I Went Back

Leo Genn revisits some of the cities he served in during WWII.

Actor Leo Genn takes an aircraft to Copenhagen to visit a city recovering from the Nazi occupation of WWII. Shipbuilding is resurgent around Hamlet's famed castle of Elsinore and the farming community has reclaimed the land from the foxholes and trenches. Then on to the Daimler factory in Vienna which has swapped tank manufacture for that of tractors before a tour of this city that still has the odd Russian tank to remind people that the future is still uncertain. Next, he visits the eternal city of Rome - largely unharmed by the bombings but still struggling to recover from the Fascist regime - a vast new train station offers an indication of the nation's aspirations, even if it's being built in the baking sun under the gaze of some lunchtime voyeurs! The Vatican remains unchanged as it's fountains sprinkle some welcome respite on the visitors to St. Peter's. At times Genn's commentary could be a rehearsal for his forthcoming performance in "Quo Vadis" (1951) as he describes the Roman sites before he heads, finally, to Athens and tours the Acropolis before visiting a peaceful Pireus harbour full of fishing boats delivering "sun ripened octopus"!