Films & TV
By the mid-1950s, U.S. Steel had produced sixteen films seen by millions of Americans in movie theatres, educational institutions, and trade and industrial organizations across the country. The corporation also underwrote The U.S. Steel Hour, a television program featuring hour-long dramas that ran from 1953 to 1963. The following selections include clips from four U.S. Steel films, dating from the 1930 to 1953, and a sponsored message from a 1960 U.S. Steel Hour program.
Full films are available online. Please refer to each clip for details.
Empires of Steel (1930)
This silent archival film shows the construction of the Empire State Building in the early 1930s. It begins with a view of Manhattan’s skyline, then shifts to scenes of workers assembling the building’s steel frame high above the streets. Men in work clothes balance on narrow beams, guiding steel girders into place while cranes lift materials from the ground. Riveters secure beams, and sparks occasionally fly from tools. Lower-level shots show workers unloading steel and supervising construction activities. A sequence highlights the rapid vertical growth of the structure as floors are added. Mid-level platforms made of temporary planks allow workers to move between areas. Additional scenes show molten steel being poured and exterior masonry being applied as the tower takes shape. Street-level views capture pedestrians observing the project. The film concludes with the completed Empire State Building towering over the New York City skyline, shown from a distance before fading out.
This silent short film released in 1930 features the building of the Empire State Building. The film was presented by the American Bridge Company, a subsidiary of U.S. Steel.
Full film available at: https://archive.org/details/EmpiresOfSteel
Steel, Man’s Servant (1938)
Produced in 35 mm technicolor and highly praised for its production quality, this documentary served as a major informational piece for U.S. Steel. The film features shots of steel mines and mills in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania.
Full film available at: https://www.filmpreservation.org/sponsored-films/screening-room/steel-man-s-servant-1938
Unfinished Business (1948)
This postwar film follows Jim Robbins, a young veteran returning from the war, as he transitions back to his job at U.S. Steel. The film showcases the corporation’s peacetime expansion and modernization program.
Full film available at: https://archive.org/details/Unfinish1948
Steel Mill Construction: New Neighbor (1953)
This film presented by U.S. Steel shows the building of the Fairless Works steel mill plant in Pennsylvania and the Fairless Hills community for plant employees. The film underscores the corporation’s outreach efforts with the local community.
United States Steel Hour: Queen of the Orange Bowl (1960)
Beginning in the 1950s, U.S. Steel turned to the new medium of television as part of its PR campaigns. The corporation sponsored the United States Steel Hour, which showcased dramas by renowned playwrights and included sponsored messages informing the public about U.S. Steel.
Licensed through the UCLA Film & Television Archive and used with permission from the United States Steel Corporation.
Full film available at: https://youtu.be/0SvqGTWrJyU