This Warner Bros. The Sports Parade series short chronicles the attempt by a group of men to navigate the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon to Lake Mead. Led by Norman D. Nevills, nine men undertake a nineteen days trip in three specially built rowboats through the more than 200 rapids, some which run at 30 mph. Along the way, they see the remnants of previous expeditions. They also visit abandoned Pueblo Indian cave dwellings.
It’s a bit like watching a watery rodeo this film as these intrepid travellers attempt to ride the dozens of sets of rapids whilst the Colorado river does it’s best to upend them from their flimsily constructed, lightweight, craft. It’s easy to see why someone concluded this might be a good place for hydro-electric power as this river hits full spate and makes their journey perilous (we even see a skeleton to reinforce the point!). There is a short break from the action for some wildlife watching and some trout fishing but mostly this is all about some daring photography of the Grand Canyon, it’s ancient adobe dwellings high up in the cliffs and both adjacent to and on this volatile waterway.
