This was the third (of five) USA-produced Cinerama travelogues and it is in my opinion the best. (The fourth, Search For Paradise, was the worst and ended Lowell Thomas' participation in the series.)
The premise being to travel the world, encountering nature and man made "wonders," is a good one and there are more locations and sights in this film than in any other of the series.
Note: timing on the DVD case and on the IMDb site is incorrect at 106 minutes. When the exit music ends the film has played for two hours, one minute and 35 seconds.
Five of the seven continents are visited – they save Australia for the fifth travelogue (South Seas Adventure) and Antarctica is not even mentioned.
We begin in the sands of Egypt with the only survivor of the original ancient seven wonders, the pyramids and Sphinx. A brief plane ride down New York's East River and under its many bridges and we are off to South America to view the Angel Falls in Venezuela and Rio de Janeiro.
Next is Japan with vastly overlong processions and dances by parasol-twirling pink ladies (ten minutes that quickly become boring) and a theatrical performance with more ladies (pink and red) and an amazingly off-key soprano.
Mainland Asia is next with a visit to Angkor Wat, Menares and the Ganges, a temple cobra dance, a bridal procession, the Monkey Temple (again with dances) and a final battle between a cobra and a mongoose. Guess who wins!
The Taj Mahal is next and then the very best sequence in the film, a small train climbing the winding hills out of Darjeeling, India, that loses its breaks and becomes a runaway train, careening down the hills, twisting and turning. One of the very best "you are there" sequences in Cinerama history, as terrifying and exciting as the famous roller coaster ride in This Is Cinerama. Note: this had to have been filmed with the camera at the back of the train as it climbed, then had the film reversed and speeded up. There is no way centrifugal force would not have forced the train from the track, destroying the cameras and the cameramen if filmed in reality.
Act One ends in a nauseatingly pro-Christian aerial tour of all the places mentioned in both old and new testaments of the Christian Bible. Thomas gets to pompously declaim as if he were a nineteenth century priest from the pulpit. This lasts eleven minutes. Act One comes in at 1 hour, three minutes and thirty seconds.
Act Two begins in Africa with visits inside a volcanic crater and views of hippos, elephants, crocodiles and flamingoes (a gaffe here in the narration that spouts that the critters are alligators – only found in North and South America). We see the Watusi tribes dance, then on to Rhodesia and an aerial view of the Victoria Falls.
A most interesting view of an American oil line laid down in Saudi is followed by an American baseball game played by the children of the Royal House.
Since Europe was well covered in Cinerama Holiday, we briefly tour the Mediterranean area, visiting Athens, Naples, Pisa and Rome.
Religion rears its head again in an extended sequence involving Pope Pius XII and his blessings and benedictions with a peasant family trying desperately to arrive in time, but failing to do so. A reprieve is provided.
A final return to North America and our wonders: Niagara Falls, The Empire State Building, Hoover Dam, our bridges, the Grand Canyon and the giant Sequoias – brings the film to a close.
Except for the act-end propaganda sequences re the Christian religion and its practices, the film is an excellent travelogue, well edited and constantly maintaining interest. The runaway train sequence is a true stand-out.
The premise being to travel the world, encountering nature and man made "wonders," is a good one and there are more locations and sights in this film than in any other of the series.
Note: timing on the DVD case and on the IMDb site is incorrect at 106 minutes. When the exit music ends the film has played for two hours, one minute and 35 seconds.
Five of the seven continents are visited – they save Australia for the fifth travelogue (South Seas Adventure) and Antarctica is not even mentioned.
We begin in the sands of Egypt with the only survivor of the original ancient seven wonders, the pyramids and Sphinx. A brief plane ride down New York's East River and under its many bridges and we are off to South America to view the Angel Falls in Venezuela and Rio de Janeiro.
Next is Japan with vastly overlong processions and dances by parasol-twirling pink ladies (ten minutes that quickly become boring) and a theatrical performance with more ladies (pink and red) and an amazingly off-key soprano.
Mainland Asia is next with a visit to Angkor Wat, Menares and the Ganges, a temple cobra dance, a bridal procession, the Monkey Temple (again with dances) and a final battle between a cobra and a mongoose. Guess who wins!
The Taj Mahal is next and then the very best sequence in the film, a small train climbing the winding hills out of Darjeeling, India, that loses its breaks and becomes a runaway train, careening down the hills, twisting and turning. One of the very best "you are there" sequences in Cinerama history, as terrifying and exciting as the famous roller coaster ride in This Is Cinerama. Note: this had to have been filmed with the camera at the back of the train as it climbed, then had the film reversed and speeded up. There is no way centrifugal force would not have forced the train from the track, destroying the cameras and the cameramen if filmed in reality.
Act One ends in a nauseatingly pro-Christian aerial tour of all the places mentioned in both old and new testaments of the Christian Bible. Thomas gets to pompously declaim as if he were a nineteenth century priest from the pulpit. This lasts eleven minutes. Act One comes in at 1 hour, three minutes and thirty seconds.
Act Two begins in Africa with visits inside a volcanic crater and views of hippos, elephants, crocodiles and flamingoes (a gaffe here in the narration that spouts that the critters are alligators – only found in North and South America). We see the Watusi tribes dance, then on to Rhodesia and an aerial view of the Victoria Falls.
A most interesting view of an American oil line laid down in Saudi is followed by an American baseball game played by the children of the Royal House.
Since Europe was well covered in Cinerama Holiday, we briefly tour the Mediterranean area, visiting Athens, Naples, Pisa and Rome.
Religion rears its head again in an extended sequence involving Pope Pius XII and his blessings and benedictions with a peasant family trying desperately to arrive in time, but failing to do so. A reprieve is provided.
A final return to North America and our wonders: Niagara Falls, The Empire State Building, Hoover Dam, our bridges, the Grand Canyon and the giant Sequoias – brings the film to a close.
Except for the act-end propaganda sequences re the Christian religion and its practices, the film is an excellent travelogue, well edited and constantly maintaining interest. The runaway train sequence is a true stand-out.