Paramount Sound News: Hoover 1931

This 1931 silent newsreel, Paramount Sound News, captures President Herbert Hoover’s Caribbean tour in black-and-white 16mm, despite its misleading title suggesting sound. Filmed during his March visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, it shows Hoover disembarking the USS Arizona, greeted by crowds and Governor Roosevelt in San Juan, then inspecting St. Thomas and St. Croix. Scenes of tropical ports, naval ships, and local life frame this pre-war glimpse of U.S. territories, blending official pomp with Depression-era resilience in Paramount’s early newsreel style.