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Los Angeles: 'Wonder City of the West'

Name: Los Angeles: 'Wonder City of the West'
Released: 1935
Duration: 9 min

Representation Score

1.2/10

Minimal

1935

Approved

Runtime

9 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

This 1935 documentary serves as a promotional travelogue, emphasizing industrial progress and civic pride over character-driven narratives. It lacks the complexity needed for nuanced identity representation. The film reinforces the social structures of its time, presenting a homogeneous vision of Los Angeles centered on white, male-dominated sectors such as engineering and urban planning. It treats middle-class prosperity as the standard civic norm. While the film captures a moment of mid-century optimism, it does not offer space for perspectives that reflect multiple aspects of identity or challenge established social norms.

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Category Breakdown

Does Los Angeles: 'Wonder City of the West' have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not depict any queer identities or stories that challenge the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender. It follows the social norms of the 1930s closely.

How does Los Angeles: 'Wonder City of the West' portray gender?

Limited

The documentary highlights male industrial leaders and engineers. Women are shown in the background without much influence or control over the technological progress featured.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Los Angeles: 'Wonder City of the West'?

Limited

The film focuses on Anglo-Saxon development and Western expansion. There is a noticeable lack of diverse ethnic representation among the main subjects.

How does Los Angeles: 'Wonder City of the West' represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film celebrates capitalism and the American Dream through urban development. It emphasizes traditional patriotism and the perceived superiority of modern Western infrastructure.

Does Los Angeles: 'Wonder City of the West' include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no visible or intentional representation of individuals with disabilities. The footage focuses on idealized images of workers and travelers.

Present on Screen

Captures the historical context of 1930s American industrial optimism and urban growth.

Limited or Absent

Does not represent diverse ethnic groups or non-straight relationships.
Focuses heavily on male leaders, showing a gender imbalance.
Does not include individuals with physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

This Traveltalk series short visits Los Angeles, California. In one of the highlights of the film, narrator James FitzPatrick visits the Disney cartoon studio and shakes hands with Walt Disney.

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