Customer Reviews

Coney Island: The American Experience [VHS]

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I sat riveted to the TV watching this brilliant documentary and ended up buying a copy, and have sat through it many times since in awe each time I view it. I had always heard about Coney Island but never realized what it was all about until I saw this film. The entire culture of the 20th century was born at Coney and all the technological advances over that wonderful century never came close to creating another place like it. This was an unsantatized Disneyland. This was a Paradise on Earth. The City of Fire. If time travel were available to me, the first place that I would go would be Coney Island, circa 1907, when all 3 of the great amusement parks were in operation there. Watch this film and you will agree. It is like nothing you have ever seen.

I am endlessly amazed by this film - the perfect Coney Island documentary. I have long loved, and studied, the history of this great resort, and could never imagine a better documentary celebrating its past glory, and future prospects.

I hardly know where to begin...from the priceless archival footage, the sounds incorporated, the utterly accurate representation of history - it all deserves to be held in high praise. The commentary, and voice-overs, from great intellectual figures of our time certainly doesn't hurt, either - their readings from such as Maxim Gorky, George Tilyou, etc. are perfectly chosen, and beautifully phrased. Fantastic.

The footage deserves a paragraph all its own - this alone is cause for viewing, and purchase. Long-lost rides such as the Leapfrog Railway, Witching Waves, Virginia Reel, Steeplechase and Chute the Chutes are shown in all their glory, at correct film speed (an unfortunate rarity). Such a pleasure to view these images! I can't put it into words! The skylines of Luna Park and Dreamland sparkle as those who remember dreamily describe, and the interior of Steeplechase spins and buzzes with ineffable gaiety. Why, oh why can't we have such glories again?! Alas - such innocent times are gone forever. All the more reason that such archival films are so important.

The history of the parks is right on target, and depicted with interest and enthusiasm. Even those who couldn't care less about amusement parks will surely find themselves rather riveted - it's a fascinating story. The tales of sheer will and determination of the businessmen of early Coney Island is incredibly impressive, and their sense of survival in the face of disaster serves as a real inspiration.

Overall, need I even say it, I would recommend this film to anyone - it's fascinating viewing, and a marvelous look at a sorely underappreciated part of American history.

This video takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. The beauty of Luna Park takes you up and down you go when Jumbo is electrocuted. Half of the time this movie ran I held a hand over my eyes, but I couldn't stop watching it. It is a wonderful and disturbing video done with Ric Burns usual competence. How sad that almost nothing remains of the magic of Coney Island. I recommend it strongly for anyone who was ever interested in the subject.

...and in many ways, Coney Island was. It was a place of youth, fun, irreverance, lightheartedness and as this exquisite documentary points out, a place where people of all social classes got together and mingled. Coney Island was also a place of inventions whether they were incubators for premie babies or plain ol' electric lights. It was a place of magic and wonderment where the waves of the natural seas met the waves of man-made roller coasters; where there were artificial recreations of real life history. It was a world of fantasy and magic, the precursor to all theme parks to come.This documentary is rivetting because it places Coney Island within the context of the early 20th century when there was still much faith in scienctific inventions and progress. And, yes, there was much money.But as we see here, there were some leftover notions of the Victorian age. There was animal cruelty and though the "freak shows" aren't mentioned, it was also a place where human beings with serious genetic disorders and illnesses were caged and gawked at. None of the early footage shows African Americans at Coney Island and one wonders if they weren't allowed to go or if they weren't filmed. It's not mentioned in the doc. And as time passes on, the arrogance of some of its triumphalistic, historical spectacles begin to look somewhat disturbing in light of World War I; the faith in the technology of its splender-filled parks began to wane as fires begin to destroy many of them. Some of the smug notions of the early century are called into question as Coney Island's parks begins to fade. One by one the lights go out.Today, it stands a humbler, more weathered park, as if the horrors of the 20th century took their toll on sand, seas and the Wonder Wheel - which isn't much of a wonder anymore. Post 9/11 New York makes the park look even sadder. But if those grains of sand could talk -- what stories would they tell? Ric Burns creates a delightful documentary as fantastical as was the park in its glory days. This is a slice of New York history that fascinates - it is a reflection of America at the time and as America changes so does the park. The film literally brings you back to these early, naive days - I think I feel the water splashing and smell hot dogs.

I think this is the best written entry in the "American Experience" series.

Eli Wallach, Philip Bosco and others narrate a way of life for the residents of Brooklyn Ny. at the beginning of the 20th century. Its important to know how folks played in an era that was distant but seemingly close to the vest.

Steeple Chase Park, Luna Park and Dreamland are the places that wonders and amazement exist in a surreal fashion. " When you mix sand with water..it becomes a beach.." ( Al Lewis). But even more so we see a window for youthfull intoxications on display here. Could it be possible that one of those people could have been YOU?

Fire finally destroys Dreamland and all that is left is the little waltz " Meet me tonight in ..." The question is was it all a dream or does it just seem like it was? It just looks like an old movie set now....but for those golden moments it was fun and a release ..for our troubles ...that was a time

Within a few years of this film, Ric Burns would begin creating his monumental NEW YORK documentary. Released in 1991, CONEY ISLAND: THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE shows us an example of a great documentary-maker cutting his teeth and that Burns was well on his way to being one of the greats.

There is a marvellous range of photographs and moving pictures in this documentary. But the film is more than just a treat for the eyes. What holds this all together is the history. How did the history and development of Manhattan affect Coney? How did immigration prompt its growth? What effect did the emergence of mass transportation have on Coney?

And of course, the converse is true: What effect did Coney Island have on New York and the world? It is here where the documentary really succeeds! Coney Island would redefine leisure, entertainment, and, above all else, imagination for the modern era. Luna Park, Dream Land, Steeplechase were all designed to inspire hearts and minds, and not just provide thrilling rides. (Of course, thrilling rides were a big part of it, too. The roller coaster was invented in Coney Island, after all. And where else would the WONDER WHEEL and CYCLONE thrive?) With its preoccupation with the new and the unusual, the inventor of incubators for human infants was finally given a forum to display his life-saving machine in Coney Island! And what other place would make such an exciting subject for the new film-making business? All these considerations are painstakingly examined by Ric Burns' eye and ear. This is not to say that CONEY ISLAND is a dull, research-like documentary. Burns' great gift for entertaining while educating is undeniable, and his greatest asset as a documentary film-maker.

Rocco Dormarunno
author of The Five Points

This marvelous documentary by the "other" Burns (Ric) is at times like a feverish dream. Such was the reality of "Coney", where the Common Folk could escape the stifling atmosphere of New York and enjoy a 3D Freudian experience.

In a time before television, entertainment in these halls of wonder included scale Naval battles, firefighting demonstrations, sword swallowers, dwarfs with cattle prods, and the ultimate "attraction", the live electrocution of a rogue elephant, courtesy of Thomas Edison.

The City of Fire is no more, could never exist in today's fractured, MTV world, but this film is a journey back to a time that was perhaps simpler, but with emotions no less complex, narcissistic, or at times profoundly dark. Truly, an American Experience. Highly recommended.

When back in 1989 PBS announced that they were going to produce a multi part documentary about the Civil War, many doubted that it could be done. There had been a few multi episode documentaries based on other wars including WWII in "The world at war" and "The Viat Nam War", but these were done for wars where motion pictures of the battles themselves existed, as well as many hours of news and newsreel footage, and many of the veterans were still alive to give on film first hand accounts of the history itself. The Civil War took place two decades before the first crude motion picture camera was invented, and the last known witness to have lived through that era died in the 1960's. How could they possibly get more than an hour out of still photographs and no first hand accounts?
And then Ken & Ric Burns's "The Civil War" made it's debut in 1990 and changed documentary films forever. Without motion pictures they searched for thousands of photographs made during the war and of the people involved, many of which were never published before, some never even developed past their negative plate. They would pan & scan thes photos, do close ups, or pull back. They would add sound effects and music from that era. They would make the photos come alive, somehow making them more viberant than the motion picture footage used in other war documentaries. Without living eyewitnesses they would substitute historians who could describe with great detail what was going on in each battle, as well as letters written by the soldiers themselves, read by actors who were able to bring those letters to life. And they scripted their documentary so that the narrator was not just relaying dry facts, but giving a fully emotiona recount of the events surrounding the war. They were able to turn the dry documentary into poetry, and bring history alive. "The Civil War" was a hit for PBS. Other networks would sponsor their own documentaries based on the Burns brothers style. ABC would even rush their own Civil War documentary, "Abraham Lincoln", onto their prime time schedule less than a year later.

Each of the Burns brothers, both together and apart, would go on to make other documentaries for PBS, for subjects as deverse as Baseball, Jazz, Thomas Jefferson, Frank Lloyd Wright, Radio, even the first road trip by car across America. Some, like Ric Burn's "New York: A documentary film" were done with multiple episodes [ in fact the New York documentary would have two episodes added, the latest cronicalling the events leading up to and during the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center ] However, some of their documentaries, such as one that pre-dated their Civil War documentary, Ken Burns's "The Statue of Liberty", would only be produced as one episode.

It is a shame then that Ric Burns favorite subject, Coney Island, was produced as a single episode for PBS's "American Experiance". Made a year after "The Civil War", it is no less a masterpice, but with its hour running time, so much of Coney's rich history is omitted. Gone is the story of Lady Deborah Moody and her followers who originaly settled Coney Island and Gravesend. Only a scant history is given of the Boss McKane and Mike Norton years. Much of the film concentrates on the years between 1897 and 1911, when Coney's three major theme parks existed. But after the burning of "Dreamland", the film quickly recounts that Coney would fade out of popularity, that "Luna Park" would burn down in the 40's, and the last of the three theme parks "Steeplechase" would close in 1963. It is as if the years following 1911 were not important and Coney Island reached it's peek during those years. However, while there would be no major amusement parks built after the turn of the century, and this would be more due to lack of available land rather than no interested investors in any new parks, there still would be the building of major rides at Coney. During the 1920's Coney would see the building of it's three biggest Coasters, including the then massive Cyclone, which still runs to this day. These years would also see the Wonder Wheel, as well as the creation of many of Coney's other more popular attractions. It would be these rides, and not the earlier wooden rides of the turn of the century, that Coney was best remembered for.

But, like many other amusement parks, Coney Island was affected by the Great Depression of the 1930's, and the second World War that followed it. And then after WWII Coney would see record crowds. But this would come to an end. Men like Robert Moses began steering people away from Coney and towards other places like Jones Beach. Coney had become run down during the Depression, and the only money New York City put into fixing it up was to condemn and tear down what was already there, leaving vacent lots where homes and rides use to stand, and building low income apartment complexes in areas that could have been sold to amusement park developers. It is urban legend that Walt Disney himself was interested in building a Disney theme park at Coney Island, but by then the City had rezoned all but a few of its blocks as the amusement area, and even those blocks were being condemned for such urban projects as "the New York Aquarium" and an ice skating rink. Perhaps what says it best was the land that Steeplechase park once stood on. For decades it stood as a fenced off vacent lot, owned by the city who refused to sell it to amusement developers. Under Mayor Dinkins it was finally going to be sold to a local developer who was going to build a major theme park, but as soon as Giuliani took office the deal was recended and the land was given to the Met's for a minor league ball field.

Unfortunately, none of these years are part of the documentary. What is there is fantastic, but it leaves you wanting more. One can only hope that some day Ric Burns decides to remake this film as the multi part documentary it's subject demands and gives us a full account of it's rich history. Just the Dreamland fire alone could fill up an entire episode. Alas, all one can do after watching this film is read some historic books on the topic. I would recomend Edo McCullough's "Good old Coney Island.." For a fuller history of Coney's past and golden years; Charles Denson's "Coney: Lost & Found" as the only book that gives a detailed history of Coney's downfall, as well as the real reason for Steeplechase Park closing down; and Brian J. Cudahy's "How we got to Coney Island..." which is the only book that gives the history of the building of mass transit to Coney Island as well as a few historical details that the other books left out.

as usual, i was pleased with my order of Coney Island video.it was shipped on time, and arrived in great condition.!

Coney Island has become legend. What once was a place for people to gather in excitement and fun is now a hollow ghost of its former self. Still, it is fun to look back on the way it once was during a simpler time in history.

This documentary is extremely well done. The narration is excellent and combines well with the film clips used. The editing is also masterful and helpful to the storytelling. Surprisingly, the film footage is in good condition. Since most of it did not come from a major motion picture, one would think it would be in the same condition as most newsreel footage, but it is clear and watchable. (Ironically, the bit from Clara Bow's "It" is in bad shape; it has since been restored.)

The only major flaw here is the little information provided about the 1920s and 30s. So much is explored from the early 1900s because that is when the amusement parks really took off, but what of the time between that and the collapse? One can get an idea of what it was like based on the film clips, but judging from the bathing suits, most of the clips come from the earliest parts of the century.

Overall, this film is a fascinating look at an era lost to the modern world. It is nostalgic and lovingly told.