A Word for the Greeks (1951) User Reviews

Fitzpatrick Works The Thesaurus

[boblipton · 5/10 · 4 January 2020]

James Fitzpatrick sends the Technicolor cameras to Greece, to shoot ruined buildings on the Acropolis, men smoking water pipes, and fruit stands, because when you travel halfway across the world, your access to fresh fruit is uppermost on your mind.

He then gives us his usual lugubrious blather, sounding like he used a thesaurus to make sure he never used a short, familiar word when he could find an obscure one at least five syllables long. To emphasis these things, Leslie Kirk doodles endlessly on the pipe organ.

If you want to look at this one for the pictures -- which is, so far as I am concerned, the only reason to do so -- be advised that the copy of this Traveltalk that plays occasionally on TCM is in poor condition.

Every time that his cameraman pans across . . .

[oscaralbert · 6/10 · 8 February 2019]

. . . some crumbling heap of construction rip-rap, A WORD FOR THE GREEKS' awe-struck narrator repeats a solemn soliloquy about "the Glory that was Greece." Here's some prudent advice for American-based fans of such "Ruins Porn." Do NOT squander your wealth on tedious jet rides to the has-been regions of Europe, when there's plenty of MORE impressive (though equally fleeting) ruination right here in our USA Homeland. Famous for hosting the abandoned-for-decades high-rise train station now threatened with refurbishment by Ford Motor Co., Detroit still boasts a decaying Packard Automobile Factory (where a hulking conveyor bridge finally collapsed just this Winter--blocking a major thoroughfare--even though it's been at least a century since the last Packard auto body passed through it to unite with a chassis). Considered the greatest ruin in the World of Pro Sports, the Detroit Lions have had TWO of their stadiums--each ten times the size of Athens' over-rated Parthenon--demolished AND trucked away in the past 15 years. (The Red Wing icers--aka, The Detroit Dead Things--soon will be able to make a similar claim.) In the late 1900s, walking tours of Harlem or Brooklyn revealed more bombed-out devastation than most heavily-targeted Axis cities of World War Two, let alone the "war-torn" Greece of A WORD FOR THE GREEKS. Don't believe it when the narrator here claims that this geriatric "nation" has just finished fighting a Civil War to end slavery in 1950! If this were actually True, MGM would be touting a GWTW sequel starring Anthony Quinn as BOTH "Rhett" and "Ashley!"

"The recent Civil War between the Forces of Freedom. . . "

[cricket30 · 6/10 · 20 June 2019]

" . . . and the Forces of Slavery" may be a narrative comment that goes over the heads of casual A WORD FOR THE GREEKS viewers. However, those folks consuming this Grecian snake oil with their volume turned ON could be puzzled by this anachronistic error in geography. First off, though the washed out color of GREEKS implies that this piece of video has been basking in the Aegean sun since Homer's day, Wikipedia says that movies were not invented until the late 1800s. Perhaps more importantly, GONE WITH THE WIND has taught us that that The War to End the Indolent Malingerers' Racist Slavery happened in "America the Beautiful" - - NOT at a reception for MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING! History books and travelogues frequently get things WRONG. Here in Texas, for instance, it is illegal to tell the Truth about the Alamo in any public school. (Students who do so are expelled, and their teachers disbarred.) ALL Kids of Color MUST "Remember the Alamo" as a battle between Heroic Mexican Freedom Fighters courageously struggling to KEEP Black Folks Free, against a renegade rag-tag bunch of Lazy Racist Losers Hell-bent upon shackling, flogging, raping, and torturing their dehumanized victims in perpetuity!

TravelTalks

[Michael_Elliott · 22 January 2011]

Word for the Greeks, A (1951)

** (out of 4)

Later entry in MGM's TravelTalks series with James A. FitzPatrick. We visit Greece where we take short stops in Athens, Acropolis, Parthenon and the Island of Rhodes. This is a pretty bland entry in the series because there really isn't too much for us to see here. FitzPatrick's narration is as you'd expect but none of the things we see are overly interesting. We see the various fruit markets downtown as well as the architectural styles that helped make the cities some of the most popular tourist spots. The Technicolor print that was shown on Turner Classic Movies was pretty faded and worn out.

post-war visit

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 8 February 2024]

In those troubled times, TravelTalks goes to Athens, the mother of democracy. They visit the ancient ruins and the modern city. There are orphans. They go to Rhodes where Mussolini often stayed. They end with some traditional dancers.

This is post-war Europe and one can spot a few military vehicles on the streets. It does look a bit drab except for the traditional dolls and costumes. There are some fine regular street views. It's a good representation of this time. They are definitely trying to play up the recent fight against tyranny although the narration could be more demonstrative against Mussolini.

Athens & Rhodes

[ksf-2 · 8/10 · 1 May 2018]

Is that title a reference to the film "The Greeks had a word for Them", which was a 1932 film with Joan Blondell ? Quick looks at the Acropolis, and the buildings of Athens rebuilt in the style of 500 BC architecture and temples. A walking tour in the markets and a quick discussion of the recent civil war. Then over to Rhodes, which returned to Greece at the end of WW II. Castles, ruins fishing boats. Apparently Mussolini planned to retire here. It IS beautiful, peaceful and calm. was there years ago. cruise ship stop these days. Only 500 square miles, acc to wikipedia. Earthquakes now and then, including the one in 226 BC that knocked down the Colossus statue. Pretty interesting bit. Short and sweet. and this one is in color. a Fitzpatrick production.