.
Thank you for posting this vid, I wish my uncle had lived to see it....along with all the other fine men on her. ;-(
What a time in history.
Truly is/was the the Greatest Generation. Nothing against the men and women who now serve our country. The apathy and political correctness of our society makes me wonder if our country would be willing (Iknow we are able) to stand against evil in the world today.
Thank you for a wonderful glimpse of an era that is gone but not forgotten.
After being burned he got sent back to the US and was sent to guard a POW camp in Arizona that housed German SS captured in Africa. He said it was so dangerous at that camp he would have been safer fighting Japs back in the Pacific.
The film was/is such a wonderful part of our history. Thank you so much for not allowing it to get lost. Brought tears to my eyes.
Very fitting for all to remember the sacrafices made for everyone!
My father served in WWII as a tank commander in Patton's Hell on Wheels. He was in the third wave at Normandy and according to family stories was the senior tank commander in Europe when the Army entered Berlin. Only my father and two other soldiers from his unit survived the war. Like many have said, these heroes were silent about the war and their heroism. My father never told me anything about his time in the Army - I had to learn it from family members many years too late. There is so much I will never know.
Thanks for saving this precious piece of history.
I was only 2 years old on VJ day and I regret not remembering anything. My father was in the 2nd Marine Division and was on a troop transport ship out in the Pacific. He was on his way to the invasion of Japan. On Aug 9 (A-bomb day) his convoy had just made a 180 degree turn and were heading back to San Diago. If the A-bomb had not been dropped, I would probabally have been an orphan. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS VIDEO.
My father was in the US Marines and fought the Japanese all over the South Pacific.
Thanks for sharing this with us. It's wonderful.
This generation faced off against the greatest armies in the world. They fought terrible battles. They won, came home, didn't complain went to work and built this great country that we had the privilege to grow up in. I had a wonderful childhood because of their sacrifice. For them I am eternally thankful. God Bless them all!!
Regards, Capt Luke
This is a wonderful and historic piece of footage. It sent chills up my spine.
My Father served in the Army Air Corp, later the US Air Force, in the 91st Bomb Group in Bassingbourn, Germany in 1945, as a B-17 pilot.
Thank you for sharing this truly jubilant time in America's history with us.
This touched me deeply to see the jubilation on the faces of the service men and women who gave so much for our country.
My dad was Navy and stationed on Guam during WWII. His older brother was across the globe fighting in Europe. And my poor grandmother could only pray that both of her boys would come home.
Her prayers were answered because they both made it back!
I can't wait to show this to my dad! Thank you for sharing this with all of us!!
Just today I had lunch with an old friend, an Omaha Beach vet. . . how fortunate my community still has him with us.
Your film so beautifully captures the vitality, the joy, and yes just how young they really were, with long blessed lives ahead. You captured my parents' generation at their moment of youthful triumph and realization that they had outlived a nightmare and life was still ahead for them. Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
Three years ago, a good friend of mine, and 2nd Dad, Bill Crawford, who was involved in that War, passed away, taking with him all those horrors of that War.
Thank you to all veterans as well. You truly make this country the greatest country on earth. Thank you for your service, sacrifice, and sense of duty for this great nation.
Flag day, Memorial Day, 4th of July. I passed it on to classmates of my 50th highs school reunion, family, neighbors, military, church group, etc
I work with just photos, but your 65 year old video is a national treasure that should be placed in national museum as well. Yes, awesome!
A job well done. I can only applaud after each one of the 99 comments just from the past few weeks.
As said before, thank you for your service, sacrifice, and sense of duty for this great nation.
Worthy of repetition:"Your film so beautifully captures the vitality, the joy, and yes just how young they really were, with long blessed lives ahead. You captured my parents' generation at their moment of youthful triumph and realization that they had outlived a nightmare and life was still ahead for them. Thank you so much for sharing that with us."
My heartfelt thanks.
Awesome Job!
Albert
Great job,
Robert Kelly, connpublishing.com
Great stuff here.
Steve
Thank you Richard
Are you going to be releasing more of the footage. I read that you had a 50 minutes of footage and would love to see the rest.
Thank you so much for the wonderful film. It reminds me so much of my parents having fun at the drop of a hat no matter the circumstances. They enjoyed life and people in a way I don't see too often now.
Thank you for this very special film.
For all the Conflicts, we as a Nation have endured, and those yet to come to pass. "Thank You" to All the Veterans, (Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines Coast Guard, Merchant Marines) The Gal's (those Rosie Riviters) that stepped up and other Civillians who gave Supporting the Troops. Thank God for all. God Bless America again because we're going to need it.
Fantastic video.
Don Van Slyke
Vietnam VET
donvs2 at hotmail.com