Scenic Grandeur (1941)*** (out of 4)One of the best entries in MGM's TravelTalks series takes us to see Mount Saint Helens, Spirit Lake in Washington and then we get a boat trip to see Columbia Glasier. James A. FitzPatrick once again narrates but he really doesn't have too much to say. We do get a couple very quick stories but for the most part we just get to see some of the most beautiful images we've ever seen from the series. The stuff dealing with Mount Saint Helens are always beautiful to see but seeing them in the past like we do here is something quite special. The same is true for Columbia Glasier. Everyone knows the current state there without me saying anything but the Technicolor really pulls out of the stops and delivers some breath-taking images. There's no doubt that the images are the key here and those alone make this one of the best in the series. The most interesting thing is that FitzPatrick starts the short by telling people to put the world's trouble behind them. When I went to the IMDb I noticed that this short has a release date of December 13, 1941, obviously just days after Pearl Harbor so I'm curious as to when this line was added.

This one of the better Technicolor entries in the James A. FitzPatrick Travel Talk series, with the accent on the natural beauties of Alaska.While it starts out on what appears to be a tropical paradise in Jamaica, it soon turns its focus on the winter beauty of Alaska and spends most of its nine minutes contemplating outdoor scenery in that icy wonderland.The other aspect of this short that makes it worth watching is the soundtrack, composed of some nicely orchestrated music. Otherwise, there's nothing to especially recommend about viewing it except that the print shown on TCM was of better than usual quality.