Calling on Costa Rica (1947) User Reviews

Do You Know The Way To San Jose?

[boblipton · 5/10 · 16 May 2020]

There are a couple of oddities in this James A. Patrick Traveltalk. FIrst, there's no indication of which cinematographer he sent with the Technicolor camera down to the capital of Costa Rica. Second, the print that plays on Turner Classic Movies is clearly marked as from a 16 mm. print. Perhaps they all are..This would help explain the relatively poor prints that TCM usually runs.

For the rest of it, Fitzpatrick blathers out his usual incoherent mixture of facts, like Costa Rica being the first country to export bananas to Great Britain. Fitzpatrick spends about a third of the travelogue talking about bananas. For me, the principal fact about bananas is that it's a word that repetition makes nonsensical very quickly.

stopover

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 16 May 2020]

TravelTalks goes to Costa Rica starting with the airport in San Jose. Although, it's a nothing start. I am intrigued to see the airport in its original state. I can never get used to FitzPatrick's obsession with race and the girls are no pageant beauties. This spends a lot time with flowers and bananas. The flowers are beautiful and the old way of the banana business is intriguing. In the end, this feels like a stopover more than a destination.

TravelTalks

[Michael_Elliott · 5 February 2010]

Calling on Costa Rica (1947)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

TravelTalks short takes us to Costa Rica where we learn that it's the second smallest American colony. We touchdown at the San Jose International Airport where we then take a look at the capital city and its 70,000 people. We learn how Columbus landed there in 1502 and how the U.S. paid $26,000 for the assassination of William Walker who was, at the time, trying to take the city over. Other stories include the orchids grown there and how the beautiful women also have a personality. I've seen dozens of these shorts and I believe this was the first one that showed us pretty girls and then told us that they also had a personality so I guess that makes this an original. The short once again features the nice narration and beautiful Technicolor that we've come to expect and the stories here are certainly above average. The entire story dealing with Walker was certainly the highlight so fans of the series will find enough here to keep them entertained.