Alluring Alaska

1950s Soho beats with far more energy than its 21st century counterpart in this vivid time capsule.

Sail away to a bygone Cornwall in this wistful coastal travelogue.

In this FitzPatrick's Traveltalk short, a trip to Haiti serves as a portal into its history, mainly under 19th century ruler Henri Christophe.

This fascinating video captures the uniqueness of Alaska, from the wilderness of the great parks to the life of the people in the cities and countryside. Cruise up the Inside Passage and visit the colorful coastal towns of Southeastern Alaska. Explore Glacier Bay's tremendous fjords and glaciers. Ride the Alaska Railroad from Fairbanks and see Denali National Park (Mt. McKinley), the Matunukska Valley, and Anchorage. Travel to the remote Eskimo lands in the Far North. Other wonders of Alaska included are Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Skagway, Homer, Katmai National Park, Kotzebue, Gates of the Arctic National Park, the sternwheeler "Discovery", Alaskaland and Earthquake Park.

On March 24, 1989, the supertanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in the pristine waters of Alaska's Prince William Sound, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil. Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of Jacques Cousteau, takes us on a voyage to investigate first-hand the devastating impact of the U.S.'s largest oil spill. Amid the majestic mountains and ice floes of this serene setting, the leaking oil spreads like a virus staining and often killing everything it encounters. Harbor seals, sea otters, and bald eagles fall victim to the tragic accident.

Alaska... Here, in this vast and spectacularly beautiful land teeming with abundant wildlife, discover the "Spirit of the Wild." Experience it in the explosive calving of glaciers, the celestial fires of the Aurora Borealis. Witness it in the thundering stampede of caribou, the beauty of the polar bear and the stealthful, deadly hunt of the wolf pack.

A man shows the gentle and agressive side of Brown and Black Bears living with and around them. After "Grizzly Man" died in Alaska trying to do the same thing, it's truly amazing to watch this documentary.

A look at the scenic beauty of Alaska's great parks.

Newly into addiction recovery, an urgent threat emerges to spur filmmaker, Mark Titus back to the Alaskan wilderness - where the people of Bristol Bay and the world's last intact wild salmon runs face devastation if a massive copper mine is constructed.

This travelogue of Canada's Jasper National Park starts with a visit to the totem pole in the town, then to Lac Beauvert and the park's lodge and bungalows, where more than 600 guests enjoy golf, swimming and scenery. Within the park are the Canadian Rockies' highest summit, largest glaciers, greatest ice fields, and deepest canyons. After a lesson about feeding bears, we tour the vast park: Pyramid Lake and Pyramid Mountain, Mount Edith Cavell and Angel Glacier, a horse trail overlooking the Athabasca River, Athabasca Falls, the Great Colombia Ice Field, Athabasca Glacier and the special cars that bring tourists, and finally Maligne Lake, a fisherman's paradise.

This FitzPatrick's Traveltalks series short takes the viewer to various sites around California that resemble the geography, architecture, and culture of other places around the globe.

We start in Rio de Janeiro, with the statue of Cristo Redentor on Mount Corcovado, the avenue along the beach, the beauty of an historic city, and the landmark, Sugarloaf. Brazil's 47 million people celebrate racial diversity. From the Copacabana, we travel 40 miles to a resort, Quitandinha, where President Truman spoke. Then it's on to Sao Paulo, a modern, industrial city, and finally to the spectacular waterfalls of Iguazu on the border between Brazil and Argentina.

This Traveltalk series short begins with a look at Michigan's major educational institutions, which started as agricultural schools. We then visit the fish hatcheries at Grayling, which are used to keep the state's numerous lakes and rivers well stocked. After a short look at Detroit, the car capital of the world, we spend several minutes at Greenfield Village, founded in 1929 by automobile magnate Henry Ford. Included in the tour are churches, a clock tower, and the homes of several famous persons in American history. Although some of the structures are reproductions, many of them are the actual buildings they lived in.

This Traveltalk series entry visits the easternmost area of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. We learn that although the island was originally settled by the French, most of the island's inhabitants are of Scottish descent. We are also told that the main industries of the island are agriculture, fishing, and mining. After a look at Bras d'Or Lake, we visit the village of Baddeck. Near there is the grave of Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. The last stop is the industrial city of Sydney, home of steel plants, foundries, and coal mines.

A visit to Chicago, featuring the city's architecture and well-known landmarks.

This travelogue of Costa Rica, the second smallest of the American republics, starts at San Jose Airport. Transportation is key within the country, boasting among the best roads in the world. San Jose itself is the capital, a small city of about 70,000, with many recreational areas in its suburbs. Heading out of the city, we come to an orchid farm, there being said to be more varieties of the plant in Costa Rica than anywhere else in the world. Next, we move to the volcanic mountains, the range within Costa Rica which contains the largest crater in the world. We then move to the farmland, with coffee and bananas being the primary agricultural export crops.

This Traveltalk series short visits four villages in the Netherlands.

A Technicolor travelogue of the islands in the Indian Ocean east of Africa.

This FitzPatrick Traveltalk short tours North Carolina, first visiting the Cataloochie Ranch near Waynesville, where the ranch hands are shown square-dancing and singing folk songs. We cut to a visit with the many Cherokee Indian living in the state, followed by the camera showing the fields of azaleas, flowers that grow wild in many areas of this state. At the Biltmore estate, the annual Rhododendron Pageant is seen. Our screen tour winds up with a visit to Asheville, depicting Pack Square, the St. Lawrence Catholic Church and the Skyline Drive.

This James A. FitzPatrick's People on Parade series short takes the viewer to Alexandria, Egypt, with emphasis on the modern nature of the city.