IMDb > James A. FitzPatrick > Biography
Date of Birth
26 February 1894, Shelton, Connecticut, USA

Date of Death
12 June 1980, Cathedral City, California, USA (stroke)

Nickname
The Voice of the Globe

Mini Biography

American documentary film director. After completing training in the dramatic arts, he worked for a while as a journalist. In 1925 he entered films and specialized throughout his career in travel documentaries. Besides directing, he also wrote, produced, and narrated many of his films. MGM distributed a series of his travel films under the umbrella titles "Fitzpatrick Traveltalks" and "The Voice of the Globe", as did Paramount as "Vistavision Visits." The hallmarks of Fitzpatrick's films were Technicolor photography and stolidity.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>

Personal Quotes

[answering criticism that he only showed the positive aspects of the places he visited] How would I have gained admittance to those countries if I had commented on their social problems? Aside from being very rude, it would have been counterproductive. I made my pictures at a time when travel was almost impossible for the average person. I believe I showed people what they would have wanted to see if they could have gone themselves. For years I had a travel agency, too. I don't recall anyone ever requesting a tour of slums and prisons.


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