All that Jazz in 1955 “Cinerama Holiday”

Newington’s Louis De Rochemont produced an astonishing catalog of films, from the controversial “race” film Lost Boundaries, shot on the New Hampshire seacoast, to a cartoon version of George Orwell’s Animal Farm.  De Rochemont actors included James Cagney, Ernest Borgnine, Lillian Gish, and Lloyd Bridges.

My strange collection of De Rochemont ephemera includes this 45 rpm recording of New Orleans musician Oscar “Papa” Celestin and his Tuxedo Dixieland Jazz Band playing “Tiger Rag” and “Darktown Strutter’s Ball.” This was a spin-off single from Cinerama Holiday, a risky but briefly successful 1955 foray into the world of super widescreen movies. I saw two cinerama films as a kid in the 1960s: Circus World and Grand Prix, both shown in 70mm on a single wide screen. The experimental Cinerama Holiday was shot on three cameras, shown simultaneously on three 35mm screens for a 146-degree effect. De Rochemont made one more film, Windjammer (1957), using a short-lived system called Cinemiracle. That documentary follows the 17,500-nautical-mile journey of a tall ship.

You can view a remastered film trailer for Cinerama Holiday on YouTube.  It opens with passengers on board an airplane above the Swiss Alps. The curtain opens to reveal the full wide-screen. Created more for spectacle than for plot, the travelogue offers thrilling shots of skiing and a downhill bobsled ride. The camera follows two young couples as they tour scenic spots in Europe and the United States.

The couple visiting America explore Las Vegas, while the other duo wander through Paris, France and take in the nightlife at the Lido. Back in the USA, Papa Celestin (1884-1964) and his band perform in the streets and clubs of New Orleans. Only the second Cinerama production, the film captures a train ride through the Alps, marching bands, precision jets in formation, fireworks and more visual thrills.

I also own the 33 1/3rpm LP soundtrack album of Cinerama Holiday, but alas, my record player disappeared long ago. True to de Rochemont’s wide-ranging interests, the album also features a high mass recorded at Notre Dame Cathedral, live bands, and an original score by composer. Morton Gould.  

Copyright J. Dennis Robinson