Song of the Land (1953)

This documentary depicts the cycle of constant renewal of a continent's land, an event that has occurred countless times in the earth's two billion year existence. A volcanic eruption devastates the land, leaving it stark and lifeless until rains and melting snows prompt the vegetation to grow again and birds to return. Winds and birds distribute seeds, which contribute to the rebirth of the land. Gradually, many species of mammals and birds reinhabit the land and live in relative peace for centuries until the approach of another cataclysmic event, heralded by submarine volcanic action, tidal waves and forest fires caused by lightning. Another volcanic eruption spews fumes, dust and lava onto the land and again it is left barren and abandoned, but the land will once more renew itself. The film illustrates its theme with footage of predominantly North American and Hawaiian flora and fauna. A significant ten-minute sequence is devoted to unique footage of the life cycle of the California Condor, an endangered species.