Runtime: 129 minutes
Directed by: Robert L. Bendick/Philipe De Lacy
From: Cinerama Productions Corp.
Note that I posted this review on Letterboxd Thanksgiving night:
As it is Thanksgiving in the United States today, why not view this last night for the purpose of talking about something w/ “Holiday” in its title on a holiday night? I've viewed some of these Cinerama productions before and even if “cheesiness” is an accusation that can't be denied, all are charming, offer gorgeous vistas along with a snapshot of life in the past, and the Smilebox simulation done by Flicker Alley enables people today to see those three different images stitched together and the screen is curved artificially.
The story they came up for this is pure hokum: a couple from Switzerland and a couple from Missouri switch places. They are said to stay on the others' continent “for months” but there are long stretches of footage where they aren't seen... on the other side of the coin, that is me nitpicking as the real draw is hearing a nice stereo soundtrack matched to a wide variety of different images... county fairs, various sites in cities on both continents like New Orleans/Las Vegas/Paris/St. Moritz, Switzerland... and performances that range from dances (a Cinerama staple) of all sorts to a Dixieland jazz song... and there is also skiing, which is another staple in this format. There's everything from a brief fashion show to Native American cowboys, who-and I understand this was a different time-were called “Red Indians” and in 1955, it was OK to say that “Rain In The Face” was a “typical Indian name”.
To quote someone else here, at times it is obviously stagey and not realistic as a legit documentary where two random couples actually get to hang out on another continent for months on end... the footage looks great remastered and the highlights include Holidays on Ice outdoors in Switzerland right by a mountain lodge (not to mention a mountain itself), footage from a fighter jet both taking off and landing... getting to see downtown Las Vegas-including the Pioneer Club and the iconic Vegas Vic sign-before glitz totally went into overdrive, part of a choir's performance inside the Notre-Dame Cathedral, and even a ride down a bobsled course, which was greatly impressive considering how huge those cameras were... as I mentioned, this is a nice time capsule of life back in the past and what was the entertainment of the time, although of course what is “interesting” and what is “dull” is up to the viewer.
That is why these films (which I am glad Flicker Alley saved from oblivion & obscurity) tickle me pink.
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