La grande Rencontre

I recall having seen this movie in Dortmund/Germany in a big cinema which seemed to have been specially prepared for the occasion. It must have been in 1959 or 1960. I really felt "seasick" at certain passages of this movie, the impact of the stereo pictures and the sound was tremendous for me. It is not just this particular memory which makes this very movie dear to me (even though I never saw it again). This very movie is the reason for my introduction to, and consequently, love for, classical music. Grieg's piano concerto, practised by one of the cadets all the way from Oslo to America for a public performance there (under Arthur Fiedler - I recall his white dinner jacket when conducting) opened up this musical sphere to me forever. Up to this day this music and the Norwegian landscapes shown in the movie are closely connected in my mind. All this a "key event".

EL

I was fortunate to see Windjammer: the voyage of the Christian Radich in 1959 at the round Cooper Cinerama Theatre in Denver, while I was a high school student. I still have the stereo vinyl recording of the music, and the program book. The film was beautifully photographed and the Cinemiracle process and stereo sound provided a cinematic experience that has never been matched since. There seems to be some question as to whether the original negatives are still intact, who has or controls them, and what condition they might be in as far as a possible restoration and re-release of the film, perhaps in IMAX or 70 mm Panavision to maintain the 3-film aspect ratio, and perhaps in HD/DVD for home viewing. If one of the major film restoration organizations such as TCM were to adopt this project, they would be contributing to the preservation of one of the finest film classics ever produced. I certainly hope that someone will take on this challenge before the negatives deteriorate beyond use, if they have not already. It is difficult to understand why something has not been done already, although it is probable that cost-benefit analysis is involved. Anyone who has not seen Windjammer would be absolutely captivated by the beauty, majesty and adventurous challenge depicted in this exceptional production.

Imagine watching one of those old educational films you saw in grade school, except it's in Cinerama and it lasts 120 minutes (minus the intermission). This is how I felt watching "Windjammer."

I'm sure if you want to hear the plot, you'll find it in one of the other reviews. Though it's a true story, there is a certain amount of drama and performance as well. Of the fifty or so teenage boys recruited for the ship, we become somewhat familiar with about five to ten of them; these boys have a few scenes in which they converse in English. We also get acquainted with the crew and the mascot (a dog who steals a scene in the film).

But what really makes the movie succeed is that the drama is combined well with what is essentially part travelogue- beautiful cinematic scenes from both land and water- and part musical- really joyful music interspersed throughout. Frankly, it had as much musical motion picture entertainment as "Chicago" in my opinion (it's a compliment, I assure you).

So enjoyable drama, interesting documentary, good music and gorgeous cinematography... what's not to like? Alas, there are two negative comments:

The first is that in it's 50's innocence, it may be difficult at times to watch this film and not chuckle mockingly as a result of the hardened conditioning of today's popular culture and/or long nostalgically for it's time long gone.

The only other problem is that it has not been restored, and the print I saw (part of a Seattle Cinerama fest at one of the few remaining Cinerama theaters) was an original almost 50 years old. Because it's three reels synchronized on the screen, there were moments when the reel from one was noticeably more deteriorated than the others. And that made the illusion hard to manage. Also, "Windjammer," was truly meant to be appreciated in color; though a few scenes had some color in them, for the most part, the deterioration left it in black and white (and pink).

It's a 7/10. Overall, very entertaining but needs to be restored.

it was spectacular. It may look dated today, but it was wonderful then. It opened up with scenes in Norway as the crew prepared for the voyage. Then the ship left port and once it unfurled its sails, the curtains pulled to the side for an incredible cinematic experience. The movie followed the actual voyage of a group of young Norwegian cadets as they sailed the world. The soundtrack for this move is beautiful. I would love to see this movie again and, in fact, that's why I searched for this title in the first place. I have never forgotten this movie.

Of all the documentary, so-called 'travelogue', films shot during that halcyon decade -- the 1950s -- when Cinerama, Cinemirace and the Soviet Kinopanorama took centre-stage at the world's cinemas, this beautifully wrought film stands alone! Simply put, it is heads-and-soldiers above the rest.

Sadly, Cinemiracle, was a "one-off" release. Plans by Jack Warner to shoot their controversial film, "The Miracle", starring Carol Baker, were shelved due to the enormous cost of shooting in the three-film format. No other films were shot in the format. Cinerama, Inc., which purchased the Cinemiracle format and patents from National Theatres in 1960, promptly relegated the format -- superior in most respects to Cinerama -- to the dust-bin of cinema history.

Attempts in recent years to restore the film with new colour prints and the original 7-channel soundtrack have come to naught, due to the high costs involved.

The Kinopanorama producer-director, John Steven Lasher, stated in March, 2004, that he would gladly restore "Windjammer" before committing any funds, had they been available, to any of the Kinopanorama travelogues to which he has access.