James FitzPatrick TravelTalks shorts

[TopBilled]

Just a head's up - Volume 2 has been announced for September!!!

 

No listing of shorts as yet!

 

Yancey

Good. That means they must be selling well. I'm glad.

[yanceycravat]

Of the TT shorts I am aware of I still need two:

Glimpses of Peru (1937)

Night In Mexico City (1944)

 

Here are three I have but would like to upgrade:
Sydney - Pride Of Australia (1938)
Johannesburg - City Of Gold (1953)
Rural Mexico (1935)

 

If any of them are on this new release I'd be extremely happy.

 

Interestingly I also feel something of a let down.  Hunting through the TCM schedule and catching as catch can has been fun. I feel kind of badly for those who won't have the chance of random discovery. Everything has been plopped in their lap!

 

Yancey

[Jlewis]

Night In Mexico City is a Warner film that *technically* should be shown on TCM and available on DVD, but isn't part of MGM's crop. So we have to wait on that one. I would think most of the others will wind up on Volume 2. Maybe Johannesburg will go on Volume 3 if it doesn't fit.

 

Amusingly, one of the reviews on the Warner Archive site for Volume 1 is by a customer who got a newly pressed Volume 2 in a Volume 1 package. Ooops! Maybe that customer "Joe" can read this forum and inform us of its contents. Ha ha!

 

http://www.wbshop.com/product/fitzpatrick+traveltalks-+volume+1+%28mod%29+1000602619.do?sortby=ourPicks&refType=&from=Search

 

 

 

[arty100]

Thanks for the VOL 2  TIP !

 

I just preordered it!bbbbbbb

[mickeyfender]

Just a head's up - Volume 2 has been announced for September!!!

 

No listing of shorts as yet!

 

Yancey

 

Fantastic news! I'll definitely be getting mine as a late birthday present to myself. Don't even need to know the listing.

[arty100]

August 23 is the date I have down for my order..

 

(fyi)

 

Chris

[arty100]

The set just arrived.

Here's the scan of the titles:

 

Best!

 

ChrisTRAVEL_2.pdf

 

 

[Jlewis]

The set just arrived.

Here's the scan of the titles:

 

Best!

 

ChrisTRAVEL_2.pdf

 

OK... so going back to our earlier checklist, this is what is put out so far. I'm hoping the Eagle Eyes here will catch the titles I skipped so I can correct this post. Listing them by title, cameraman, filming date and release date (this being the order they are presented)

 

Volume 1

 

• Switzerland The Beautiful (Ray Fernstrom) / filmed May 1934 / Oct 2, 1934

• Ireland: The Emerald Isle (Ray Fernstrom) / filmed Apr-May 1934 / Dec 11, 1934

• Zeeland- The Hidden Paradise (Ray Fernstrom) / filmed May 1934 / Jan 3, 1935

• Rainbow Canyons (Wilfred Cline) / filmed Jul 1934 / Feb 2, 1935

• Colorful Guatemala (Wilfred Cline) / filmed Nov-Dec 1934 / Feb 23, 1935

• Los Angeles: Wonder City Of The West / filmed Dec 1934 & Jan 1935 / Mar 16, 1935

• Beautiful Banff And Lake Louise (Benjamin Sharpe & Winton Hoch) / filmed Aug 1935 / Oct 5, 1935

• Modern Tokyo (Wilfred Cline) / Apr-May 1935 / Dec 28, 1935

• Sacred City Of The Mayan Indians (Wilfred Cline) / filmed Nov-Dec 1934 / Feb 22, 1936

• Rio de Janeiro: City Of Splendour (Winton Hoch) / filmed Jan 1936 / Apr 18, 1936

• Yellowstone Park: Nature's Playground (James Smith) / filmed Jul 1936 / Oct 24, 1936

• Oriental Paradise (Wilfred Cline) / Apr-May 1935 / Jan 5, 1937

• Glimpses Of Java And Ceylon (Winton Hoch) / filmed Apr 1936 / Mar 6, 1937

• Hong Kong: The Hub Of The Orient (Winton Hoch) / filmed Apr 1936 / May 1, 1937

• Floral Japan (Wilfred Cline) / Apr-May 1935 / Jul 24, 1937

• Stockholm: Pride Of Sweden (Ralph Donaldson & Winton Hoch) / filmed May 1937 / Oct 2, 1937

• Chile: Land Of Charm (Winton Hoch) / filmed winter 1936-37 / Oct 30, 1937

• Copenhagen (Ralph Donaldson & Winton Hoch) / filmed May 1937 / Nov 22, 1937

• Land Of The Incas (Winton Hoch) / filmed winter 1936-37 / Dec 25, 1937

• Glimpses Of Austria (Ralph Donaldson & Winton Hoch) / filmed Jun 1937 / Feb 19, 1938

• Czechoslovakia On Parade (Ralph Donaldson & Winton Hoch) / filmed Jun 1937 / Jun 11, 1938

• Paris On Parade (Jack Cardiff) / filmed Sep 1937 / Jul 9, 1938

• Jaipur- The Pink City (Hone Glendinning) / filmed Feb 1938 / Oct 29, 1938

• Singapore And Jahore (Hone Glendinning) / filmed Feb or Mar 1938 / Dec 31, 1938

• Java Journey (Hone Glendinning) / filmed Feb or Mar 1938 / Mar 18, 1939

• Rural Hungary (Ralph Donaldson & Winton Hoch) / filmed Jun 1937 / Apr 29, 1939

• Colorful Curacao (Robert Carney) / filmed Oct 1938 / May 27, 1939

• Quaint St. Augustine (Robert Carney) / filmed Dec 1938 / Nov 4, 1939

• Land Of Alaska Nellie (Robert Carney) / filmed Aug 1939 / Dec 23, 1939

• Seattle: Gateway To The Northwest (Robert Carney) / filmed Jun-Jul 1939 / Nov 18, 1939 (Seattle premiere)

• Sitka And Juneau, A Tale Of Two Cities (Robert Carney) / filmed Aug 1939 / Apr 13, 1940

• Glimpses Of Australia (Hone Glendinning) / filmed Mar 1938 / Apr 15, 1939

• Cavalcade Of San Francisco (Robert Carney) / filmed Jun 1939 / Sep 28, 1940

• Old New Mexico (Robert Carney) / filmed summer 1940 / Oct 26, 1940

• Beautiful Bali (Robert Carney) / filmed spring 1938 / Nov 23, 1940

• Mediterranean Ports Of Call (Robert Carney) / filmed spring 1938 / Jan 4, 1941

• Red Men On Parade (Robert Carney) / filmed summer 1940 / Feb 1, 1941

• Alluring Alaska (Robert Carney) / filmed Jul-Aug 1939 / Mar 8, 1941

• Glimpses Of Kentucky (Robert Carney) / filmed spring 1940 / Apr 12, 1941

• Haiti, Land Of Dark Majesty (Robert Carney) / filmed Oct 1938 / Jul 5, 1941

• Glimpses Of Florida (Robert Carney) / filmed Dec 1938 to Jan 1939 / Sep 6, 1941

• Scenic Grandeur (Robert Carney) / filmed Jul-Aug 1939 / Dec 13, 1941

• Minnesota: Land Of Plenty (William Steiner) / filmed Aug or Sep 1941 / Jan 31, 1942

• Glacier Park And Waterton Lakes (William Steiner) / filmed Aug or Sep 1941 / Apr 24, 1942

• Exotic Mexico (Wilfred Cline) / filmed Feb 1942 / Jun 13, 1942

• Modern Mexico City (Wilfred Cline) / filmed Mar 1942 / Nov 7, 1942

• Land Of Orizaba (Wilfred Cline) / filmed Mar or Apr 1942 / Jan 2, 1943

• Motoring In Mexico (Wilfred Cline) / filmed Mar or Apr 1942 / May 22, 1943

• On The Road To Monterrey (Wilfred Cline) / filmed Mar or Apr 1942 / Mar 27, 1943

• Scenic Oregon (William Snyder & William Steiner) / filmed Sep 1941 and autumn 1942 / Jun 26, 1943

• Through The Colorado Rockies (Virgil Miller & Charles Boyle) / filmed summer 1943 / Oct 23, 1943

• A Day In Death Valley (Virgil Miller & Charles Boyle) / filmed summer 1943 / Jan 22, 1944

• Salt Lake Diversions (Virgil Miller & Charles Boyle) / filmed May-Jun 1943 / Dec 25, 1943

• Along The Cactus Trail (Virgil Miller & Charles Boyle) / filmed summer 1943 / Apr 15, 1944

• Colorful Colorado (Virgil Miller & Charles Boyle) / filmed summer 1943 / May 20, 1944

• City Of Brigham Young (Virgil Miller & Charles Boyle) / filmed May-Jun 1943 / Jun 17, 1944

• Monumental Utah (Virgil Miller & Charles Boyle) / filmed May-Jun 1943 / Jul 29, 1944

• Shrines Of Yucatan / filmed Feb or Mar 1944 / Jan 13, 1945

• Merida And Campeche / filmed Feb or Mar 1944 / Nov 24, 1945

• Glimpses Of Guatemala / filmed Feb or Mar 1944 / Feb 9, 1946

 

Volume 2

 

• Holland In Tulip Time (Ray Fernstrom) / filmed May 1934 / Sep 18, 1934

• Zion, Canyon Of Colour (Wilfred Cline) / filmed Jul 1934 / Nov 27, 1934

• Historic Mexico City (Wilfred Cline) / filmed Dec 1934 / Sep 7, 1935

• Honolulu: The Paradise Of The Pacific (Wilfred Cline) / May 1935 / Nov 2, 1935

• Rural Mexico (Wilfred Cline) / filmed Dec 1934 / Nov 30, 1935

• Victoria And Vancouver: Gateways To Canada (Benjamin Sharpe & Winton Hoch) / filmed Aug 1935 / Feb 1, 1936

• Japan In Cherry Blossom Time / Cherry Blossom Time In Japan (Wilfred Cline) / Apr-May 1935 / Mar 21, 1936

• St. Helena And Its Man Of Destiny (Winton Hoch) / filmed Feb or Mar 1936 / ©-Jul 8, 1936

• Quaint Quebec (Benjamin Sharpe & Winton Hoch) / filmed Sep 1935 / Sep 19, 1936

• Colorful Islands, Madagascar And Seychelles (Winton Hoch) / filmed Mar 1936 / ©-Nov 17, 1936

• Picturesque South Africa (Winton Hoch) / filmed Mar 1936 / Jan 2, 1937

• India On Parade (Winton Hoch) / filmed Apr 1936 / Feb 6, 1937

• Colorful Bombay (Winton Hoch) / filmed Apr 1936 / Apr 3, 1937

• Serene Siam (Winton Hoch) / filmed Apr 1936 / May 29, 1937

• Rocky Mountain Grandeur (James Smith & Winton Hoch) / filmed Aug-Sep 1935 and Jul 1936 / Jun 26, 1937

• Glimpses Of Peru (Winton Hoch) / filmed winter 1936-37 / Sep 4, 1937

• Natural Wonders Of The West (James Smith) / filmed Sep 1937 / Jan 27, 1938

• Glimpses Of New Brunswick (Winton Hoch) / filmed Sep 1937 / Mar 19, 1938

• Beautiful Budapest (Ralph Donaldson & Winton Hoch) / filmed Jun 1937 / Apr 16, 1938

• Rural Sweden (Ralph Donaldson & Winton Hoch) / filmed May 1937 / May 14, 1938

• Cairo, City Of Contrast (Hone Glendinning) / filmed Jan 1938 / Sep 10, 1938

• Madeira: Isle Of Romance (Hone Glendinning) / filmed Jan 1938 / Oct 1, 1938

• Sydney- Pride Of Australia (Hone Glendinning) / filmed Mar 1938 / Dec 3, 1938

• Ancient Egypt (Hone Glendinning) / filmed Jan 1938 / Jan 21, 1939

• Imperial Delhi (Hone Glendinning) / filmed Feb 1938 / Feb 18, 1939

• Glimpses Of Australia (Hone Glendinning) / filmed Mar 1938 / Apr 15, 1939

• Picturesque Udaipur (Hone Glendinning) / filmed Feb 1938 / May 13, 1939

• A Day On Treasure Island (Robert Carney) / filmed Jun 1939 / Sep 2, 1939

• Natural Wonders Of Washington State (Robert Carney) / filmed Jun-Jul 1939 / Oct 2, 1939

• Valiant Venezuela (Robert Carney) / filmed Oct 1938 / Nov 28, 1939

• Old Natchez On The Mississippi (Robert Carney) / filmed Jan 1939 / Dec 30, 1939

• Night Descends On Treasure Island (Robert Carney) / filmed Jun 1939 / Jan 20, 1940

• Calling On Colombia (Robert Carney) / filmed Oct 1938 / Mar 16, 1940

• Modern New Orleans (Robert Carney) / filmed autumn 1939 / May 11, 1940

• Suva, Pride Of Fiji (Robert Carney) / filmed spring 1938 / Jun 8, 1940

• The Capital City: Washington D.C. (Robert Carney) / filmed spring 1940 / Sep 7, 1940

• Yosemite The Magnificent (Robert Carney) / filmed summer or early autumn 1940 / May 10, 1941

• Glimpses Of Washington State (Robert Carney) / filmed Jun-Jul 1939 / Nov 18, 1939 (Seattle premiere)

• The Inside Passage (Robert Carney) / filmed Jul-Aug 1939 / Oct 4, 1941

• Georgetown, Pride Of Penang (Robert Carney) / filmed spring 1938 / Nov 15, 1941

• Historic Maryland (William Steiner) / filmed Jun 1941 / Dec 26, 1941

• West Point On The Hudson (William Steiner) / filmed Jul 1941 / Jan 10, 1942

• Colorful North Carolina (William Steiner) / filmed Jun 1941 / Feb 21, 1942

• Land Of The Quintuplets (William Steiner) / filmed Aug or Sep 1941 / Mar 14, 1942

• Picturesque Patzcuaro (Wilfred Cline) / filmed Feb 1942 / May 23, 1942

• Picturesque Massachusetts (William Steiner) / filmed Jun 1941 / Oct 3, 1942

• Glimpses Of Ontario (William Steiner) / filmed Aug or Sep 1941 / Dec 5, 1942

• Mighty Niagara (William Steiner) / filmed Jul 1941 / Jan 30, 1943

• Mexican Police On Parade (Wilfred Cline) / filmed Mar 1942 / Feb 27, 1943

• Romantic Nevada (William Snyder) / filmed winter 1942-43 / Apr 24, 1943

• Glimpses Of Mexico (Wilfred Cline) / filmed spring 1940 / Jul 7, 1940

• Over The Andes (Winton Koch) / filmed early 1937 and 1942? / Sep 25, 1943

• Grand Canyon, Pride Of Creation (Virgil Miller & Charles Boyle) / filmed summer 1943 / Nov 27, 1943

• Visiting St. Louis (Virgil Miller & Charles Boyle) / filmed summer 1943 / Feb 19, 1944

• Mackinac Island (Virgil Miller & Charles Boyle) / filmed summer 1943 / Mar 14, 1944

• Roaming Through Arizona (Virgil Miller & Charles Boyle) / filmed summer 1943 / Jun 3, 1944

• Wandering Here And There / filmed 1943 & 1944 / Dec 9, 1944

• Seeing El Salvador / filmed Feb or Mar 1944 / Mar 31, 1945

• Modern Guatemala City / filmed Feb or Mar 1944 / Aug 25, 1945

• Where Time Stands Still / filmed Feb or Mar 1944 / Sep 22, 1945

 

One possible goof, but this needs double checked. We get a double-dip of Glimpses Of Australia while Old New Orleans might have been missed, although that one is an extra on the Mario Lanza DVD That Midnight Kiss / Toast Of New Orleans. They could easily add that to a future disc that could include his MGM “Miniatures” and assorted other shorts.

[TravelFilmsFan]

Man, Jlewis, outstanding work on that list. That's a great resource. Thanks very much for putting that together -- well done.

 

Yes, I'm also seeing "Glimpses of Australia" two times. I'm going to hunt around for other discrepancies. There is one -- and I've forgotten the title -- that has always given me fits. It's a South American short (I think), and I've seen the date given in the 1930s AND the 1950s, if you can believe that.

 

My guess (and this is only a guess) is that dates got jumbled when Jimmy re-recorded some of his shorts for a new thing on the scene in the 1950s called "the television." 

 

In addition to being an amazing creative (c'mon people, no digs about bland narration and predictable sunset endings -- the man was lugging around a Technicolor camera in the 1930s. He was literally on the cutting edge of technology), Jimmy was also somewhat of a wheeler dealer businessman.

 

For example, he would sell his shorts to schools for educational purposes. And also, to TV stations. Recently, I did an "old newspapers in California" database search and found that he tried to BUY a TV station in the early 1950s. This man was constantly making moves -- well into his late 70s.

 

By the way, Volume 2 did NOT disappoint. It contained 12 shorts I had never seen before, including some I've been super eager to see, including "Grand Canyon, Pride of Creation" and "Mighty Niagara" at the top of the list.

 

Speaking of "Niagara," I loved the scene of Jimmy, his wife, and (presumably) some of their crew donning their rubber suits before shoving off aboard The Maid of the Mist. He had just honeymooned there 3 years earlier (thanks again Jlewis as I check the handy-dandy filming date list) and he makes mention of this in the v/o. Great stuff. 

 

So yeah, I'm really pleased with how these DVDs are set up. Top marks. Can't wait for Volume 3!

[Jlewis]

It was mighty nice that Film Daily, Motion Picture News and Motion Picture Herald actually gave a darn about FitzPatrick, Burton Holmes and other travel folk so that we can... somewhat accurately... date these thanks to Internet Archive scans of the old magazines.

 

Even if Warner boo-booed a bit, I think it was a nice touch that both volumes tried to cover an *exact* decade. Although some of the footage in Wandering Here And There may have been shot after March 1944, I have the feeling it is pretty much all "extra" material not used in the summer 1943 filmed shorts done across the country. Therefore, we have this nice uninterrupted stretch from April 1934, when he announced that Ireland: The Emerald Isle would be the first stop in glorious Technicolor for Film Daily on April 9th (roughly two months before Robert C. Bruce also covered the same spot in Technicolor for a rival company First Division in a film called Irish Melody), through the end of his Central American repeat tour in March/April of 1944. Then there was a gap until August 1945 when he toured post-war London (covered in that nifty newsreel), which will start up Volume 3, I am sure... although they may still need to add any titles missed. (I think Warner Brothers got him to assist on two of their Mexican shorts when he ran out of work to do at MGM.)

[yanceycravat]

Is Glimpses of Australia on both V1 and V2?

 

Looking forward to seeing this new set!

 

Also I've seen Looking At London with two different Leo the Lion openings. I've always thought one was a re-release of some kind.

 

Yancey

[TravelFilmsFan]

Got a theory on what happened with "Glimpses of Australia" --

 

There is only one pre-1940 short not included on either volume -- meaning one from the 1930s got left behind. It's the similarly-named "Glimpses of Argentina" from 1938. Since we have a double-use A for Argentina/Australia, I think that Argentina was just accidentally missed while Australia got grabbed twice -- once in Argentina's place. 

[arty100]

Data rate on Fitzpatrick discs are great!

 

I recently observed average data rates of 7.0 mbps which is quite good

for regular dvd's

 

fyi

 

Chris

[arty100]

Is Glimpses of Australia on both V1 and V2?

 

Looking forward to seeing this new set!

 

Also I've seen Looking At London with two different Leo the Lion openings. I've always thought one was a re-release of some kind.

 

Yancey

I believe what you're referring to is a "TV Version".

 

Chris

[Jlewis]

Got a theory on what happened with "Glimpses of Australia" --

 

There is only one pre-1940 short not included on either volume -- meaning one from the 1930s got left behind. It's the similarly-named "Glimpses of Argentina" from 1938. Since we have a double-use A for Argentina/Australia, I think that Argentina was just accidentally missed while Australia got grabbed twice -- once in Argentina's place. 

 

 

Actually TCM goofed. Glimpses of Argentina was done in 1951 but misdated online. I think the New Orleans title is the one missed unless it is included and misnamed on the packaging.

[TravelFilmsFan]

Zoinks -- for Argentina, I got 1938 from imdb.com. Weird: it has the date in parentheses after the title as 1938, but has the release date as 1 December 1951. That's a bit of a discrepancy. 

 

I threw in my VHS copy (yes, I still use a VCR), and it most definitely looks, and especially sounds like, a later one. 

 

So I guess that means we're totally covered for the 1930s on the DVDs.

 

More good news.

[TopBilled]

Zoinks -- for Argentina, I got 1938 from imdb.com. Weird: it has the date in parentheses after the title as 1938, but has the release date as 1 December 1951. That's a bit of a discrepancy. 

 

I threw in my VHS copy (yes, I still use a VCR), and it most definitely looks, and especially sounds like, a later one. 

 

So I guess that means we're totally covered for the 1930s on the DVDs.

 

More good news.

 

Welcome to the message boards. Nice screen name!

[Jlewis]

Ha ha! I couldn't remember if it was TCM's schedules here or imdb.com without having to recheck. I knew yooooou, TravelFilmsFan, had read that date somewhere because I had too and remembered it was wrong. In fact I think I might have been the one who corrected imdb.com myself (or MickeyFender did since he was busy on imdb.com correcting stuff too... one of us corrected it, anyhoo) and the "elves" in charge forgot to make that other correction.

[TravelFilmsFan]

Appreciate it, TopBilled. Great to be here -- it's one of my favorite topics. 

 

Yeah, Jlewis, I got faked out. Which ordinarily doesn't bother me, but getting faked out by 13 years (1938 vs. 1951) sort of does. So it goes, and all lists are updated. Speaking of which...

 

I had a look, and it appears that one more volume of 60 should just about complete the entire MGM collection of color shorts. 

 

Now if we could just get our hands on some VistaVision Visits...

[Jlewis]

... and it would have been ssssooooo nice to see White Christmas DVDs issued with the short shown alongside it back in 1954: VistaVision Visits Norway. Alas... Paramount just assumed your average Wal-Mart shopper who gets it at holiday time just wouldn't be interested in such "extras".

[Jlewis]

I have enjoyed Volume 2 even though I have seen many titles before over the years. A few interesting observations...

 

By coincidence, many of the "swimming" titles seem to be clustered here. In Volume 1, there were a few shots of people diving into pools and frolics at beaches. Yet this second set is particularly amusing in that at least one in four films shows somebody in a bathing suit.

 

Volume 1 had many bears and deer among the critters featured. Volume two just has one Mule Deer in GRAND CANYON PRIDE OF CREATION, but black bears in YOSEMITE THE MAGNIFICENT and the Polar Bears and Pandas (actually not bears, but related to raccoons if we need to get nitpicky) at the St. Louis Zoo (a.k.a. VISITING ST. LOUIS). That zoo, by the way, was the most popular one in old shorties made by various studios and also popular in '40s-50s view master toys because, like San Diego's and Detroit's, it was among the few at the time with limited cages. Most of the animals had open enclosures more closely resembling their native habitat, a common feature today but not back then. SYDNEY, PRIDE OF AUSTRALIA, of course, has Koala "bears"... and one "put me down" platypus.

 

LAND OF THE QUINTUPLETS... oh boy, oh boy... *chuckle chuckle* Those little gals were treated just like the critters at the St. Louis Zoo. Loooong line of tourists seeking a glimpse. Most amusing is how they all cheekily grin at the cameras with no shame to their game while waiting to see Ontario's biggest attraction.

 

Of course, ROMANTIC NEVADA remains a favorite of mine since half of the reel shows ladies seeking divorce, not marriage, in sunny Reno. This is a town where there is no wartime rubber shortage. Lots of great vehicles on the road, pre-1942. Speaking of cars, both the Traveltalks and the black and white "Crime Does Not Pay" series that the Warner Archive also put out are excellent viewing for fans of vintage chrome. Both series span the years 1934/35 to 1944/46, a period that saw dramatic changes in Detroit styling that makes each title easy to "date". Even MEXICAN POLICE ON PARADE has all of the '42 models on display.

 

The United States reels showcase all of the segregation of the day. OLD NATCHEZ show the "colored folk" still living in shacks, although a few are living well and in advanced age. The "white folks" are all dressed in their plantation best. In fairness, Jimmy our narrator does his best to view the races as equal. He praises the multi-racial socialization in OVER THE ANDES, suggesting that he was aware there was a... ahem... problem back home in the USA that needed resolved. A few of us discussed this already here. I think Jimmy himself would not be too happy if his daughter brought home Sidney Poitier, but he is progressing gradually in his views. By the early forties, you no longer hear about the "progress of the white man" as you do in the mid thirties. PICTURESQUE SOUTH AFRICA and SUVA, PRIDE OF FIJI are the most dated of the bunch in their commentary since Jimmy was a bit too much in love with British Empirical Rule back then.

 

PICTURESQUE SOUTH AFRICA is, despite its racial "age" (after all, it was filmed in 1936), among the best looking of the bunch. Zimbabwe (excuse me, Rhodesia) is showcased with Victoria Falls. The rainbow effects are quite impressive, if more jerky and hand-held in their camera work than the very smooth Cinerama "takes" in SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD, shot in 1954. Although the Japan reels vary a bit in their quality, CHERRY BLOSSOM TIME really is just as breathtaking as your favorite Kodachrome slides. I am a bit disappointed that Jimmy didn't really explore Egypt better in those two titles; there is too much focus on urban Cairo and not enough on the familiars of antiquity. The India reels always look good although I still think Jack Cardiff's work for the "World Windows" series was still a bit better. After all, Cardiff had dared to show the Taj Mahal at night in 1938 color, while the Traveltalks are focused almost exclusively with standard daylight shots. Lots of elephants and monkeys in their India reels though. Gotta have plenty of critters, y'know.

 

My pick for the most memorable moment of Volume 2? Probably Mt. Rushmore sporting just two heads in NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WEST (1937).

[FredMertz]

Does anyone know the name of the song usually heard during views of “scenic grandeur”, usually mountains or canyons? If you have volume 1 of the Warner Bros. Traveltalks DVD set, a vocal rendition is at the start of “Rainbow Canyons” on disc 1. It is also the opening tune in the early Disney cartoon “Flowers and Trees”.

[Jlewis]

I have to go back and re-watch, but Jimmy is fairly predictable in his music choices. He absolutely adored Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt and Felix Mendelsohn, making mini-bios of them in the 1920s and flooding his Traveltalks with their music:

 

http://forums.tcm.com/index.php?/topic/114972-a-shortie-checklist-an-assortment-of-culinary-delights/?p=1369232

 

Several of his musical shorts can be seen here (although you may have to click on the next pages): http://www.travelfilmarchive.com/results.php?filmmaker_id=9

 

The Disney studio was equally obsessed with them in many Silly Symphonies as well. I think Wagner's Tannhäuser Overture probably pops up more frequently than any other, being the second tune in Flowers And Trees. In 1926, the Warner Bros. Vitaphone Orchestra performed this in a popular sound short shown before Don Juan and I have the feeling that this was the moment it became the "go-to" tune for all of Hollywood in the sound era whenever you needed something for mountains and countrysides. Of course, the ultimate rendition was Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny adding words in What's Opera, Doc?

 

 

 

[TravelFilmsFan]

Kill duh waa-bit.

 

KILL DUH WAAA-BITTT!!!

 

KILL DUH WAAAAA-BITTTTT!!!!!

[Jlewis]

Or was it the "Oh Brunhilde, you're so wuvwy"... "Yes I know it, I can't help it."?

 

Nevermind, it was the "Return my wuv..."