Modern New Orleans

An MGM TRAVELTALK Short Subject.

Our trip to the MODERN NEW ORLEANS begins at the expansive Port, where huge amounts of cotton are shipped to the world. We are taken along lovely Canal Street and shown a glimpse of the former Huey P. Long Home. One of New Orleans' ornate above-ground cemeteries is also visited.

This is one of a large series of succinct travelogues turned out by MGM, beginning in the 1930's. They featured Technicolor views of beautiful & unusual sights around the globe, as well as vivid, concise commentary. These films were produced & narrated by James A. FitzPatrick.

James A. Fitzpatrick sends the Technicolor cameras to the Crescent City under the supervision of Robert Carney. Then he talks about how the port handles 23 million bunches of bananas every year. As a result, the Traveltalks Orchestra does not play "Yes, We Have No Bananas."

I recognize some of the sights on view, like the Cafe Dumond, although it no longer boasts of its doughnuts. My trips to New Orleans are in search of the older sights, but Fitzpatrick and the title proclaim the city's modernity. It's not until the final seconds that he mentions the night life, which is indicated by an aerial view of the city by night.

It's an odd entry to the MGM travelogue series, which usually emphasized the beauty and entertainment value of the subject. Still, it maintains the usually dichotomy of good images and fiercely declaimed long words. The copy that plays on Turner Classic Movies is in pretty good shape.

Modern New Orleans (1940)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Another entry in MGM's TravelTalk series with James A. FitzPatrick. This time out we visit New Orleans to see Canal Street, the mighty river, old steamboats, Tulane University, above-group cemeteries and the booming business of cotton and bananas. If you've seen one TravelTalk short then you know what to expect and this one here delivers just like the rest. The Technicolor aspect is a major player here as this is one of the best looking shorts I've seen from the series. It's also interesting to see how the city looked way back then considering what we think of it today and especially after Hurricane Katrina.