Publisher: CinemaSerf February 7, 2024
Arriving in Quebec, what's quite striking about this Royal travelogue is the absence of the Canadian Maple Leaf flag! Almost everywhere it's the Union Jack or the provincial ensign that flies. The large and enthusiastic crowds have turned out in force for what amounts to an interesting but rather chronological piece of photo-journalism as TRH The Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh undertake the usual mixture of military and formal engagements across the North American continent. Along the way, though, we do get an opportunity to see some of these vast lands at first hand. Some grand architecture gives a sense of grandeur to the relatively new born and widely diverse nation of Canada - with the world famous Mounties never far away. Quite engagingly, the visit to Toronto is narrated by a fourteen year old girl who positively gushes as she describes the scene and then there's a local resident describing the trip to a rather dreich Winnipeg that apparently was the first time anyone had used a see-through polythene roof on a car. Indeed, the use of local people to provide much of the commentary works quite well throughout here. To Washington DC and the briefest of US legs to their tour which sees a welcome at the airport from President Truman in person, before a motorcade seems to suggest no less interest here than there was in Canada. Again, the filmmakers waste no opportunity in showcasing the tourist attractions of the city before the couple return to Canada to see out the tour. It's interesting to note just how "British" Canada was in 1951, and at how powerful was the convening power of the Princess - people of all ages, in their thousands, standing around in all weathers cheering and waving flags. It's effusive and respectful - I wonder what it might look like if the King were to carry out a five week tour now - hell, even the students joined in!