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This 1953 film "Highways and Byways, U.S.A." was made by the "Farm Roads Foundation" as part of a surreptitious public awareness campaign by the Western Association of Railroads. The film and the campaign itself were intended to undermine the long-haul trucking industry in the eyes of the public, by making the point that tractor trailer trucks do not pay their fair share of highway construction and maintenance costs. "Highways and Byways" was in fact entered into evidence in a 1957 antitrust case brought by interstate long-haul truckers and the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association against the the Eastern Railroad Presidents Conference. In the end, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the railroads' publicity campaign was protected by the First Amendment, and dismissed the trucking industries' claims.

The film was made by Dudley Pictures of Hollywood and shown for free in movie theaters. It was apparently based on an article by Emilie Hall, "You Can Have Better Roads" originally published in Country Gentlemen Magazine. The film dramatizes the efforts that farmers have to go through to get country roads repaired by the state. The point of the film is that farm roads in places like Dexter County are in very poor repair, harming everyday people, and that the government should fund better roads -- presumably by taxing the trucking industry.

The film begins with images of modern highways and interstates, as well as a rural farm road (0:55) A red 1950's era Chevrolet truck is driving down a dirt road. (1:05), A black 1950s era Chevrolet pickup truck is crossing a bridge. (1:40), a 1950's era Chevrolet Styleline is stuck in mud. (2:42), Main Street USA -- the camera pans through the town of Dexter County, Missouri, the camera pans through a parking lot that has a view of shops, IGA Supermarket, buildings, and vintage cars. (3:10), Dexter County Greenville Press building. (4:50), Wesley Underwood is shown driving a blue 1950's Chevrolet Styleline. (7:41), a Greenville Press newspaper with the headline "Local Farmer Forced to Repair Township Road." (8:21), a 1950's rotary desk telephone base. (11:28), a newspaper with the headline "Survey of County Road System Called Imperative." (10:11) couple discussing roads in a modern kitchen with nice appliances (11:42), mail is placed in a mail box (11:52), at (12:01) a crazy mailbox on a rope pulley system is shown. A blue 1940's Ford Standard Coupe moves off the paved road onto the unpaved (12:20) County highway 59A, Fred Dickson's Road, and U.S. 40 signs. (13:57), Dexter County Courthouse plaque (looks like a matte painting) and Highway Commissioner office. A public meeting on the issue (17:03), the Farm Roads Committee members are seen at a panel, with Wesley Underwood speaking. (71:04-24:20), Dexter County town hall meeting discussing the issue of their roads. (20:46), Lucy Withers describes the costs of roads per mile. (24:58), a 1951 Greenville paper that has notes from the meeting, the headline "Resolution Adopted by Meeting of Rural Road Guidance Committee." (25:06), a 1950's Ford Heavy-Duty truck is shown crossing a bridge while the narrator talks about the need to protect infrastructure against heavy loads and wear and tear. The film ends (27:47).

Written by Herman Boxer, directed by Allen H. Miner, photography Alan Stensvold, music Howard Jackson,

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com