Colorful Guatemala (1935) User Reviews

If Fitzpatrick Wants To Be A Good Neighbor To Guatemala, He'll Shut Up

[boblipton · 5/10 · 14 November 2023]

James A. Fitzpatrick sends the Technicolor cameras down to Guatemala (as if you couldn't guess) under the supervision of Wilfrid Cline, then shouts at the audience the glories of separation of Church and State, and the excellence of one hotel.

Then it's merchants carrying stones, volcanoes, and hot springs. He also warns of earthquakes, and coffee. I've had coffee from Guatemala, and it's quite good. And that's all that Fitzpatrick had to say about Guatemala at the time; he would return to Central America more frequently during the Second World War, when travel to Europe, Africa, and Asia would be near impossible.

The copy of this Traveltalk that plays on Turner Classic Movies is in excellent shape.

pedestrian episode

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 14 November 2023]

TravelTalks first visits Guatemala City. They then follow native Indians to a group of women doing their washings at a heated spring. They visit a church. Finally, they are at a coffee plantation. They also watch the native Indians dance.

James A. FitzPatrick seems to be trying very hard to sell Guatemala City. The one word that stuck out to me is convenient. I guess it's convenient when compared to a time before the railroad. This episode is really short on interesting scenes. His race-based narration gets a bit annoying. The little kids dancing is cute, but it seems to be nothing more than filler.