James A. FitzPatrick(1894-1980)

Producer
Director
Writer

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.

IMDbProStarmeter See rank

Awards
- 1 win total

Photos3

Known for

Song of Mexico

6.6

Producer

1945

Songs of Ireland

3.5

Short

Producer

1925

Songs of England

Short

Producer

1925

Songs of the British Isles

Short

Producer

1925

Credits

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IMDbPro

Producer

Assignment South Pacific
Short
- producer
- 1957
VistaVision Visits Spain
Short
- producer
- 1955
VistaVision Visits Japan
Short
- producer
- 1955
VistaVision Visits Hawaii
Short
- producer
- 1955
VistaVision Visits Mexico
Short
- producer
- 1955
VistaVision Visits Norway
8.2
Short
- producer
- 1954
Glimpses of Western Germany
6.3
Short
- producer
- 1954
Looking at Lisbon
6.3
Short
- producer
- 1953
In the Valley of the Rhine
6.8
Short
- producer
- 1953
Seeing Spain
6.3
Short
- producer (produced by)
- 1953
Copenhagen: 'City of Towers'
6.9
Short
- producer
- 1953
Delightful Denmark
6.6
Short
- producer
- 1953
Johannesburg: 'City of Gold'
6.0
Short
- producer
- 1953
Beautiful Bavaria
6.9
Short
- producer
- 1953
Land of the Ugly Duckling
6.3
Short
- producer
- 1953

Director

Assignment South Pacific
Short
- Director
- 1957
Picturesque Portugal
Short
- Director
- 1955
VistaVision Visits Mexico
Short
- Director
- 1955
Glimpses of Western Germany
6.3
Short
- Director (uncredited)
- 1954
A Word for the Greeks
6.0
Short
- Director (uncredited)
- 1951
Voices of Venice
5.4
Short
- Director (as James A. Fitzpatrick)
- 1951
Egypt Speaks
5.5
Short
- Director (as James A. Fitzpatrick)
- 1951
In the South Seas
Short
- Director
- 1948
The Mission Trail
6.4
Short
- Director
- 1946
Song of Mexico
6.6
- Director
- 1945
Wandering Here and There
6.5
Short
- Director (uncredited)
- 1944
Throwing the Bull
Short
- Director
- 1944
Monumental Utah
6.6
Short
- Director (uncredited)
- 1944
City of Brigham Young
5.5
Short
- Director (uncredited)
- 1944
Roaming Through Arizona
6.3
Short
- Director (uncredited)
- 1944

Writer

Glimpses of Western Germany
6.3
Short
- written by (uncredited)
- 1954
From Liverpool to Stratford
6.3
Short
- Writer (uncredited)
- 1949
Song of Mexico
6.6
- screenplay
- 1945
People of Russia
4.6
Short
- Writer (uncredited)
- 1942
Exotic Mexico
6.2
Short
- Writer (uncredited)
- 1942
Picturesque Patzcuaro
5.9
Short
- Writer (uncredited)
- 1942
Land of the Quintuplets
6.3
Short
- Writer
- 1942
Colorful North Carolina
6.2
Short
- commentary
- 1942
Minnesota: 'Land of Plenty'
6.7
Short
- Writer
- 1942
George Town: 'Pride of Penang'
6.1
Short
- Writer (uncredited)
- 1941
The Inside Passage
6.2
Short
- Writer (uncredited)
- 1941
Glimpses of Washington State
6.2
Short
- Writer
- 1940
Suva: 'Pride of Fiji'
5.8
Short
- written by (uncredited)
- 1940
Calling on Colombia
6.7
Short
- Writer
- 1940
Mendelssohn's Wedding March
5.9
Short
- written by (as James A. Fitzpatrick)
- 1939

Personal details

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Alternative names
- James FitzPatrick
Born
- February 26, 1894
- Shelton, Connecticut, USA
Died
- June 12, 1980
- Cathedral City, California, USA(stroke)
Spouse
- Ruth ThomasSeptember 19, 1930 - February 25, 1936 (divorced)
Other works
Narrated trailer for On the Town (1949), in the style of his Traveltalks series of shorts.
Publicity listings
- 1 Article

Did you know

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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.