500 Fifth Avenue, a 60-story office skyscraper at the corner of Fifth and 42nd Street, was built in 1930. Movietone sound cameras visited the construction site that summer and brought back some dizzying views from the top. Starting at 0:41, we see workmen on the scaffolding and steelwork. As was common at the time, nobody wears safety restraints. At 1:41 a worker appears to be tightening a bolt while other off-camera workers tease and throw water at him.
At 3:05, the cameraman did a multi-shot 360-degree panorama. It starts looking east towards the Chrysler building, which is nearing completion. It then turns south, where (at 3:35 ), construction on the Empire State Building is well underway. At 4:05 , the camera is looking west along 42nd Street, where the Times Tower and the Paramount Building can be seen.
4:56 is the start of an almost-surreal scene, taken in a single 3-minute shot: somebody has brought a portable phonograph to the work site, and workers gather round as it plays "When You're Smiling." At first, they laugh and horseplay for the camera, but then they become quiet. The camera pans out, and we see Bryant Park, the Sixth Avenue El and streetcars on 42nd Street. It's the beginning of the Great Depression out there.
After the credits are some duplicate shots and outtakes from the outtakes.
Note: this film is mis-cataloged at the MIRC: It is listed as being taken on the Chrysler building in July 1929. It is obvious from the film what building it was actually taken on. The state of construction on it, the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building indicates that it was taken in June and/or July 1930.
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