The Romance of Transportation in Canada (1952)

A humourous survey of the history of the development of transportation technology in Canada.

Director:

Colin Low

Writer:

Guy Glover

Stars:

Jean-Louis Roux, Max Ferguson, Guy Glover

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Jean-Louis Roux	...	Narrator (French version) (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Max Ferguson	...	Narrator (voice)
Guy Glover	...	Narrator (voice)

Storyline

The romantic notion that Canadians have with transportation began with the arrival of the first settlers in the 16th century, they who were faced with getting around this new, uncharted and rugged land. The economic benefits of trade resulted in the creation of more permanent transportation links. With the increasing demand for trade came the increase in the transportation infrastructure, both in the frequency and the size of the conveyances. As most of this transportation was water based, canals and locks were constructed in the 18th century to make travel easier. Settlers were also marking out land trails for the movement of staples between settlements. Both land and water based transportation changed from natural power (oxen for land, wind on the seas, and human power and currents on the rivers) to mechanized and eventually motorized forms. Despite the obstacle of the Rocky Mountains, the construction of the transnational railroad in the 19th century revolutionized travel within ...

---

Plot Keywords:

transportation | canadian history

---

Genres:

Animation | Short | History

---

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Also Known As:

Sports et transports!

Company Credits

Production Co:

National Film Board of Canada (NFB), Office national du film du Canada (ONF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

12 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Has Anybody Here Seen Canada? A History of Canadian Movies 1939-1953 (1979)

User Reviews

The Romance of Transportation in Canada was an interesting Oscar-nominated animated short from up north

Produced by Tom Daly for the National Film Board of Canada, directed by Colin Low, narrated by Guy Glover with music by Eldon Rathburn, this animated short was nominated for an Oscar for Beat Short Subject, Cartoon, 1952. It humorously tells the history of how transportation advanced from canoing to trains to automobiles and planes simultaneously. Rathburn's score and Glover's narration are perfect here. My favorite parts are seeing how "comfortable" passengers are when riding stagecoaches and the end when...oh, just watch the short. Not hilarious, just a little amusing but this short helped many animators reap some creative benefits and gave the NFB their quality reputation.