Coast to Coast in 48 Hours: A Quirky Time Capsule of Early Travel

So, is Coast to Coast in 48 Hours actually worth tracking down today? Well, that depends a lot on what you're hoping for. If you're a history nerd, or just really into early aviation stuff and how people thought about travel way back when, you might get a kick out of it. But if you're looking for a plot, or anything like, you know, a story with characters, you're going to be bored silly and probably wondering why Lindbergh is even on screen.

Charles Lindbergh introduces it, looking a bit like he'd rather be flying than talking to a camera. He's quite serious, you'd reckon. It's a nice touch, having him there, giving it that official feel.

Then the train part starts. Lot of shots of tracks blurring past, almost hypnotic. You can almost feel the rumble, even without sound. Though, it goes on a bit. Not gonna lie, I zoned out for a sec or two there.

And then, the plane! ✈️ This is where it picks up speed. Literally. Seeing those old biplanes take off, landing on grass fields, it really kinda brings home how different flying was. No fancy terminals or anything.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Coast to Coast in 48 Hours (1929) through its definitive frames.

The whole point was the 48 hours, right? New York to California. That was some achievement, gosh. Now, you hop on a red-eye, and you're there before you know it. It makes you think about how fast things changed, you know?

I kept wondering how they filmed some of it. Like, were they just dangling a camera out the window of a train? Or another plane flying alongside? Some shots are kinda shaky, which makes it feel super real, I guess. Definitely not some big Hollywood studio job.

There's a cool shot of a city skyline from the air. For its time, that must have been mind-blowing. Imagine seeing your town like that for the very first time. Like magic.

It's not a 'movie' in the way we think about films today. More like a newsreel or a really long home video from an era gone by. But it got a certain charm. You won't be on the edge of your seat. But you might lean in a little, just to see what kind of world they were living in then.