Cadillac Desert: Mulholland's Dream (Water and the Transformation of Nature) [VHS]

"Instant city--just add water!" The story of the transformation of Los Angeles from a neglected 19th-century town into America's largest metropolis boils down to William Mullholland's vision of a pipeline stretching across California to quench the parched town's thirst. Mulholland's Dream uses news footage, clips from Chinatown, and interviews with historians and residents of the areas sucked dry to tell how one desert was exchanged for another early in this century. L.A.'s explosive growth demanded ever-increasing inflow, and only very recently has the great city been forced to consider reducing its demand rather than increasing its supply. Comments from descendents of Mulholland and his adversaries enliven the picture, and we realize just how impassioned these men and women were--they were fighting for their lives. The story of the long struggles, both with neighbors and with nature, make for compelling viewing in this first of the series Cadillac Desert. --Rob Lightner

Price: $29.95

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